Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) may be facing a larger Democratic majority this year, but he has no intention of scaling down his efforts to stymie some of the party's legislative proposals.

Freshmen congressmen are often seen as anonymous, with limited clout in their committees, little name recognition and have more trouble filling up campaign coffers than their senior colleagues.

Four Democrats will be joining the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the 111th Congress, Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said today.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wants to be chairman of the new House Energy and Environment Subcommittee. According to the Boston Globe, Markey said he would assert his seniority and take the gavel of the newly established panel that promises to be the focal point for writing global warming legislation during the Obama administration.