Sen. Hillary Clinton has landed a coveted subcommittee chairmanship that hands her a powerful vehicle for addressing post-9/11 environmental issues critics claim the Bush administration has botched.
Yesterday Clinton (D-N.Y.) was named head of the Environment and Public Works Committee's Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health in the new Congress.

"I am looking forward to chairing this subcommittee, which will enable me to focus on improving programs to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites in New York and across the country," she said in a statement. "I also plan to look closely at ways to strengthen laws designed to protect our families from exposure to toxic chemicals, such as lead and mercury."

Read More From The New York Daily News