"Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) is poised to take the chairmanship of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, as current Chairman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) is expected to move over to the coveted Defense subpanel.

The reshuffling comes after the death earlier this week of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) due to complications from gallbladder surgery.

Dicks, who is the next most senior Democrat on the Defense Subcommittee, will "likely succeed" his friend Murtha at that position, said his chief of staff George Behan."

Noelle Straub reports for Greenwire February 10, 2010. [2]