{"id":2673,"date":"2024-11-20T10:11:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T10:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/house-republicans-are-playing-the-trump-card-in-committee-chair-races\/"},"modified":"2024-11-20T10:11:40","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T10:11:40","slug":"house-republicans-are-playing-the-trump-card-in-committee-chair-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/house-republicans-are-playing-the-trump-card-in-committee-chair-races\/","title":{"rendered":"House Republicans are playing the Trump card in committee chair races"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Republican lawmakers jockeying to lead House committees in the next Congress are touting their loyalty to President-elect Donald Trump as much as their ability to advance policy priorities as they make appeals to colleagues over the next two weeks.<\/p>\n

With scores of members competing for a few key positions<\/a>, contenders believe that success could hinge on their ability to show just how well-positioned they are to drive Trump’s legislative agenda across a range of policy areas including finance, energy and education. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going to be supremely important,\u201d Rep. Ann Wagner<\/a> (R-Mo.), a top contender to replace outgoing House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul<\/a> (R-Texas), said in an interview after Trump addressed House Republicans last week. \u201cWhat he spoke to us about is how his relationship with the House is better and stronger than the one he has with the Senate, and so he’s going to lean on us to get his agenda through.\u201d<\/p>\n

That agenda will include efforts to expand school choice, produce more fossil fuels and advance business-friendly cryptocurrency regulation \u2014 as well as sweeping rollbacks of Biden administration policies.<\/p>\n

The extent to which allegiance to Trump carries the day will be a key first test of his hold on Congress, particularly since most of the races will be decided by secret ballot. Contenders will make their cases to a select group of colleagues, known as the steering committee, at the beginning of next month. Those members will then vote anonymously to determine the winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s really about, \u2018How are they going to get something done?\u2019\u201d Rep. Byron Donalds<\/a> (R-Fla.), who serves on the steering committee, said in an interview. \u201cThat\u2019s going to be the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The top Republicans on the House Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services committees are all retiring when the current Congress ends in December. Other panels, including House Foreign Affairs, Education and the Workforce, and Transportation, will need new leaders because of term limits.<\/p>\n

Financial Services<\/h4>\n

Reps. Andy Barr<\/a> of Kentucky, French Hill<\/a> of Arkansas, Bill Huizenga<\/a> of Michigan and Frank Lucas<\/a> of Oklahoma are vying to become the top Republican on the committee that oversees Wall Street, the Federal Reserve and cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n

Front-runners Barr and Hill have leaned hard into proving their Trump bona fides. Barr has focused his pitch on melding the party\u2019s populist wing with its free-market core<\/a> \u2014 and has spent the days since the election in close communication with key Trump allies<\/a> like Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent. Over the next few weeks, he\u2019ll give out red baseball hats carrying Trump’s promise to \u201cMake Financial Services Great Again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m working really hard to make sure that my vision is hand-in-glove with the incoming policy agenda of the Trump administration,\u201d Barr, a close ally of Trump loyalist House Majority Leader Steve Scalise<\/a>, said in an interview.<\/p>\n

\"Andy<\/p>\n

Hill, meanwhile, has cited his ability to coordinate with Trump on crypto<\/a> \u2014 the president-elect gave him a shout out at a digital assets conference<\/a> over the summer \u2014 and rolled out an agenda last week<\/a> that he branded \u201cMake Community Banking Great Again.\u201d Hill’s plan, like Barr\u2019s, includes proposals that parallel Trump\u2019s agenda, including a pledge to \u201creverse the weaponization of the government\u201d by blocking regulators from encouraging banks to cut ties with certain customers.<\/p>\n

Barr’s ties to Trump run deeper than Hill’s. He watched the Super Bowl with the president-elect at Trump International Golf Club earlier this year and helped throw fundraisers for Trump and running mate JD Vance in Kentucky during the campaign. Before Hill endorsed Trump\u2019s presidential bid, he was one of the few House Republicans to publicly push back against<\/a> him for encouraging lawmakers to kill a key intelligence bill.<\/p>\n

Whether any of that matters to steering committee members remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cSteering committee \u2014 a combination of leadership and people elected by district \u2014 tends to be the more experienced members, and it tends to be a different set of values,\u201d Lucas said in an interview. \u201cPresident Trump’s opinion matters to everyone in the Republican conference, but it’s still within the immediate panel\u201d to decide who gets a gavel.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Eleanor Mueller and Jasper Goodman<\/i><\/p>\n

