February 9, 2011
Jewish Dems still prominent on Foreign Affairs
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Jewish Democrats continued their pre-eminence on the powerful U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
Democrats have had to roll back their representation on key committees after losing the House in last November’s elections, but Foreign Affairs remains a redoubt for Jewish members, according to the membership lists released Wednesday.
Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the committee chairman in the last Congress, returns as the ranking member.
Similarly, a number of Jewish members have moved from chairman to ranking Democrat on the following subcommittees: Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) on the Latin America subcommittee; Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) on the Middle East subcommittee; and Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) on the terrorism subcommittee.
Joining the Foreign Affairs Committee is Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), a freshman and the former mayor of Providence. Returning Jewish lawmakers include Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.).
The Republican chairwoman of the committee is Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the Cuban-born descendant of Jewish immigrants to that country.
Another Jewish Democrat keeping a top foreign policy post is Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), who transitions from chairwoman to ranking member on the foreign operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.
