WASHINGTON — House leaders from both parties have recommended new members to the House Financial Services Committee, as Democrats prepare to set the agenda for the panel in the new Congress.
The lineup of new members includes several high-profile Democratic rising stars, as well as members from districts who previously held seats on the panel in the last Congress.
“The 116th Congress is the most diverse in U.S. history and I am very pleased that the Financial Services Committee Democratic Caucus will reflect its diversity,” said Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the new chair of the committee. “We have new members bringing fresh ideas and a wide range of perspectives, as well as experienced lawmakers championing and leading on important issues that affect all Americans.”
“I look forward to working alongside these members, and the Republican Conference as a whole, to build on the gains we’ve already achieved for hardworking taxpayers,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the committee’s ranking member.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a self-described democratic socialist, is arguably the most high-profile new member of the committee. She is the youngest member of Congress, and has built a substantial social media following after challenging and beating former Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., in the Democratic primary and winning a seat in Congress in the general election.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., also joins the committee after defeating former committee member Mike Capuano, D-Mass., in a primary challenge and winning in the general election.
Democrats also added the consumer advocate Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., who studied under 2020 presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Ten of the 16 Democrats to join the committee are women. The Democrats to join the committee are:
— Alma Adams of North Carolina, who holds the seat once filled by former Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt
— Cindy Axne of Iowa, one of the first two females to serve in the House from the state
— Sean Casten of Illinois, who beat six-term Republican incumbent Peter Roskam
— Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who recently announced her intention to run for president
— Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, a former state representative
— Jesús García of Illinois, who once ran in Chicago for mayor against Rahm Emanuel and was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
— Sylvia Garcia of Texas, who was previously a state senator
— Al Lawson of Florida, a former professional basketball player
— Ben McAdams of Utah, the state’s only congressional Democrat, who beat former Republican committee member Mia Love in the 2018 midterms
— Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who was president of his family’s distillery company and a former co-owner of the Talenti gelato company
— Michael San Nicolas of Guam, a former member of the territory’s legislature
— Jennifer Wexton of Virginia, a lawyer and former state representative
— Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who recently gained a spotlight in the media for using an expletive at a speech saying she wanted to impeach President Trump.
Republicans, who have controlled the committee’s agenda for the past eight years, have added five new members to the committee:
— Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, a former professional football player
— John Rose of Tennessee, a former agriculture commissioner for the state
— Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, who is filling the seat of outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan
— Lance Gooden of Texas, a former state representative
— Denver Riggleman of Virginia, a craft distillery owner
Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., who previously chaired the committee’s subcommittee on oversight and investigations, will be the only Republican female on the committee this Congress.
