Amid criticism, House GOP names woman committee chair

After taking heat for naming zero women or minorities as committee chairmen in the next Congress, House Republican leadership today appointed Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., to serve as chairman of the House Administration Committee.

"From ensuring the House runs efficiently and smoothly, to making Congress more open and accessible, Candice has a big job ahead as chairman of the House Administration Committee," House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement. "In her new post, Candice will provide the leadership needed to keep operating costs down, save taxpayer dollars, and help lawmakers use new technology to better engage with their constituents."

In explaining the appointment, Boehner cited Miller's experience serving as Michigan Secretary of State, calling that experience "invaluable, given the committee's oversight of campaign finance and election laws."

Still, the appointment appears to be purely political, since Miller, in her sixth term in office, doesn't even currently serve on the House Administration Committee. The Administration and Ethics committees are the only congressional committees to which the speaker can simply appoint someone.

In the current Congress, one Hispanic congresswoman -- Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. -- serves as committee chair in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She's stepping down, however, due to caucus-imposed term limits on committee chairmen.

While there will be 61 women in the House Democratic caucus in the next Congress, Republicans will have just 17 female members.

[rivers2run]

What this can't be they lost their binders full of women?

[marychgo]

The problem isn't that Republicans didn't elect any women as committee chairs; the problem is that it didn't OCCUR to them that they hadn't elected any women as committee chairs until the media and Democrats and the public pointed it out to them. Republicans are so used to being a old boys' club that they don't understand why it's inappropriate for an entity democratically elected by the American people to be an old boys' club.
And THAT, boys and girls, is why it doesn't occur to them that GOP positions on a wide range of issues constitute a War on Women....

[cntrygirl3]

Well obviously they would name a woman to administration, after all being a secretary is one of the the few acceptable jobs a woman can have according to the GOP. Nothing important that would tax her brain or allow an even remotely important decision. Way to go GOP you have made it to 1961.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans have 2 more years of power to stop America's progress. Countdown to 2014 elections where they get flushed down the toilet like the $hit they are.

[Amerigus]

Boehner didn't open his binder of women, I guess, but just like we saw with the selection of Sarah Palin, we see the GOP reacting on diversity instead of leading. Then, they thought women are so one-dimensional they'd vote for Palin just because she was a woman and it didn't matter that she can barely speak English.

This appointment is obviously a last minute, token consolation because of the massive outcry against the lack of diversity. But even if the Republicans go looking for black "friends" or Hispanic "friends" or give women a little more respect just to get votes, the country still benefits.

This does show that the Republicans are slowly, slowly learning that representing and serving the public means listening to them and caring about what they are saying.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Do repubicans consider appointing this woman affirmative action? Isn't the only reason she's getting the job is because she's a woman? Just asking because I know how much republicans just hate affirmative action.

[Larnan5]

A gigantic step backwards for the GOP. A token woman in a token baloney position. The comedians should enjoy this gift.

[nearl451]

She has even offered to learn Spanish, and apply for dual citizenship to help provide a Woman/minority chairmanship.

Killing two birds with one stone.

[Bee-Keeper]

Ah, so they appoint a woman to be in charge of housekeeping. Yeah, they get it. Right.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

So do they consider her their maid?

[littleM]

My God! There go those Republicans again, caving into the pressures of another majority. When will they learn to stick with the .5% (the male half of the top 1%) who brung them? GWB is rolling over in his grave. Oh, he's not dead yet? Then he's rolling over in his Dallas mansion.

[Steve_James]

O-blamer changed the talking points, period! And Rice will take the fall.

[just_another_patriot]

Wrong article, same partisan bullcrap