Our Senate Majority has their committee assignments
Republicans playing to their strengths.
Today, the Senate released committee assignments for the 114th Congress, and revealed just how big of a difference having a majority can hold. Republicans are set to gain as many as three seats on the powerful Judiciary, Finance, and Environment and Public Works Committees, which means Republicans will have an early upper hand on issues that affect appointments, confirmations, and immigration.
Senators new to the game have received placements that play to their strengths. Louisiana victor Bill Cassidy will continue his focus on resource development on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; meanwhile, Iowa’s Joni Ernst will be able to flex her rural background on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.
Politico has the breakdown on how the rest of the committees will be affected:
The following Senate panels will gain two Republican seats: Agriculture, Appropriations, Armed Services, Banking, Budget, Commerce, Energy, Foreign Relations, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Indian Affairs, Joint Economic, Rules and Administration, Small Business, Select Committee on Aging and Veterans’ Affairs. The Intelligence Committee picks up one GOP seat, while the split on the Ethics Committee remains the same.
Republican leadership awarded four incoming Senate freshman with plum spots on the powerful Appropriations Committee: Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Steve Daines of Montana. And the Budget Committee’s two new Republicans — Perdue and Bob Corker of Tennessee — will also have the additional task of choosing who their new chairman will be: Mike Enzi of Wyoming or Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the current ranking member.
According to the Senate Republican Communications Center, The assignments are subject to ratification by the Republican Conference as well as the full Senate. New Committee Chairs will be selected by a vote of the members of each respective panel and then ratified by the Republican Conference.
Here’s the full list of assignments:
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Pat Roberts, Kansas
Thad Cochran, Mississippi
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
John Boozman, Arkansas
John Hoeven, North Dakota
David Perdue, Georgia
Joni Ernst, Iowa
Thom Tillis, North Carolina
Ben Sasse, Nebraska
Chuck Grassley, Iowa
John Thune, South Dakota
Appropriations
Thad Cochran, Mississippi
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
Richard Shelby, Alabama
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
Susan Collins, Maine
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Roy Blunt, Missouri
Jerry Moran, Kansas
John Hoeven, North Dakota
John Boozman, Arkansas
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Steve Daines, Montana
Armed Services
John McCain, Arizona
James Inhofe, Oklahoma
Jeff Sessions, Alabama
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
Mike Rounds, South Dakota
Joni Ernst, Iowa
Thom Tillis, North Carolina
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Mike Lee, Utah
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Ted Cruz, Texas
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Richard Shelby, Alabama
Mike Crapo, Idaho
Bob Corker, Tennessee
David Vitter, Louisiana
Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Jerry Moran, Kansas
Tim Scott, South Carolina
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
Mike Rounds, South Dakota
Ben Sasse, Nebraska
Dean Heller, Nevada
Budget
Chuck Grassley, Iowa
Mike Enzi, Wyoming
Jeff Sessions, Alabama
Mike Crapo, Idaho
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Rob Portman, Ohio
Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Bob Corker, Tennessee
David Perdue, Georgia
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
John Thune, South Dakota
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Roy Blunt, Missouri
Marco Rubio, Florida
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire
Dean Heller, Nevada
Ted Cruz, Texas
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Jerry Moran, Kansas
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Cory Gardner, Colorado
Steve Daines, Montana
Energy and Natural Resources
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
John Barrasso, Wyoming
Jim Risch, Idaho
Mike Lee, Utah
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
Cory Gardner, Colorado
Steve Daines, Montana
Rob Portman, Ohio
John Hoeven, North Dakota
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Environment and Public Works
James Inhofe, Oklahoma
David Vitter, Louisiana
John Barrasso, Wyoming
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Mike Crapo, Idaho
John Boozman, Arkansas
Jeff Sessions, Alabama
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Mike Rounds, South Dakota
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Finance
Orrin Hatch, Utah
Chuck Grassley, Iowa
Mike Crapo, Idaho
Pat Roberts, Kansas
Mike Enzi, Wyoming
John Cornyn, Texas
John Thune, South Dakota
Richard Burr, North Carolina
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Rob Portman, Ohio
Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania
Dan Coats, Indiana
Dean Heller, Nevada
Tim Scott, South Carolina
Foreign Relations
Bob Corker, Tennessee
Jim Risch, Idaho
Marco Rubio, Florida
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Cory Gardner, Colorado
David Perdue, Georgia
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Rand Paul, Kentucky
John Barrasso, Wyoming
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Mike Enzi, Wyoming
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
Richard Burr, North Carolina
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Susan Collins, Maine
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Tim Scott, South Carolina
Orrin Hatch, Utah
Pat Roberts, Kansas
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
John McCain, Arizona
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Rob Portman, Ohio
Rand Paul, Kentucky
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire
Mike Enzi, Wyoming
Joni Ernst, Iowa
Ben Sasse, Nebraska
Indian Affairs
John Barrasso, Wyoming
John McCain, Arizona
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
John Hoeven, North Dakota
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Steve Daines, Montana