Foreign Affairs<\/h4>\n

Wagner can boast a connection to the Trump family after working with Ivanka Trump \u2014 as well as secretary of State nominee Sen. Marco Rubio<\/a> \u2014 on paid leave legislation. (She shouted \u201cYes!\u201d as Trump mentioned it during his 2019 State of the Union address.) Wagner said in an interview that committee hopefuls “should” lean into their Trump ties when presenting to the steering committee .<\/p>\n

“He has brought a number of our House members across the finish line,” Wagner said. “There’s a clear mandate there from the people.”<\/p>\n

Wagner also backed Trump\u2019s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and co-chairs the Abraham Accords Caucus, named for the deal brokered under by the Trump administration to normalize Arab-Israeli relations. Her 2016 withdrawal of support for Trump over the Access Hollywood tape is \u201cwater under the bridge\u201d that won’t affect her current relationship with him, said a House GOP aide granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another contender, Rep. Darrell Issa<\/a> of California, is known for his aggressive approach leading the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He endorsed Trump in 2016 and supported key decisions, such as the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Although Issa briefly backed a special prosecutor to investigate Trump\u2019s Russia ties, he later walked back that support. He subsequently voted to reject Pennsylvania’s 2020 electoral votes, opposed Trump\u2019s impeachment both times<\/a>, and voted against the creation of an independent Jan. 6 commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rep. Joe Wilson<\/a> of South Carolina, a Ukraine Caucus co-chair, backs sustained U.S. support to Ukraine, a stance that diverges from Trump\u2019s. Wilson has at the same time praised Trump, saying the president-elect\u2019s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demonstrated a \u201cpeace through strength\u201d approach.<\/p>\n

Another contender, Rep. Brian Mast<\/a> of Florida, served as the national chairman of Veterans for Trump<\/a>, leading attacks on Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Waltz\u2019s claims about his military record and defending Trump against criticism he doesn’t support troops<\/a>. He\u2019s also backed Trump amid his felony convictions<\/a> and endorsed his foreign policy approach.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joe Gould<\/i><\/p>\n

Transportation<\/h4>\n

Rep. Sam Graves<\/a> of Missouri, the current Transportation chair, is eyeing a challenge from Rep. Rick Crawford<\/a> of Arkansas. Both are on the same plane when it comes to their relationship with Trump.<\/p>\n

Graves is making a long-shot bid for a waiver that would allow him to dodge term limits. He wants to make his case to the steering committee on why he is the better choice than Crawford \u2014 the Highways and Transit Subcommittee chair who has been campaigning for the role since March.<\/p>\n

Crawford said he has had a good relationship with Trump for \u201cquite a while\u201d and noted that he and the president-elect share priorities such as investing in infrastructure through the surface transportation reauthorization bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t align perfectly, and we move forward with it,\u201d Crawford said.<\/p>\n

Graves has said that if he gets the waiver, he would work seamlessly with Trump as chair on a bill that focuses on hard infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe [have] got a long ways to go, but Trump’s a builder, so he gets it. And we need to do traditional infrastructure \u2014 that’s pouring concrete, laying asphalt, building roads, building bridges, and he’s going to get that,\u201d Graves said. \u201cSo I’m sure it’s going to be heavily geared towards that.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Graves doesn’t get the waiver, expect Rep. David Rouzer<\/a> of North Carolina \u2014 who has said he would be interested in running if Graves is out \u2014 to jump in the race. Rouzer, the subcommittee chair on water resources and environment, didn\u2019t comment on any efforts to implement Trump-aligned policies.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Marquette<\/i><\/p>\n

Agriculture<\/h4>\n

House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson<\/a> of Pennsylvania grew closer to Trump in the final months of the 2024 campaign, strengthening ties that are also cementing his chances to maintain his gavel next year.<\/p>\n

Thompson helped Trump campaign in his home state, which was seen as a critical battleground. Their relationship is a highly symbiotic one that enables Trump to reinforce his strong ties to rural America and the agriculture sector, while letting Thompson burnish his MAGA ties with GOP voters.<\/p>\n

In September, Thompson joined Trump for a campaign roundtable for farmers in Smithton, Pennsylvania, hosted by the Protecting America Initiative, led by Richard Grenell, who was acting director of national intelligence during the president-elect’s first term, and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, who has been nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.<\/p>\n

