House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, “beaming with pride” at the “diversity” among her party’s leadership, today introduced the new top Democrats on House committees.

Pelosi spoke to reporters after the House Democratic Caucus elected Nita Lowey to be the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee and Maxine Waters of California to be the party’s ranking member on the Financial Services Committee.

Their election means that women account for three of the five ranking Democrats on the most powerful committees in the House. Louise Slaughter of New York is already the ranking Democrat on the House Rules Committee.

Henry Waxman of California will remain as the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Sander Levin of Michigan continues as the top Ways and Means Committee Democrat.

Pelosi’s point?

“Our caucus looks like America, so do our ranking members.”

For the first time, women and minorities will constitute a majority of House Democrats in the new Congress that takes office in January.

In the new Congress, ranking Democrats will include four her women, Carolyn Maloney on the Joint Economic Committee, die Bernice Johnson of Texas on the Space, Science and Technology Committee, Nydia Velazquez of New York on the Small Business Committee and Linda Sanchez on the House Ethics Committee.

By contrast, only one woman will chair a House committee next year. House Speaker John Boehner appointed Candice Miller of Michigan to chair the House Administration Committee, the Housekeeping panel that oversees restaurants, parking, and other y-to-day operations in the Capitol complex. Miller received a appointment after losing a bid to chair the Homeland Security Committee.