Here is the list:
Agriculture – Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Appropriations – Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
Armed Services – Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA)
Budget – Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Education and the Workforce – Rep. John Kline (R-MN)
Energy and Commerce – Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
Financial Services – Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
Foreign Affairs – Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)
Homeland Security – Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX)
Intelligence – Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI)
Judiciary – Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Natural Resources – Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
Oversight and Government Reform – Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)
Rules – Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Science, Space, and Technology – Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)
Small Business – Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)
Transportation and Infrastructure – Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)
Veterans' Affairs – Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)
Ways and Means – Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI)
While the Drudge Report and others accurately noted that the lineup consists entirely of white men, that was only a minor change from the current Congress, as the one woman heading a committee, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida cycled out because of committee term limits.
The biggest loser in this shakeup was the Sunshine State, as Florida lost the chairs of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (Rep. John Mica) and Ros-Lehtinen on Foreign Affairs; Rep. Jeff Miller is the only major chair left from Florida, as he still heads the Veterans Affairs panel.
The big winner was the state of Texas, which ended up adding two gavels, but in a roundabout fashion.
Rep. Lamar Smith switches from chair of the Judiciary Committee to the Science panel, taking over for Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas; Lone Star State Rep. Mike McCaul will be the new head of Homeland Security and Rep. Jeb Hensarling takes over the Financial Services Committee.
Also, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas will be the chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, giving Texas four powerful committee slots as that delegation adds four seats in the new Congress after redistricting.
California will still have two gavels, as Rep. Darrell Issa stays on as head of the Oversight panel; while Rep. David Dreier leaves as Rules chairman, Rep. Ed Royce of the Golden State will be the new chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Maybe the most interesting name on the list is the new Transportation panel chairman, Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania; his father, Rep. Bud Shuster also chaired the same committee, but was the target of an ethics probe, and ultimately resigned after being elected to a 14th term in office.
Maybe the most infamous moment for Shuster the Father came when a "60 Minutes" crew filmed him hiding under a blanket in the back seat of a car driven by his former Chief of Staff.
We'll see if Shuster the Son is remembered differently after his time at the helm of the Transportation panel.
About the Author