Here’s an easy way to remember the Republican party’s commitment to diversity:
Of the 19 committee chairs chosen by House Republicans thus far, all 19 are white men!
There are two chairmanships still open for the next session of Congress. House Speaker John Boehner will appoint someone to head the Ethics Committee and the Committee on House Administration at a later date.
But before anyone gets their hopes up too high for a woman to fill the top post, there are currently no Republican women serving on either of those committees. Any woman who is given the chairmanship would come in cold, without the experience of having served on that committee.
In contrast, House Democrats are likely to have six women as ranking members on committees including Appropriations, Rules, Financial Services, Science and Small Business. And while Democrats are gaining women in their ranks, Republicans are losing them. The overall number of Republican women serving in the House will drop from 24 to 19 at the start of the 113th Congress, which begs the question: where are the binders full of women? Update: NBC News has learned that Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.) will be named chair of the House Administration Committee. Miller did not serve on the committee during the 112th Congress.
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