No women will lead a House committee for the first time in two decades after House Republicans unveiled their list of committee chairs for the 119th Congress on Thursday.
The 17 standing committees, whose chairs were selected by the House Republican Steering Committee, will be dominated by white men when the new Congress convenes on January 3. No people of color were elected either.
The last time there wasn’t at least one woman chairing a standing committee in the House was the 109th Congress, from 2005 to 2006.
“From securing our southern border, to freeing up American energy, to fighting to lower Bidenflation and making our communities safe again, our committee chairs are ready to move to fulfill the mandate of the American people and enact President Trump’s America -First agenda,” says the House of Representatives. That’s what Majority Leader Steve Scalise said when he announced the list of chairs. “House Republicans are heading into the 119th Congress prepared to address the issues most important to hardworking Americans and fight for meaningful legislative victories.
“I look forward to working with these strong leaders and their committees to advance President Trump’s priorities and deliver the American people the government they voted for in November,” he added.
In this July 11, 2023 file photo, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, FILE
Three Republican women chaired House committees in the 118th Congress: Texas Representative Kay Granger chaired the Appropriations Committee, Washington Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers chaired the Energy and Commerce Committee, and North Carolina Representative Virginia Foxx chaired the Education and Workforce Committee.
Neither Granger nor McMorris Rodgers ran for re-election in 2024, although Foxx won an 11th term. However, Foxx, 81, had already been granted a waiver to chair her committee in the 118th Congress beyond the six-year term limits imposed by the House GOP, and she did not request an additional waiver. She had served as Speaker in the 115th Congress, as well as Ranking Member in the 116th and 117th. Michigan Rep. Tim Walberg will instead take over the chairmanship of the Education and Workforce Committee.
In this May 23, 2024, file photo, Rep. Virginia Foxx at a hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce at the US Capitol in Washington, DC
Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images, FILE
“Committee chairs are very important positions, but we really engage all members,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week ahead of the selections. “We have extraordinary women serving in Congress and in the Republican Conference. In fact, we elected some really strong women in the incoming freshmen class.
“We value those voices. And everyone has equal influence at the table,” he noted. “It’s thoughtful choices. We have an embarrassment of riches, frankly.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at a news conference for House Republicans after their leadership meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Florida Representative Brian Mast, a close Trump ally, will chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ohio Representative Jim Jordan will continue to chair the Judiciary Committee, Kentucky Representative James Comer will continue to chair the Oversight Committee and Missouri Representative Jason Smith will continue to chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
“Very appropriate in the MAGA era — no women need apply,” wrote former Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Republican, ahead of the final election.
The Republican Party will have a trifecta in the new year of control of the House, Senate and White House, but the razor-thin majority of 220 Republicans to 215 Democrats in the House of Representatives will not leave much room for dissent, especially with two House members is set to be nominated for posts in the Trump administration and Florida Rep. The resignation of Matt Gaetz.
“After four years of suffering under the radical policies of the Biden-Harris administration and a Democrat-controlled Senate, the American people made it clear they are ready for a change,” Scalise added. “As Republicans take control of the White House, the Senate and the House, it is imperative that we are able to move President Trump’s agenda effectively and thoughtfully so that we can quickly restore our nation to greatness.”
ABC News’ John Parkinson contributed to this report.
