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US Senator Decides to Leave Republican Party
US Senator James Jeffords of Vermon has decided to abandon Republican party and become an independent, officials said on Wednesday.
Jeffords' switch of party will end Republican control of the Senate, currently divided 50-50 along party lines with Cheney having the tie-breaking vote.
The switch will automatically elevate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota to the post of majority leader and make Democrats regain committee chairmanships they lost in the 1994 elections.
The 67-year-old Senator said he had made up his mind about his political future and would fly home to Vermont to make an announcement on Thursday.
"I wanted to be with my Vermoners when I made the decision," Jeffords told reporters on Capitol Hill.
Senators in both Republican and Democratic parties as well as aides to the lawmaker said he had told them he would leave the Republicans, become an independent and align himself with the Democrats for organizational purposes.
President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney met with Jeffords on Tuesday, trying to prevent the veteran Republican Senator from switching parties.
Jeffords, a committee chairman who frequently crosses party lines on high-profile issues, has had strained relations with the White House.
Jeffords angered the White House this spring when he refused to support Bush's budget with its 1.6 trillion dollars, 10-year tax cut.
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