LegiStorm

Since Democrats took over the House, both parties are choosing more women as committee leaders.

In the 116th Congress, women hold one in four of the top House committee and subcommittee positions. At the end of the 115th Congress, women held only 16 percent of chair and ranking-member positions on full committees and 19 percent on subcommittees.

Democrats have the greatest share of female leaders, with women holding top positions on 31 percent of committees and 38 percent of subcommittees. That's up from last year, when Democratic women held one-fifth of their party's top committee positions and a third of top subcommittee positions. Women make up 38 percent of House Democrats.

Republicans are also turning to more women to lead, with women holding 19 percent of ranking-member spots. At the 115th's end, women made up only 6 percent of committee chairmanships. Subcommittee leadership slots among Republicans, meanwhile, have held steady at around 9 percent women. Thirteen percent of House Republicans are women.

With two years of textile lobbying under his belt, a loyal congressional aide has returned home.

Doug Nation is now legislative director to Rep. Patrick McHenry (D-N.C.), whose office he worked in from 2010 until 2016, when he left for a gig at the National Council of Textile Organizations.

As the trade groups' government affairs manager, he lobbied the government on textile-related trade, appropriations and agriculture issues.

After 20 years with the House, a Republican aide has joined the Department of Energy as a chief of staff.

Raj Bharwani starts this month at the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. CESER is the DOE division responsible for preventing and responding to energy-sector attacks and disasters.

Bharwani most recently served as deputy staff director to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's Research and Technology Subcommittee.

Nothing runs like a congressional staffer. At least, that's what John Deere is hoping with its latest hire.

Miles Chiotti joins Deere as manager of government affairs. Chiotti, who most recently served as legislative director to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), is no stranger to the manufacturing giant: Before coming to the Hill, he spent a year with John Deere Public Affairs Worldwide as a special projects coordinator.

Last year, Deere spent about $1.6 million lobbying the federal government on a host of issues, including the Internet of Things, the Farm Bill and trade policy with Cuba.

A strategic-communications and public-relations firm with ties to President Donald Trump is kicking off February with a hire from the office of Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.).

Tom Qualtere had worked as communications director to Kelly since 2013 and previously spent a year as a House Republican Conference speechwriter. He joins Nahigian Strategies as communications manager.

Firm president Keith Nahigian worked as a senior adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign. Shortly after, Ken Nahigian, brother to Keith, was chosen to head the White House's transition team. Ken serves as executive vice president for policy and communications, per the firm's website.