Judiciary chair Leahy to miss Holder hearing

From Spencer S. Hsu
Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) will miss the showdown Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday in which Republicans plan to challenge Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.'s handling of terrorism policies, committee aides said Tuesday morning.

Leahy will instead return to Vermont to attend the funeral of a close family friend. Aides to Leahy declined to name the friend, who died this weekend.

In Leahy's absence, the panel's second-ranking Democrat, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), will take the gavel. Holder's appearance will be his first before the panel since November, when he explained the administration's new decision -- since reversed -- to try Sept. 11 planner Khalid Sheik Mohammed in federal court in New York City.

Aides said they did not want to postpone the hearing again, since Holder's planned testimony on March 22 was rescheduled because of the signing of President Obama's health-care overhaul legislation.