The House GOP Steering Committee selected its list of committee ranking members for the 111th Congress on Wednesday, including several family advocates.
Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama, who has fought tirelessly to protect families against numerous attempts to legalize Internet gambling, kept his seat as ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee.
House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio said he was satisfied with the lineup.
“House Republicans will rebuild our majority coalition by winning the issues one at a time," he said, "and our committee ranking members will be on the front lines of this effort.
"I’m pleased with the slate of ranking members who will carry the Republican banner during the 111th Congress as we work for principled solutions to the challenges facing the American people.”
In the 110th Congress, Bachus successfully opposed efforts by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to bring back Internet gambling after Congress banned it under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
"We expect Frank to try again to force Internet gambling on the country, so Bachus' support on the Financial Services Committee will be important," said Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst at Focus on the Family Action.
In addition to Bachus, five of the ranking members scored 100 percent on the FRC Action/ Focus on the Family Action Vote Scorecard for the 110th Congress:
Agriculture: Rep. Frank Lucas, Okla.
Select Committee on Intelligence: Rep. Pete Hoekstra, Mich.
Judiciary: Rep. Lamar S. Smith, Texas
Transportation & Infrastructure: Rep. John L. Mica, Fla.
Ways & Means: Rep. Dave Camp, Mich.
