The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Friday that Specter has jumped over six other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The newspaper said Specter was moved up in the seating order at a committee meeting Thursday and that he worked through Senate Democratic leadership to regain some of his seniority.
As a Republican, he spent time as chairman of the Judiciary and Veterans Affairs committees.
Specter entered the Senate in 1981 and is one of the most senior senators. But when he switched parties, his new Democratic colleagues voted him to be the most junior Democrat.
He is running for a sixth term this year.
