Dear Majority Leader Reid, With the vacancy in the chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee caused by the unfortunate passing of Chairman Kennedy, Senator Dodd's seniority allows him the choice under Senate Rules of remaining as Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee or relinquishing that and taking the chairmanship of the HELP Committee. "At the end of my tenure on this committee,"Senator Dodd said in early 2007 of his role as Chairman of the Banking Committee, "I want it to be said that the safety and soundness of our financial institutions was not weakened on my watch." That cannot yet be said of Senator Dodd's tenure. Before Senator Dodd moves on to chair another committee, he should actually do his job on financial institution regulatory reform at the Banking Committee. Articles appearing today are echoing this sentiment, explaining that this move "could give Dodd appropriate distance from the financial issues that have hurt his popularity over the past year." Failure should not be swept under the rug. The economy is too important to ignore. A Banking Committee chairman who has ignored the economy in leading up to and enduring America's greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression should not be rewarded with another chairmanship. Chris Dodd has failed and not holding him accountable to do the job he has been given is a mistake. The only reason for Chris Dodd to leave the Senate Banking Committee is for political purposes -- so he can distance himself from his own failings as Chair of the committee. I urge you to do what is right for the people of the country: force Chris Dodd to do his job and to stop playing politics with our lives. Articles referenced: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/09/dodds_banking_money_mr_chairma.html http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/dodd-says-he-will-123990.html

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