Republicans in the House of Representatives nominated congressmen for leadership positions Wednesday, including several for key posts related in some way to higher education. Representative Lamar Smith [1] of Texas will be the new chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Representative John Kline, a Minnesota Republican, will stay the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. And although he has reached the six-year term limit, House Republicans tapped Representative Paul Ryan, the former vice presidential candidate and the author of a budget considered likely to cut higher education, to continue as chairman of the Budget Committee.

Committee leadership for the Democrat-controlled Senate have not yet been announced for the next Congress, which takes office in January.