Congressional Committee Assignments Rolling Out

WASHINGTON-Both the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development and the House Financial Services Committees announced their new Republican members during the first week of the 108th Congress. Senators Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.); Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.); and Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) will be joining the Senate Banking Committee. Leaving the committee are Phil Gramm (R-Texas), who retired, and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), who are joining the Finance Committee. On the other hand the Democrats will be losing a seat after they lost control of the Senate in the 2002 elections. Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) will have to give up his seat on the committee as the member with least seniority. House Financial Services Chairman Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio) also recently announced his committee’s new Republican members for the 108th Congress. “I welcome the new members to our Committee and look forward to their ideas for America’s savers, homeowners and investors,” he said. The new committee members, many backed by credit unions, include: * Mark R. Kennedy (Minn.); * J. Gresham Barrett (S.C.); * Ginny Brown-Waite (Fla.); * Tom Feeney (Fla.); * Scott Garrett (N.J.); * Katherine Harris (Fla.); * Jeb Hensarling (Texas); * Tim Murphy (Pa.); and * Rick Renzi (Ariz.).