Jeff Sessions (Getty)
Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions today unveiled his new senior team of aides for the Senate Judiciary Committee, as the panel prepares for President Obama to announce his first Supreme Court pick.
Sessions, who became the top Republican on the panel this month after Arlen Specter defected to the Democratic party, has installed his own roster of Republican aides for the panel.
Sessions announced that Brian Benczkowski, formerly chief of staff to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, will be GOP committee staff director. Matt Miner, who already served as a committee aide to Sessions, has been named as the deputy staff director. Joe Matal, currently a committee aide to Arizona Republican Jon Kyl, will be the Republicans' general counsel. William Smith, who was a committee aide to Sessions from 2001 to 2006, will return to serve as the GOP chief counsel.
"I look forward to working with the team during this critical Supreme Court nomination process, as well as on the myriad of legal, law enforcement, and national security issues that come through the Judiciary Committee on a daily basis," Sessions said.
Sessions told reporters today he plans to have a "smaller staff with more senior people." With a limited budget, Sessions said, he'd rather spend the money on fewer, but more seasoned, people.
He said it's "quite possible" that he could keep a few Specter staffers. Sessions said he's invited them to apply for jobs.
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