Republicans add three to Banking Committee

Republican Sens. David Perdue (Ga.), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and John Kennedy (La.) will join the Senate Banking Committee this year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Tuesday.

The trio will replace former Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who retired; Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who was voted out of office; and Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, who left the Banking panel for a spot on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will chair the committee, replacing Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Shelby will still serve on the Banking Committee but is prohibited from holding the chairmanship because of Senate Republican rules on term limits.

{mosads}Democrats will add Sens. Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) to the Banking Committee, as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) exit the panel. 

Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) will stay on as the committee’s ranking Democrat.