National NOW Times >> Winter 2007  >> Article

Congressional Allies: Women and People of Color Chair Key Committees

January 19, 2007

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) will chair the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee where she will oversee global warming, toxic waste, clean air and water and their effect on the health of our nation.
Former chair: James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will chair the Senate Rules Committee where she will oversee congressional organization relative to rules and procedures – including corruption, federal elections, contested elections, etc.
Former chair: C. Trent Lott (R-Miss.)

Representative Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) will chair the House Rules Committee where she will oversee the legislative and budget process and determine what bills come to the House floor and which amendments will be allowed.
Former chair: David Dreier (R-Calif.)

Representative Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) will chair the House Ways and Means Committee where he will oversee tax policy, welfare and human needs programs, Social Security and both private and public health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Former chair: Bill Thomas (R-Calif.)

Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) will co-chair the House Steering and Policy Committee which determines committee assignments and conducts policy analysis.
Former chair: John Shadegg (R-Ariz).

Representative John Conyers (D-Mich.) will chair the House Judiciary Committee where he will oversee civil rights, violence against women and hate crimes legislation, and any impeachment charges.
Former chair: James Sensenbrenner (Wis.)

Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) will chair the House Small Business Committee where she will oversee an area very important to women entrepreneurs, including government programs, taxes and regulations affecting small businesses.
Former chair: Donald Manzullo (Ill.)

Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.) will chair the House Administration Committee where she will oversee the operations of the House.
Former Chair: Now-incarcerated Bob Ney (R-Ohio), who was called the "Mayor of the House."

Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) will chair the House Standards of Official Conduct committee where she will oversee and promote ethics rules.
Former chair: Doc Hastings (R-Wash.)

Representative Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) will chair the Approriation's subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, where she will join the ranks of "cardinals" who control funding for programs, activities, federal contractors and even bridges to nowhere.
Former chair: Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.)

These are only a few of the women's rights proponents serving in leadership positions in the 110th Congress. NOW is also pleased that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) will chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will chair the Senate's Judiciary Committee.