It remains to be seen how Meeks will get along with progressive members of the Financial Services Committee, some of whom, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.), are pushing more liberal policies than moderates such as Meeks might favor.

Meeks is an attorney and served in the New York Assembly from 1992 to his election.

He was an avid supporter of the Dodd-Frank Act when it was enacted and defended former CFPB Director Richard Cordray when Republicans attacked him as over-zealous.

During the last Congress, Meeks opposed then-House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling's (R-Texas) Financial CHOICE Act—a huge overhaul of Dodd-Frank. And he opposed the more modest Senate overhaul bill which eventually became law.

Credit union trade groups supported both bills.

At the time, Meeks said he opposed the bill because of an exemption for many banks from mortgage disclosure rules. But he added that he did support providing regulatory relief to minority-controlled banks and credit unions that drive economic development in underserved communities.

When it appeared that Congress was going to be unable to enact any regulatory overhaul bill during the last Congress, Meeks said he was upset by the stalemate.

"I am disappointed that we are so divided that we are going to do nothing at all," he said, he was quoted as saying at the time.

Meeks also said he supported increased tailoring of regulations to the size and type of a financial institution. He signed a letter to financial regulatory in 2016 seeking increased tailoring.

Meeks also was one of the leaders of a bipartisan effort in opposition to the NCUA's Risk-Based Capital Rules, saying the agency had not adequately assessed the cost of the rule.

Although he has opposed credit union positions on such legislation as the regulatory overhaul bills during the last Congress, CUNA's political action committee contributed $10,000 to Meeks's 2018 campaign. NAFCU, with a much smaller political action committee, contributed $5,000 to the campaign.

On the Republican side, Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri was named as the ranking GOP member on the Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions Subcommittee. He chaired the subcommittee under its former name during the 115th Congress.

He was an outspoken supporter of the Financial CHOICE Act and the Senate compromise that was enacted.

"This bipartisan legislation is a critical first step to reversing the burdensome financial regulations that have stifled our economy," he said at the time, putting him on a collision course with Democrats.