BERKELEY, CA--December 13, 2010--MAPLight.org is aligning committee appointments for the 112th Congress with campaign contributions from the most recent campaign finance information available from the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org). All updates will be grouped and distributed in the format below. Please check our Web site for daily committee appointment updates. We hope you find this information useful. We found the topline contributions for many of the appointments particularly interesting.
David Camp Named Chair for House Ways and Means Committee
Upton Named Chair for Energy and Commerce Committee
Ron Paul Chosen to Head the House Financial Services Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee
Frank Lucas Chosen to Chair House Agriculture Committee
House Financial Services Committee Will be Led by Spencer Bachus
Howard "Buck" McKeon to head Armed Services Committee
Paul Ryan to Chair House Budget Committee
Rep. Peter King Gets the Gavel for the House Homeland Security Committee
Rep. Lamar Smith Will Lead the House Judiciary Committee
House Oversight Committee to be chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa
Rep. Jeff Miller to Chair the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs
Sam Graves Will be Chairman of the House Small Business Committee
John L. Mica Selected to Drive the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Selected as House Foreign Affairs Chairman
House Republicans Tap John Kline to Head Education and Labor Committee
House Science and Technology Committee to be Chaired by Ralph Hall
Doc Hastings to Chair House Natural Resources Committee
Methodology: Contributions above are for the last two years of available data, Oct 14, 2008 - Oct 13, 2010. Contributions from political parties and from other candidates are not included in the "Top 10" lists. Contributions data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org).
David Camp Named Chairman for House Ways and Means Committee
According to the New York Times, the Republican leadership has chosen Rep. David Camp as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee for the 112th Congress. Camp currently serves as the ranking minority member on Ways and Means.
Camp represents Michigan's 4th Congressional District, which includes portions of the northwest section of the state's Lower Peninsula.
Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the U.S. Congress, according to the Committee's congressional website. Ways and Means has "jurisdiction over revenue and related issues such as tariffs, reciprocal trade agreements, and the bonded debt of the United States," as well as Social Security and Medicare.
The following are the top ten contributors to Camp's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Health Professionals | $194,119 |
| Insurance | $179,297 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $168,400 |
| Securities & Investment | $141,919 |
| Lobbyists | $101,145 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $86,250 |
| Health Services/HMOs | $83,200 |
| Electric Utilities | $82,750 |
| Banks and Credit | $79,750 |
| Retail Sales | $75,150 |
Fred Upton Named Chairman for Energy and Commerce Committee
Bloomberg reports, Rep. Fred Upton has triumphed in a muti-lateral contest to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Texas's Joe Barton, Illinois's John Shimkus and Florida's Cliff Stearns were also vying for the job.
Rep. Upton represents Michigan's 6th Congressional District, which includes the seven counties of southwest Michigan. The Congressman has served in the House of Representatives since 1986.
The Energy and Commerce Committee has a broad portfolio, including jurisdiction over national energy policy as well as interstate and foreign commerce.
The following are the top ten contributors to Upton's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Electric Utilities | $177,100 |
| Health Professionals | $97,152 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $83,700 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $72,350 |
| Oil & Gas | $68,550 |
| Lobbyists | $46,908 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $45,088 |
| Automotive | $43,500 |
| Waste Management | $39,800 |
| Telephone Utilities | $39,750 |
Ron Paul Chosen to Head the House Financial Services Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee
According to an article written by Peter Schroeder for The Hill, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) has been selected to chair the House Financial Services Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee.
Dr. Paul, a graduate of Duke University Medical School, represents Texas' 14th Congressional District, located on the Gulf Coast.
Rep. Paul has been an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve Bank's inflation policies, and has introduced legislation aimedat auditing the Fed.
The following are the top ten contributors to Paul's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Real Estate | $12,450 |
| Health Professionals | $9,700 |
| Misc Business | $9,010 |
| Banks and Credit | $7,300 |
| Securities & Investment | $7,300 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $6,680 |
| Waste Management | $4,000 |
| Home Builders | $3,800 |
| Livestock | $3,460 |
| Construction Services | $3,400 |
Frank Lucas Chosen to Chair House Agriculture Committee
Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas has been selected to chair the House Committee on Agriculture, according to the New York Times. Lucas is currently serving as the ranking minority member on the Ag. Committee. According to the Congressman's website, he and his family have been farming in Oklahoma for more than 100 years. Rep. Lucas also holds a degree in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University.
Lucas is frequent recipient of campaign contributions from the agriculture industry. Lucas is the fifth largest recipient in the House of Representatives of contributions from individuals and organizations related to the Crop production & basic processing category code.
