Maya Berry, Arab American Institute

The midterm elections earlier this month brought a sea of change in American politics, with the Republicans winning at least 61 seats and taking control of the House of Representatives. Both the Republican and Democratic caucuses held elections earlier this week to choose their leaders for the upcoming 112th Congress. As your voice in Washington, we are analyzing the landscape and preparing to engage the new leadership. As a first step, we've written a report that provides insight into the individuals who will be running the House and some of its key committees. Please check it out here and give us your feedback. We want to hear from you!

Here is some of what you need to note:

Two new Arab Americans have joined the Congress, bringing our total to the highest numbers in 8 years. In Michigan, Arab American Justin Amash (R) won with strong libertarian support and will now be the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 3rd District. In New York, Arab American challenger Richard Hanna (R) defeated Congressman Michael Arcuri to become the next Representative of New York's 24th District.

Facing a well-funded challenger, Arab American Congressman Nick Rahall successfully defended his seat in West Virginia. Despite his opponent's shameful attempt to play the "Arab card" to tarnish his image, Congressman Rahall won handily, getting 56% of the vote.

Darrell Issa, Arab American Member from California's 49th District, will assume an important leadership role in the new Congress when he chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the committee responsible for investigating all aspects of government.

A few candidates who are now headed to Congress made some fairly disturbing comments about Arab Americans or American Muslims during their campaigns. It is shameful to engage in this kind of discourse against any ethnic or religious community, particularly for political gain. Having made it to Congress, these individuals must now serve all of their constituents and ensure that their campaign rhetoric will not play a role in how they govern.

Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-FL), whose anti-Palestinian stances are well-known, will become the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair. Last year, she introduced a bill that sought to defund and shut down Palestinian-related UN organizations (including UNRWA). This year, she sought to expel the PLO from US soil.

Please read the full report here. If you have additional information or analysis you would like to share, please post it in the comments section. We would like to spark a lively debate on what the 112th Congress can mean for the Arab American community. Best,