\"G.T.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always won with the farmers,\u201d Trump said, seated next to Thompson.<\/p>\n

Republican lawmakers don\u2019t expect anyone to challenge Thompson for the Agriculture Committee gavel. He went through treatment for prostate cancer this Congress but has recovered. Should Trump tap Thompson to serve in his administration, Rep. Austin Scott<\/a> of Georgia would likely be next in line to fill the role.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Meredith Lee Hill<\/i><\/p>\n

Judiciary<\/h4>\n

One of Trump\u2019s biggest supporters has a lock on being the chair of the Judiciary Committee: Rep. Jim Jordan<\/a> of Ohio.<\/p>\n

Jordan has been one of Trump\u2019s biggest Hill supporters for years, and the two have a close relationship, including the president-elect’s backing for the lawmaker’s failed speaker bid last year.<\/p>\n

Jordan keeping the gavel will give Trump a staunch ally directing some of the biggest investigations of the House GOP majority, including a potential investigation into special counsel Jack Smith, who has led the federal investigations into Trump.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jordain Carney\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Energy and Commerce<\/h4>\n

Reps. Brett Guthrie<\/a> of Kentucky and Bob Latta<\/a> of Ohio are competing to chair the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, which has significant sway over health care and energy policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019ll let things play out,\u201d Latta said when asked if Trump might put his finger on the scale in the race.<\/p>\n

Both candidates are seen as being friendly with the president-elect. Though they have not messaged explicitly on their relationship, their pitches parallel some of his proposals.<\/p>\n

Latta and Guthrie have both embraced permitting reform; are open to all energy sources, including renewables; and want to boost domestic energy production, in line with Trump\u2019s push to make the county \u201cenergy independent.\u201d While Trump hasn\u2019t been particularly engaged in health care, the two men have signaled openness to reforms at public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health. Both have opposed what they see as electric vehicle \u201cmandates\u201d from the Biden administration, a major Trump talking point.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0Ben Leonard, with an assist from David Lim\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Education and Workforce<\/h4>\n

Rep. Tim Walberg<\/a> of Michigan and Rep. Burgess Owens<\/a> of Utah are in a race to lead the House Education and the Workforce Committee that has their loyalty to Trump on full display.<\/p>\n

Walberg, dean of the Michigan delegation, frequently touts his relationship with the president-elect. He has a picture with Trump on Air Force One in his office.<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/p>\n

Owens, who currently leads the panel\u2019s subcommittee on higher education, says he and Trump agree that education is a top priority. Displayed outside of his office is a photo of Trump with his fist raised in the air after being shot at earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Trump is likely to get key parts of his education and workforce agendas through either lawmaker. His repeated backing of school choice initiatives on the campaign trail could get momentum under Walberg or Owens, both of whom want to move legislation on the issue. Owens is also a vocal critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and Walberg wants to simplify labor regulations.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mackenzie Wilkes<\/i><\/p>\n

Rules<\/h4>\n

The steering committee won\u2019t get a say in one of the races that could have the biggest impact on the president-elect\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n

The House Rules Committee tees up most GOP policy bills for the floor, making it a last-stop for Trump and his allies to try to influence legislation.<\/p>\n

But unlike most committees, whoever chairs the panel will ultimately be up to the speaker \u2014 and it\u2019s usually a reliable leadership ally.<\/p>\n

The current chair, Michael Burgess<\/a> of Texas, is retiring. Some have floated Rep. Guy Reschenthaler<\/a> of Pennsylvania for the position, but he\u2019s also chief deputy whip.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also been a swirl of chatter around Rep. Virginia Foxx<\/a>, who is losing her education and workforce gavel to term limits. The North Carolinian declined to say Wednesday whether she would accept the top job on Rules if offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not running for anything,\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Like Burgess, Foxx is a fierce defender of the president-elect. After delivering remarks at Trump rallies leading up to the election, her name is now among those being floated for Education secretary.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jordain Carney and Eleanor Mueller<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Republican lawmakers jockeying to lead House committees in the next Congress are touting their loyalty to President-elect Donald Trump as much as their ability to advance policy priorities as they make appeals to colleagues over the next two weeks. With scores of members competing for a few key positions, contenders believe that success could hinge […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}