Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Several Texas Congressional leaders have confirmed to Texas Insider that the openings to a handful of the Capitols most powerful committee chairmanships are in fact already sewn up. Not all of the 21 U.S. House Committees will have a change in 
chairmanship but among those that will many of the choices are already made for some of the highest-profile openings with the winners including numerous Texans.
Reps. Dick Armey and DeLay rose to top House leadership posts in the mid-1990s. Although they and their clout are gone the state still plays a key role in Republicans holding the House majority.
For instance multiple sources tell Texas Insider that Cong. Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas below left with House Speaker John Boehner) will be handed the Financial Services Committees reins. Hensarling has served in House leadership for years in the No. 4-ranking slot of chairman of the House Republicans Conference.
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Pete Sessions (above left R-Dallas) also of Texas is poised to take the chairmanship of the Rules Committee from retiring Cong. David Dreier (R-CA.). The Rules Committee which sets the rules governing debate for each bill priviledged enought to make it to the House Floor is a panel whose leader is chosen by the speaker himself.
In addition to heading up the NRCC a plumb position that raises funding for distribution to fellow Republican members Sessions has also been vice 
chairman of the Rules Committee making his potential progression to chairman seem natural.
House Republicans tell The Insider that the post-election choosing of key committee chairs will likely occur the week of Nov. 26 well ahead of the next Session of Congress. A steering committee controlled by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH.) decides (behind closed doors) who to recommend to the full Republican Conference. A handful will be selected by Boehner himself.
There is also talk that Rep. Lamar Smith (above right R-San Antonio) who is barred from continuing as chairman of the Judiciary Committee next Congress by internal GOP rules that set term limits of 6 years after winning the majority and deposing then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Califonia is considered a favorite over Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) to succeed Texan Ralph Hall (below right R-Rockwall) as chairman of the House Science Space & Terchnology Committee.
Smiths representation of major aerospace & technology firms in the Austin-San Antonio are not to mention Texas NASA Space Center operations based outside of Houston make that a seemingly logical pick.
Even so since politics are involved theres some insurgent grumbling among other states rank-and-file Republicans over why so many Texans look like shoo-
ins for committee chairmanships.
Texans can at least point to being the largest single-state bloc in the GOP Conference: 23 of the Lone Star States 32-strong House delegation are Republicans.
None of the speculation or complaining even focuses on the 2nd-tier of Subcommittee Chairmanships on which additional Texans may emerge as chairmen. Yet 10 hold such positions.
Party leaders typically consider a range of factors in determining committee chairmen some of them having little to do with expertise in the subject matter or committee seniority. Those can include: success in fundraising for the party the calling-in of political chits and personal friendships. At stake for aspirants can be control of huge budgets for committee staff higher national profiles and access to some big-time campaign donations.
Meanwhile Rep. Michael McCaul (below left R-Austin) is considered one of the at least three aspirants for the Homeland Security Committees gavel. But multiple sources say Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) may have the edge over Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL). Both McCaul and Rogers have more committee 
seniority than Miller with Rogers one rung above McCaul.
Several sources tell The Insider the stars are aligning for Miller at least partly because without her there would be a dearth of Republican chairwomen (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) is term-limited in her stop atop the Foreign Affairs Committee.
If Miller wins the Homeland Security gavel she would become the 4th Michigander leading a key committee joining Reps. Fred Upton on Energy and Commerce Dave Camp at Ways & Means and Michigans Mike Rogers on Intelligence.
In defending Texas several House sources noted the state is at the same time about to lose some clout in other key slots. Cong. Hensarling for example is expected to give up his No. 4-ranking slot of conference chairman (and others are already jockeying to replace him) and fellow Texan John Carter is not returning to his conference secretary post.
Nonetheless members of other state delegations are still asking So what?"
A Boehner spokesman declined to comment when asked about the backroom griping.
Multiple House Republican sources say some members believe that Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington Natural Resources Committee chairman and a former Rules Committee member is a stronger contender better suited for the Rules job including in temperament.
To be sure some folks say Texans have a good case for strong representation at the top of committees and that Boehner and House Republican leaders are better off not messing with Texas.
Texas has always had a disproportionate share of leadership positions dating from the 1930s and 1940s" says SMU political scientist Cal Jillson.
Rice University political scientist Mark Jones agrees: We do represent the largest number of Republicans in the House."
ins for committee chairmanships.
Texans can at least point to being the largest single-state bloc in the GOP Conference: 23 of the Lone Star States 32-strong House delegation are Republicans.
None of the speculation or complaining even focuses on the 2nd-tier of Subcommittee Chairmanships on which additional Texans may emerge as chairmen. Yet 10 hold such positions.
Party leaders typically consider a range of factors in determining committee chairmen some of them having little to do with expertise in the subject matter or committee seniority. Those can include: success in fundraising for the party the calling-in of political chits and personal friendships. At stake for aspirants can be control of huge budgets for committee staff higher national profiles and access to some big-time campaign donations.
Meanwhile Rep. Michael McCaul (below left R-Austin) is considered one of the at least three aspirants for the Homeland Security Committees gavel. But multiple sources say Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) may have the edge over Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL). Both McCaul and Rogers have more committee seniority than Miller with Rogers one rung above McCaul.
Several sources tell The Insider the stars are aligning for Miller at least partly because without her there would be a dearth of Republican chairwomen (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) is term-limited in her stop atop the Foreign Affairs Committee.
If Miller wins the Homeland Security gavel she would become the 4th Michigander leading a key committee joining Reps. Fred Upton on Energy and Commerce Dave Camp at Ways & Means and Michigans Mike Rogers on Intelligence.
In defending Texas several House sources noted the state is at the same time about to lose some clout in other key slots. Cong. Hensarling for example is expected to give up his No. 4-ranking slot of conference chairman (and others are already jockeying to replace him) and fellow Texan John Carter is not returning to his conference secretary post.
Nonetheless members of other state delegations are still asking So what?"
A Boehner spokesman declined to comment when asked about the backroom griping.
Multiple House Republican sources say some members believe that Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington Natural Resources Committee chairman and a former Rules Committee member is a stronger contender better suited for the Rules job including in temperament.
To be sure some folks say Texans have a good case for strong representation at the top of committees and that Boehner and House Republican leaders are better off not messing with Texas.
Texas has always had a disproportionate share of leadership positions dating from the 1930s and 1940s" says SMU political scientist Cal Jillson.
Rice University political scientist Mark Jones agrees: We do represent the largest number of Republicans in the House."
