Senate Forms Ethics Panel; Packwood Probe Is Readied

The Senate on Tuesday approved a new Ethics Committee, putting a woman on the panel as it prepares to investigate sexual harassment charges against Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.).

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) will serve with five men, including one holdover from last year’s committee membership, Nevada Democrat Richard H. Bryan, who will be the chairman.

The other Democrat is Thomas A. Daschle of South Dakota. Republicans on the committee are Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the vice chairman, Robert C. Smith of New Hampshire and Ted Stevens of Alaska.

Packwood, who was elected to a fifth Senate term last November, has been accused by 10 women, mostly former staff members and lobbyists, of sexual harassment between 1969 and 1990. He has said his conduct was “just plain wrong,” but that he would not resign under any circumstances. The Ethics Committee has opened a preliminary inquiry into the charges.

Appointment of committee members by Senate leaders had been delayed, apparently because of the difficulty of finding senators willing to serve. Service on the committee often is regarded as a thankless task, since members have to sit in judgment on colleagues with whom they later have to work.