Mike Crapo, Idaho
Jerry Moran, Kansas
Joint Economic Committee
Dan Coats, Indiana
Mike Lee, Utah
Ted Cruz, Texas
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
Ben Sasse, Nebraska
Judiciary
Chuck Grassley, Iowa
Orrin Hatch, Utah
Jeff Sessions, Alabama
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
John Cornyn, Texas
Mike Lee, Utah
Ted Cruz, Texas
Jeff Flake, Arizona
David Vitter, Louisiana
David Perdue, Georgia
Thom Tillis, North Carolina
Rules and Administration
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
Thad Cochran, Mississippi
Pat Roberts, Kansas
Richard Shelby, Alabama
Roy Blunt, Missouri
Ted Cruz, Texas
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
John Boozman, Arkansas
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Select Committee on Ethics
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Pat Roberts, Kansas
Jim Risch, Idaho
Select Committee on Intelligence
Richard Burr, North Carolina
Jim Risch, Idaho
Dan Coats, Indiana
Marco Rubio, Florida
Susan Collins, Maine
Roy Blunt, Missouri
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
David Vitter, Louisiana
Jim Risch, Idaho
Marco Rubio, Florida
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Tim Scott, South Carolina
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Cory Gardner, Colorado
Joni Ernst, Iowa
Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire
Mike Enzi, Wyoming
Special Committee on Aging
Susan Collins, Maine
Orrin Hatch, Utah
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Bob Corker, Tennessee
Dean Heller, Nevada
Tim Scott, South Carolina
Tom Cotton, Arkansas
David Perdue, Georgia
Thom Tillis, North Carolina
Ben Sasse, Nebraska
Veterans’ Affairs
Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Jerry Moran, Kansas
John Boozman, Arkansas
Dean Heller, Nevada
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
Mike Rounds, South Dakota
Thom Tillis, North Carolina
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
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Comments
Any enthusiasm for the effect that the new Congress will have has to be tempered by the knowledge that the leadership of that new Congress will be the exact same collection of fools, miscreants, maladroits, and unindicted co-conspirators that has led the last 3 Congresses. And those last Congresses have set ever increasing standards of collaboration with the enemy; culminating in the abject surrender of all leverage against the Democrats for the next year and the funding of every unconstitutional wet dream Obama has ever had.
I’m not expecting much. And I anticipate being disappointed and disgusted by what they do.
Thanks for speaking for me. Saves me the time (not to mention the nausea I would experience) of having to write what you so aptly stated.
Me, too. Those are the thoughts, but better articulated, that I had while I was reading the article. All of these appointments seem like window dressing, maybe important for the senators’ careers.
It would be super if we are wrong and Walker Evans’ hope, immediately below, turns out to be fulfilled.
Thumbs down was mistake
I”m not going to give up until the new Congress is seated and begins to act. There may be hope yet … although the CR vote was a bitter disappointment.
Amy– Thanks for posting this information. I’m wondering why the U.S. Senate has a “special commission on aging”. I can’t seem to find anything in the Constitution granting them the power to stop aging.
snopercod,
I agree with you, but I apologize in advance for the following.
“I can’t seem to find anything in the Constitution granting them the power to stop aging.”
Capital Punishment will stop aging when properly applied.
Best 🙂
The committee began in the 1970s. It maintains oversight on anything relating to senior citizens: Social Security, Medicare, nursing home regs/conditions, age discrimination etc. They conduct investigations, suggest legislation, etc.
It’s a good thing for veterans and active military that Thom Tillis (R-NC) has replaced Kay Hagan in the US Senate. Tillis is on the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees, among others. I’d rate him a B+ or A- on conservatism.
That rating is based on his career *before* going to Washington, however. When Tillis was losing the primary to a Tea Party candidate, Karl Rove’s org and the nat’l GOP RINO wing rushed in to save him. So, Tillis enters with that debt.
The Appropriations Committee is stacked with experienced pork producers. Oink. Oink.
Don’s ignore the House. They have term limitations, and, as a result, a number of committee and subcommittee chairs are turning over this coming session. Spent maybe 5 hours on a conference call Friday, and a bit of that was talking about what we can expect with Rep. Issa taking over the IP subcommittee in terms of patent “reform”, which is probably unneeded, but extraordinarily well funded. The good news is that he is one of the richest members of Congress, and does understand patents. The bad is that he seems to be fairly anti-patent.
Isn’t Issa actually a phony, if not a fraud? He got a lot of TV time the last few years talking tough, but what actual positive results has he delivered? Why, for example, did he let Gruber appear “voluntarily” and only produce documents “voluntarily”? Under that procedure everyone knows Gruber would lie and not produce any documents of significance. Thereafter, Issa issued a subpeona. That gift of a delay to Gruber, and therefor obama, simply helps obama run out the clock, as he has done with multiple other horrendous acts being “investigated” by Issa.
While initially supportive of Issa and optimistic about what he could do, I now see him as part of the RINO herd that includes other magnificent “leaders” like McConnell and Boehner.
My guess is that you do not agree.
I had high hopes when Issa was first assigned to Oversight, thinking he was a Trey Gowdy type bulldog. Boy, was that wrong. Issa went MacBeth, ‘sound and fury signifying nothing’. GOP leadership must have had him on a tight leash.
The left running Congress equated a quick death for America. With the RINOs running it, we have a slower, more tortuous death.
Time to take a look back at Sarah Palin, and see just who is capable of saving our way of life – or what becomes of the parts of it when — not if, but when — those parts secede from the union.