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By Niels Lesniewski Posted at 5 a.m. on March 5, 2015

Shaheens indefatigable efforts on behalf of the Homeland Security appropriations bill earned kudosfrom fellow Democrats. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Jeanne Shaheen didnt have months to prepare for becoming the leading Democrat on Homeland Security spending. She didnt get the chance to start the process at the beginning, with the presidents budget request and weeks of hearings.

The New Hampshire Democrat had no such opportunity because from the moment she became the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, she was operating in budget crisis mode, thanks to last Decembers cromnibus deal, with the DHS relying on stopgap spending until Wednesdays signing of a full-year funding measure.

But even new to the role, Shaheen was everywhere. Fresh off a bruising re-election campaign in a cycle that saw many of her colleagues swept from office, she was back on the trail, whetherholding a conference call or visiting a firehouse or Coast Guard station.

Sen. Thomas R. Carper, the Delaware Democrat who serves as ranking member of the authorizing committee, said Shaheen was proving to be an able successor at the spending subcommittee.

The person she follows is Mary [L.] Landrieu, and Mary Landrieu is a tigress. [She] was tenacious on all kinds of issues including Homeland Security issues, and Jeanne, with whom I served as governor for a number of years, stepped up and showed great passion, tenacity and leadership skills that wouldve made Mary proud, Carper said. Certainly made me proud of her.

Senator Shaheen showed again why the caucus trusts and respects her leadership by refusing to let anyone play politics with Homeland Security,Minority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement to CQ Roll Call. She stood strong for the people of New Hampshire and helped lead the fight to ensure that the men and women who protect our homeland would not be used as pawns in a political game. Her hard work and leadership on this issue have been invaluable.

Landrieu, the Louisiana Democrat who lost re-election in 2014 to Republican Bill Cassidy, was known for aparticular level of tenacity in and around the Senate chamber.

Carper said Shaheen played a key role in holding the Democratic caucus together, along with Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York and the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland. Carper also highlighted the roles played by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Reid in bringing to an end the standoff over funding the DHS without blocking the presidents executive actions on immigration.

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Shaheen Finds Her Groove in Successful DHS Funding Fight

Senator Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, to Retire - Breaking News
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, the animated and occasionally irascible Democrat from Maryland who rose to become the longest-serving woman in Congress, announced on Monday that she would retire ...

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Senator Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, to Retire - Breaking News - Video

News-Democrat Athlete of the Week Sean Workman
Belleville News-Democrat Athlete of the Week ----O #39;Fallon High School #39;s Sean Workman.

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News-Democrat Athlete of the Week Sean Workman - Video

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) Lumber Liquidators Holding Inc. shares tumbled 12.6% Wednesday, after a Democratic senator called on the federal government to conduct independent testing of China-sourced laminate, alleged in a weekend report to contain higher-than-accepted levels of a known carcinogen.

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida also called on the government to investigate whether Lumber Liquidators has made false marketing claims about the safety of its products. Because this could affect millions of homeowners, its imperative we get some answers quickly, Nelson said.

Earlier, Lumber Liquidators canceled an appearance at a conference and said it would host a call with investors on March 12, as it continues to respond to the fallout from a damning report by 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday.

The U.S. retailer of hardwood flooring said it would not participate in the Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference scheduled for later Wednesday.

We regret that we are not attending the conference today and apologize to our investors that planned to attend, said Chief Executive Robert Lynch. We look forward to speaking with you next week regarding our business update.

The stock LL, -12.60% , which was up for much of the morning before turning lower, has been pummeled over the last week on fears related to the60 Minutes report, which alleged the company sold Chinese-made laminate flooring to many American homeowners that contained levels of formaldehyde that exceed California standards. Formaldehyde can cause myeloid leukemia and other cancers at high levels, as well as respiratory issues and eye, nose and throat irritation at low levels.

The 60 Minutes team said Chinese-sourced laminate carried by Lumber Liquidators bears a label indicating that it is CARB Phase 2compliant, referring to the California Air Resources Board, which sets standards for formaldehyde emissions in wood flooring. Those standards were adopted by Congress in 2010 in a law that is supposed to take effect across the U.S. this year.

The team broadcast interviews with employees of Chinese mills, who admitted the products they supply to the company weren't CARB Phase 2compliant, and were falsely labeled as such to save the company up to 15% on price.

Lumber Liquidators has already released one statement challenging the testing used by 60 Minutes and insisting its products are completely safe. The statement also questioned the on-camera accounts from the Chinese suppliers, saying the company didn't recognize any of the individuals interviewed.

The suppliers have confirmed that all products provided to Lumber Liquidators have been and are CARB compliant, it said.

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Lumber Liquidators shares fall as Senate Democrat calls for federal probe

Democrat Joe Sestak made it official Wednesday morning: He wants a rematch with Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

To kick off his second Senate bid, the retired Navy admiral who earned a reputation last time as a tireless campaigner is walking across Pennsylvania, from the Delaware River to the Ohio border.

Before beginning that trek, Sestak stood across from Independence Hall to formally declare his candidacy in the 2016 election. The two-term congressman from Delaware County told a crowd of about 60 gathered in a light rain that he wants to walk in the shoes of Pennsylvanians as he aims to restore their trust in government and their public officials.

"The largest deficit we have today in America is not the debt. It's trust deficit," Sestak said, wearing his signature flight jacket. "We just don't believe that our leaders would actually say something here in Pennsylvania and then do the same thing."

He extended that criticism to Toomey, the Lehigh County lawmaker who Sestak said has not kept his promises to support programs that aid veterans and the homeless.

After urging the crowd to join him as he travels the state, Sestak swapped out his high-top Reebok sneakers for a pair of tan combat boots and started walking.

Sestak, 63, is the only candidate to enter the Senate race thus far against Toomey, though a handful of other Democratic names have been floated as potential candidates.

Before facing off with Toomey in the 2010 general election, Sestak earned a major victory in the primary when he defeated longtime incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter. He later lost to Toomey by 2 percentage points.

Since then, Sestak has been teaching college courses and continuing to traverse the commonwealth, clocking 400 appearances during the last two years.

Even if the names on the general election ballot end up mirroring those in 2010, Sestak and Toomey would be competing in a different political climate. Unlike five years ago, Toomey will be trying to hold onto his seat in a year with a presidential battle at the top of the ticket, a dynamic expected to boost Democratic turnout, particularly in Philadelphia.

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Joe Sestak kicks off Senate bid against Pat Toomey