This quote comes via political wire:

"This is the first time in my life I've brought diversity to a group."

-- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), quoted by the Washington Post, on his Judiciary Committee membership. Said fellow committee member Sen. Chuck Schumer, "normally, you’ve got to be a Jew or a Catholic to get on this committee. You’re the first WASP."

• Arlen Specter
• Jew
  
• Benjamin L. Cardin
• Jew
  
• Charles E. Grassley
• Baptist
  
• Charles E. Schumer
• Jew
  
• Dianne Feinstein
• Jew
  
• Edward M. Kennedy
• Catholic
  
• Herb Kohl
• Jew
  
• Jeff Sessions
• Methodist
  
• John Cornyn
• Church of Christ
  
• Jon Kyl
• Presbyterian
  
• Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
• Catholic
  
• Lindsey Graham
• Baptist
  
• Orrin G. Hatch
• Mormon
  
• Patrick J. Leahy
• Catholic
  
• Richard J. Durbin
• Catholic
  
• Russell D. Feingold
• Jew
  
• Sam Brownback
• Catholic
  
• Sheldon Whitehouse
• WASP
  
• Tom Coburn
• Baptist

As you presumably noticed, these folks are all white and many of them are protestant. I think Schumer must have been refering to the Dem members. There are 10 of them, and the religious breakdown of the non-whitehouse 9 is: five Jews and 4 Catholics.

Of the 9 Republicans there are 6 Protestants, 1 Catholic, 1 Jew, and 1 Mormon (i think there is a machloket about whether mormons are/aren't protestants).

There are, of course, far more Jews and Catholics in the Dem Caucus than the Republican caucus which may explain this difference. I bet Jews tend to have law degrees at a higher rate in the caucus as in the population overall which may motivate their over-representation of the Judiciary committee.