King to head House Homeland Security Committee

King to head House Homeland Security Committee    Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., was selected by a Republican steering committee Wednesday to be chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
   King replaces Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., who resigned after President Bush nominated him to become chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
   Rumors had circulated on Capitol Hill that Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, the powerful chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, wanted to swap leadership posts and take over the Homeland Security now that Congress has passed a multiyear surface transportation spending bill.
   King’s appointment leaves leadership of the committee in the hands of a member from a populous state that is considered to be on terrorist target lists. Some had worried that a chairman from a low-threat state might try and earmark homeland security funds to states that are at less risk.