Alva Review-Courier -

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers spend their careers eying coveted committee chairmanships, angling for a chance at the power and perks that come with the top spot.

Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey is bowing out after one term at the helm of a major panel.

Frelinghuysen's announcement Monday that he would not seek re-election, giving up the chairmanship of the House Appropriations Committee, punctuated the dwindling prestige and influence of the positions once considered an apex of power on Capitol Hill. Term limits, legislative dysfunction and gridlock-inducing polarization have...