The House Banking Committee will add two seats and 12 new faces when the 105th Congress opens Jan. 7.
With each party awarded an additional seat, the panel will have 54 members - 29 Republicans, 24 Democrats, and one independent. The assignments were made late Friday by the Republican and Democratic Steering committees.
Four Banking Committee members reelected this month have transferred to other panels: Reps. Sonny Bono, R-Calif.; J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz.; Jerry Weller, R-Ill.; and Albert Wynn, D-Md. Two retirements and four election defeats created the remaining openings.
One of the banking panel's more interesting new members is Texas Republican Ron Paul, who was the Libertarian Party's 1988 presidential nominee.
Rep.-elect Paul was a Banking Committee member during a previous stint in Congress during the early 1980s.
Only one incumbent transferred to the banking panel - Florida Republican Dave Weldon. The Palm Bay physician gave up his seat on the Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee to join the banking committee. He is also vice chairman of the House Science Committee's space subcommittee.
Other new Republican members are Merrill Cook of Utah, Rick Hill of Montana, Bob Riley of Alabama, Jim Ryun of Kansas, Pete Sessions of Texas, and Vince Snowbarger of Kansas.
New Democrats are Julia Carson of Indiana, Darlene Hooley of Oregon, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan, and James Maloney of Connecticut.
