I didn't realize that these changes are so quickly made, but the Washington Post has identified the new Chairs in the House and Senate due to the new Democratic majority. There are numerous possibilities for a change of focus and direction and I offer this topic as a jumping off point for that discussion. I have linked the WAPO background for each new chair.
I encourage anyone to take one of these Chair changes and make it a topic of it's own. There are several that are of particular interest to me, and I intend to take them to a new thread.
NEW COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN IN THE HOUSE
Judiciary: John Conyers Jr. (Michigan)
Conyers
Financial Services: Barney Frank (Massachusetts)
Frank
Education and the Workforce: George Miller (California)
Miller
Homeland Security: Bennie Thompson (Mississippi)
Thompson
Energy and Commerce: John D. Dingell (Michigan)
Dingell
Transportation and Infrastructure: James L. Oberstar (Minnesota)
Oberstar
Armed Services: Ike Skelton (Missouri)
Skelton
Ways and Means: Charles B. Rangel (New York)
Rangel
Agriculture: Collin C. Peterson (Minnesota)
Peterson
International Relations: Tom Lantos (California)
Lantos
Intelligence: Alcee L. Hastings (Florida)
Hastings
Government Reform: Henry A. Waxman (California)
Waxman
Budget: John M. Spratt Jr. (South Carolina)
Spratt
Appropriations: David R. Obey (Wisconsin)
Obey
NEW COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN IN THE SENATE
Finance: Max Baucus (Montana)
Baucus
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs: Christopher J. Dodd (Connecticut)
Dodd
Foreign Relations: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Delaware)
Biden
Appropriations: Robert C. Byrd (West Virginia)
Byrd
Agriculture: Tom Harkin (Iowa)
Harkin
Energy and Natural Resources: Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico)
Bingaman
Judiciary: Patrick J. Leahy (Vermont)
Leahy
Commerce, Science and Transportation: Daniel K. Inouye (Hawaii)
Inouye
Intelligence: John D. Rockefeller IV (West Virginia)
Rockefeller
Environment and Public Works: Barbara Boxer (California)
Boxer
Armed Services: Carl M. Levin (Michigan)
Levin
Homeland Security and Government Affairs: Joseph I. Lieberman (Connecticut)
Lieberman
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Edward M. Kennedy (Massachusetts)
Kennedy
OTHER COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN (No background given by WAPO)
Aging: Herb Kohl (Wis.)
Indian Affairs: Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.)
Rules and Administration: Dianne Feinstein (Calif.)
Small Business and Entrepreneurship: John F. Kerry (Mass.)
Veterans' Affairs: Daniel K. Akaka (Hawaii)