The following are the top ten contributors to Lucas's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $141,800 |
| Agricultural Services/Products | $95,800 |
| Banks and Credit | $54,245 |
| Oil & Gas | $51,850 |
| Insurance | $40,050 |
| Dairy | $37,950 |
| Livestock | $34,850 |
| Accountants | $31,581 |
| Food Processing & Sales | $28,950 |
| Securities & Investment | $28,750 |
House Financial Services Committee Will be Led by Spencer Bachus
The New York Times reports that the congressman representing Alabama's 6th District, Spencer Bachus, has been named the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee for the 112th Congress. Bachus formerly served as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.
According to Rep. Bachus's congressional website, the legislator "has been named Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business, Friend of the Taxpayer by Americans for Tax Reform, Friend of the Family by the Christian Coalition and has received the Spirit of Free Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce."
The following are the top ten contributors to Bachus's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Insurance | $182,000 |
| Real Estate | $173,000 |
| Banks and Credit | $153,550 |
| Securities & Investment | $137,000 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $75,460 |
| Accountants | $64,800 |
| Misc Finance | $52,000 |
| Retail Sales | $38,200 |
| Health Professionals | $32,450 |
| Lobbyists | $28,000 |
Howard "Buck" McKeon to Head Armed Services Committee
New York Times reports that Rep. Buck McKeon will become the House Armed Services Committee chairman for the 112th Congress.
McKeon represents California's 25th Congressional District, which includes portions of Death Valley National Park, the Inyo National Forest, and the Stanislaus National Forest. Rep. McKeon joined the House in 1992.
The following are the top ten contributors to McKeon's campaign by interest group (the top three of which are all defense related):
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Defense Aerospace | $152,400 |
| Misc Defense | $91,500 |
| Defense Electronics | $58,500 |
| General Contractors | $43,700 |
| Education | $35,000 |
| Air Transport | $32,700 |
| Health Professionals | $24,350 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $23,200 |
| Building Materials & Equipment | $20,900 |
| Retail Sales | $20,000 |
Paul Ryan to Chair House Budget Committee
The New York Times reports that Rep. Paul Ryan has been tapped by Republican leadership to head the House Budget Committee in the 112th Congress. Ryan represents Wisconsin's 1st District, which includes Burlington and Kenosha. Rep. Ryan is currently the ranking minority member on the Budget Committee.
The following are the top ten contributors to Ryan's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Securities & Investment | $212,350 |
| Insurance | $194,970 |
| Health Professionals | $171,637 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $77,800 |
| Misc Finance | $70,774 |
| Real Estate | $70,000 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $64,250 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $59,050 |
| Health Services/HMOs | $54,692 |
| Oil & Gas | $45,750 |
Peter King Gets the Gavel for the House Homeland Security Committee
The New York Times reports that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has been chosen by Republican leadership to chair the House Committee on Homeland Security in the 112th Congress. Rep. King is currently the ranking minority member of the committee and is also a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
King represents New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes the city of Long Beach.
The following are the top ten contributors to King's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Securities & Investment | $86,652 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $78,200 |
| Real Estate | $67,550 |
| Transportation Unions | $59,700 |
| Insurance | $49,700 |
| Casinos/Gambling | $37,700 |
| Business Services | $36,150 |
| Lobbyists | $35,293 |
| General Contractors | $32,650 |
| Banks and Credit | $31,900 |
Lamar Smith to Lead the House Judiciary Committee
According to the New York Times, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) will be the new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the 112th Congress.
Rep. Smith represents Texas's 21st Congressional District, which, according to his website, includes portions of Bexar and Travis Counties and all of Comal, Real, Kerr, Bandera, Kendall and Blanco Counties.
Smith is a graduate of Yale University and the Southern Methodist University School of Law.
The following are the top ten contributors to Smith's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| TV/Movies/Music | $78,300 |
| Banks and Credit | $65,450 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $53,550 |
| Accountants | $44,000 |
| Misc Finance | $43,150 |
| Oil & Gas | $42,250 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $40,500 |
| Health Professionals | $40,200 |
| Computers/Internet | $34,500 |
| Insurance | $32,800 |
House Oversight Committee to be chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa
California Rep. Darrell Issa has been named to lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, according to the New York Times. Issa represents California's 49th Congressional District, which includes Oceanside, Vista and Camp Pendleton.
The following are the top ten contributors to Issa's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $50,750 |
| Computers/Internet | $46,774 |
| Public Sector Unions | $41,000 |
| Casinos/Gambling | $39,700 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $39,404 |
| Defense Electronics | $39,000 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $27,350 |
| Oil & Gas | $26,500 |
| Accountants | $25,150 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $24,200 |
Jeff Miller to Chair the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
According to an article in the New York Times, Rep. Jeff Miller will be the chairman for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs beginning with the 112th Congress. Miller represents Florida's 1st District.
