Increasing awareness and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is a top priority for U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, a San Diego County Democrat who is the new chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Filner's 51st District covers the southern end of San Diego County and all of Imperial County to the Mexico border. His ascension to the top spot on the committee came as a result of Democrats seizing a majority of seats in Congress in the November election, a referendum that also resulted in the ouster of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

House leaders on Wednesday affirmed committee assignments and Hunter will stay on the Armed Services panel as its ranking Republican.

In an interview published in the North County Times last week, Filner said he wants the Veterans Administration to ramp up its efforts aimed at combating post traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems tied to military service.

Committee chairmen have a huge amount of power, according to Gary Jacobson, a University of California San Diego political science professor.

"They get to decide what is voted on," Jacobson said. "They get to hold hearings. They control the committee."

But at the local level, Jacobson said he doesn't expect the loss of the Armed Services Committee chairmanship, Filner's rise nor the GOP's loss of majority control to mean much for San Diego County and its defense industry and military.

Whether Democrat or Republican, "everybody gets a share" when it comes to the government spending on "pork," or the pet projects members try to bring home to their district, Jacobson said.

"Pork barrel spending tends to be bipartisan," he said. "The majority gets more, but they don't freeze out the minority."

By winning control of the House, Democrats received a majority of the seats on committees, where much of the most important business is conducted in Congress.

Committees gather information, identify policy problems and propose solutions. They often amend bills before they reach the House floor, and they also monitor the executive branch and investigate alleged wrongdoing.

Democrats have said they intend to scrutinize the Bush administration and its conduct of the war in Iraq through oversight hearings.

On Wednesday, Democrats and Republicans confirmed the following committee assignments for local members of Congress:

- 50th District U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach -- Veterans Affairs, Oversight and Government Reform and Science and Technology. With the shift in power, Bilbray lost his position on the Armed Services Committee.

- 45th District U.S. Rep. Mary Bono, R-Palm Desert -- Energy and Commerce.

- 51st District U.S. Rep. Filner -- Besides his role as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Filner is retaining his position on Transportation and Infrastructure.

- 49th District U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista -- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform.

- 53rd District U.S. Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego -- Armed Services and Education and Labor.

Bilbray said that he doesn't think that being in the minority will affect him as much as it will others.

"I haven't been seen as being as partisan as a lot of people on the Republican side," he said during a telephone interview last week.

Issa said the committee assignments will "allow me to play an active role shaping legislation affecting illegal immigration, intellectual property, fighting terrorism and overseeing the use of taxpayer dollars by the federal government."

The end of Republican control over legislative branches of the federal government is good for the country, Davis said in a prepared statement.

It "means the return to a more balanced government," she wrote.

Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426, or wbennett@nctimes.com. To comment, go to nctimes.com.