Reps McCaul, Smith and Royce selected as House committee chairmen

House Republicans picked three new committee chairmen for the 113th Congress. The GOP Steering Committee selected Rep Michael McCaul (R-TX) to be the new Homeland Security Committee chairman, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) to be the new Science Committee chairman and Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) to chair the Foreign Affairs Committee. The Steering Committee also granted a waiver to Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI) to serve an additional term as chairman of the House Budget Committee. Other lawmakers were promoted to committee chairman positions in uncontested races, including Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to be the new Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) to be the new Transportation Committee chairman and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) to be Financial Services Committee chairman. At this point, it appears as if no women will chair House committees in the next Congress. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has yet to make his selections for Ethics and House Administration committees.