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• Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-10th District, continues to take advantage of his seniority in the lower chamber. McHenry, who’s the chief deputy whip of the Republican caucus, was named vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, the panel that handles oversight of banking and other savings and investment-related institutions. McHenry has become a champion of crowdfunding and other means of extending credit and debt access to small business owners.

• While the typical member of Congress is a millionaire, GOP freshman Rep. Mark Walker of the 6th District is hardly in that league. A report of financial disclosures from the Center for Responsive Politics considers Walker the least affluent congressman, with a net wealth of $67,000. The median member of Congress has a net wealth of $995,000, the report says.

• She routinely may be profiled as a steadfast ally of House Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-2nd District, has opened a rift with her party’s leadership over a House bill banning abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. Ellmers is urging Republican women to vote against the measure, which requires rape victims seeking abortions after week 20 to report their assaults to police. Ellmers and other GOP women say the law could discourage rape victims from seeking medical help.

• Meantime, the documentary focusing on the unsuccessful campaign of Ellmers’ Democratic opponent, “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken, will air in April on the Esquire network. (Full disclosure: Your correspondent, along with several colleagues, were interviewed by the filmmakers and participated in the project.)

• The N.C. Democratic Party is running on fumes financially, with only $42,700 in the bank as of Dec. 31. The party also is $130,000 in debt and has not announced a location for its Feb. 7 annual meeting, leading to speculation that it doesn’t have enough money on hand to rent adequate conference facilities. The state Republican party in better fiscal health.