According to Senate Republican sources, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is expected to replace indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as the ranking member on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Stevens resigned his ranking member post on Tuesday after federal prosecutors indicted him on seven counts of filing false statements on official documents.

Hutchison leapfrogs Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the current vice chairman of the committee. McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, would have had to forfeit his post atop the Armed Services Committee in order to replace Stevens.