The following are the top ten contributors to Miller's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Defense Electronics | $42,400 |
| Defense Aerospace | $42,000 |
| Health Professionals | $39,850 |
| Misc Defense | $33,550 |
| Computers/Internet | $26,500 |
| Electric Utilities | $24,250 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $21,050 |
| Real Estate | $14,150 |
| Banks and Credit | $12,100 |
| Lobbyists | $11,547 |
Sam Graves Will be Chairman of the House Small Business Committee
Rep. Sam Graves has been designated by Republican leadership to lead the House Committee on Small Business, according to an article in the New York Times. Graves, who represents the 6th District of Missouri, is currently serving as the Small Business Committee's ranking minority member.
The following are the top ten contributors to Graves's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Services/Products | $64,900 |
| Air Transport | $63,999 |
| Automotive | $47,500 |
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $47,000 |
| Insurance | $43,150 |
| Banks and Credit | $38,900 |
| Public Sector Unions | $33,500 |
| Railroads | $33,000 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $32,788 |
| Telephone Utilities | $31,400 |
John L. Mica Selected to Drive the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee
As the New York Times reports, John L. Mica will be the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Rep. Mica represents Florida's 7th Congressional District located on Florida's east coast. Mica has been a member of the House since 1992. Rep. Mica currently serves as the ranking minority leader on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The following are the top ten contributors to Mica's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Air Transport | $133,666 |
| Construction Services | $84,378 |
| General Contractors | $65,800 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $48,150 |
| Railroads | $46,500 |
| Transportation Unions | $39,000 |
| Building Materials & Equipment | $30,250 |
| Lobbyists | $29,550 |
| Sea Transport | $27,650 |
| Real Estate | $20,950 |
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Selected as House Foreign Affairs Chairman
According to the New York Times, the Republican leadership has chosen Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ros-Lehtinen represents Florida's 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of Miami and the Florida Keys.
The following are the top ten contributors to Ros-Lehtinen's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Pro-Israel | $148,607 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $118,851 |
| Real Estate | $85,742 |
| Health Professionals | $72,280 |
| Human Rights | $53,866 |
| Lobbyists | $38,200 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $34,300 |
| Business Services | $28,000 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $27,150 |
| Securities & Investment | $22,850 |
House Republicans Tap John Kline to Head Education and Labor Committee
Rep. John Kline, who represents Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District, was chosen to lead the House Committee on Education and Labor according to the New York Times. Kline has served as the ranking minority member of the Education and Labor Committee since 2009.
The following are the top ten contributors to Kline's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
| Retail Sales | $56,150 |
| Education | $52,600 |
| Banks and Credit | $46,408 |
| Insurance | $46,300 |
| Securities & Investment | $46,150 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $45,765 |
| Lobbyists | $35,882 |
| Defense Aerospace | $35,500 |
| General Contractors | $31,300 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $31,200 |
House Science and Technology Committee to be Chaired by Ralph Hall
Rep. Ralph Hall will be the chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee for the 112th Congress, according to the New York Times. Hall, who represents Texas's 4th Congressional district, is currently serving as the ranking minority member on the committee.
The following are the top ten contributors to Hall's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Health Professionals | $56,800 |
| Oil & Gas | $51,050 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $31,100 |
| Electric Utilities | $30,000 |
| Banks and Credit | $25,350 |
| Air Transport | $22,999 |
| Real Estate | $20,850 |
| Electronics Mfg & Services | $19,200 |
| Agricultural Services/Products | $18,750 |
| Defense Aerospace | $17,500 |
Doc Hastings to Chair House Natural Resources Committee
The current ranking minority member of the House Natural Resources Committee is set to become its chair for the 112th Congress, according to the New York Times. Rep. Doc Hastings, who represents Washington's 4th Congressional District, will chair the committee that oversees federal land and water use, national parks and forests and Indian reservations.
As he notes on his Congressional website, the Natural Resources Committee is of particular importance to the Congressman's home state of Washington's major projects, namely the Bonneville Power Administration and the Columbia Basin and Yakima Projects, which all fall under the Natural Resource Committee's jurisdiction.
The following are the top ten contributors to Hastings's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Oil & Gas | $75,921 |
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $55,337 |
| Construction Services | $25,900 |
| Insurance | $25,900 |
| Health Professionals | $24,150 |
| Electric Utilities | $23,350 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $20,000 |
| General Contractors | $19,275 |
| Forestry & Forest Products | $19,000 |
| Casinos/Gambling | $17,600 |
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