A look at the House's power brokers: committee chairmen

MARY CLARE JALONICK and ANDREW TAYLOR
FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2016 file photo, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republicans' grip on all levers of power stands as a mandate to the GOP-led Congress, which will move swiftly to try to undo eight years of outgoing President Barack Obama's agenda. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The power brokers in the House are the committee chairmen, all Republicans who will steer President-elect Donald Trump's agenda. Some are back at the helm this year, others are new:

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ARMED SERVICES: Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry returns to lead Armed Services, which has oversight of the military's vast operations and a more than $610 billion budget. Trump wants more money for defense and Thornberry will happily comply. Washington state Rep. Adam Smith will retain his spot as the top Democrat.

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ENERGY AND COMMERCE: The new chairman is Oregon Rep. Greg Walden, who will head a panel with broad oversight over health care, manufacturing, trade, communications, energy and the economy. One of the panel's major issues will be coming up with a replacement for the health care law, which Republicans promise to rewrite after repealing the current version. New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone will continue to be the top Democrat.

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WAYS AND MEANS: Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, remains chairman of the committee, which has sweeping jurisdiction over tax reform, replacing the health care law and massive benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare. Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts will take over as top Democrat.

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APPROPRIATIONS: New Jersey GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen is taking over the panel, which writes more than $1 trillion worth of agency spending bills and is expected to steer more to defense under Trump. Veteran New York Rep. Nita Lowey is the top Democrat.

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BUDGET: Rep. Tom Price is the current chairman, but the Georgia Republican has been tapped by Trump to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Several Republicans are interested, but the decision won't come until Price is confirmed. Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth will be the top Democrat.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES. Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a strong opponent of Obama administration rules tightening regulation of Wall Street, remains chairman, with veteran California Rep. Maxine Waters back as ranking Democrat.

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JUDICIARY: Virginia Rep. Robert Goodlatte is to lead the panel with oversight of the Justice Department and law enforcement. Tougher immigration rules, a conservative priority, are likely. Michigan Rep. John Conyers is expected to remain the top Democrat.

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS: California Rep. Ed Royce heads the panel, which will conduct broad oversight over developments in Syria and Iran. New York Rep. Elliot Engel will continue to be the top Democrat.

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INTELLIGENCE: Rep. Devin Nunes of California remains chairman of the committee, which oversees the CIA and the intelligence community. The committee will continue investigations into foreign cyberattacks, including Russian interference in the U.S. election. California Rep. Adam Schiff was the top Democrat on the committee and is expected to continue in that role, though he hasn't yet been officially appointed.

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RULES: Texas Rep. Pete Sessions chairs this powerful panel, which sets the terms of floor debates, usually at the direction of top GOP leaders. New York Rep. Louise Slaughter will continue as ranking Democrat.

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TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE: Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster chairs the committee, which would share jurisdiction of Trump's infrastructure initiatives. Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio is the ranking Democratic member.

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AGRICULTURE: Texas Rep. Mike Conaway is chairman of the panel, which is expected to have a role in possible changes to the federal food stamp program. Conservatives have eyed new work or eligibility standards for the costly program. The committee will also start work on a new five-year farm bill, as current law expires in 2018. Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota will remain the top Democrat.

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EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE: North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx is the new chairman, and favors the use of public money to enable disadvantaged students to attend the public or private school of their choice. Trump has said such policy will be a priority. Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott will continue as ranking Democrat.

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ETHICS: Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks is the new chairman of the committee, which disciplines lawmakers who break the rules and gives advice on avoiding ethical quandaries. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi hasn't yet named a new top Democrat on the panel.

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HOMELAND SECURITY: Texas Rep. Mike McCaul continues as chairman of the panel, which oversees border security, cybersecurity and the Transportation Security Administration. Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson is the ranking Democrat.

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OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM: Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has targeted the Obama administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Now it's unclear what the committee will do for four years. Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings of Maryland wants the panel to focus on Trump, which is highly unlikely.

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NATURAL RESOURCES: Utah Rep. Rob Bishop chairs the panel, which has jurisdiction over mining, public lands and energy production and will try to undo Obama's policies. Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva is the top Democrat.

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SCIENCE, SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY: Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, the committee chair, is skeptical about climate change caused by human behavior. The panel's top Democrat is likely to be Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.

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SMALL BUSINESS: Ohio Rep. Steve Chabot chairs the panel. New York Rep. Nydia Velasquez in the longtime top Democrat.

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VETERANS' AFFAIRS: Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe, a doctor who served in the Army Medical Corps in the 1970s, takes over the panel with a mandate to improve care after recent scandals. Democrats haven't settled on their top choice.