frankenWASHINGTON, D.C. — Al Franken, soon to be the junior senator from Minnesota, is no stranger to controversy after spending the last eight months fighting Sen. Norm Coleman over the results of last November’s election. But if Franken thinks he’ll find things any more restful in Washington, he should think again.

That’s because the soon-to-be-sworn-in freshman is slated to take seats on both the Senate Judiciary and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees — the two panels that just happen to be on the front lines of the Democrats’ priorities for the rest of the year.

First, there’s the thorny debate over health care reform, which the HELP committee has already officially begun — but which also remains a long way from over. Then there’s the process to seat Sonia Sotomayor on the Supreme Court, which will launch in the Judiciary panel. And finally, there’s the ideologically charged battle over the labor-friendly Employee Free Choice Act, a fight set to begin this summer in the HELP Committee.

Franken will also sit on the Special Committee on Aging and the Indian Affairs panel.

Mike Lillis is a Congress reporter at the Washington Independent.