House Committees & Caucuses

Update 664 – House Committees & Caucuses:

What’s New? What’s Out? And Who’s on Top

With this week’s appointment of committees and assignments of members in the U.S. House, the blurry picture of the 118th Congress comes to greater focus. The committee and caucus assignments stand in contrast to the 117th. Despite ominous-sounding titles like the Weaponization of Federal Government, an obvious product of backroom dealings among MAGA Republicans, reason to believe persists that enough Republicans will engage and not aggravate major economic policy issues (think debt limit). 

While the xenophobic name of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is gratuitous distraction, at least the prospect is there for continuing bipartisan work on implementation of the COMPETES Act and design of a COMPETES 2.0. In a speech this Thursday, Biden made clear the GOP abuses “the full faith and credit of the United States as a bargaining chip,” when it comes to addressing the US economy, putting the gauntlet down. Below, we review the road map of committees and caucuses of the 118th Congress.

Good weekends all,

Dana

_________

New Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced GOP committee assignments on Wednesday for the 118th Congress. Republicans have assumed their position as the Majority in the House and have made major waves in just three weeks. From a procedural standpoint, the House GOP has dismantled historic select and subcommittees, created entirely new ones out of spite, and ousted targeted Democrats from powerful positions while boosting their own to the top (in many cases, undeservingly). 

Despite restructuring the House with a vengeance, there may be a silver lining after all. It seems that in his bid for Speaker, McCarthy may have placed his own party in harm’s way through deal making and closed door conversations. Today, we analyze new committees, discuss which have been eliminated and highlight key assignments that are sure to impact movement in the House. And more on Committee assignments next week, when we turn to the newly released Senate rosters. 

New Committees 

The House GOP has created several new committees, all of which will impact the way the chamber operates. From appointing a crypto working group to establishing a Select Committee on Chinese Competition, there is reason to believe the new House may be prepared to focus on a number of serious economic issues. Will these new committees bring great change for American history, or will they yield nothing more than rhetoric?

Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government 

Chair: Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH)

Ranking Member: TBD

On a party-line vote of 221 to 211, the House voted to establish a Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government under the Judiciary Committee. According to its formal resolution, the Subcommittee will investigate matters related to the collection, analysis, dissemination and use of U.S. citizens’ information by executive branch agencies. The Subcommittee will be chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who was heavily involved in former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 

Despite Jordan’s claims that his goal is not to target Democrats, it is increasingly apparent that this panel will serve as a vehicle to attack the administration and get payback for the investigation into January 6th. More troubling, the Subcommittee will have “open-ended jurisdiction to scrutinize any issue related to civil liberties” and “the authority to obtain some of the most sensitive secrets in the government.” The Subcommittee’s power to issue subpoenas has left many to wonder how willing Biden and Democrats will be to comply, especially after Trump and his allies repeatedly failed to do so in years past. 

Crypto Working Group

Chair: Rep. French Hill (R-AK)

Ranking Member: TBD

Incoming Chair of House Financial Services, Patrick McHenry (R-NC), plans to implement a subcommittee dedicated to the examination of cryptocurrency. The “Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion,” will be chaired by Rep. French Hill (R-AK) and will have a focus on oversight and regulation. They will be tasked with providing clear rules of the road for federal regulators and will work to implement policies that promote financial technology to underserved communities. 

Then-chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) had set up her own digital asset working group in the 117th Congress, but the implementation of this subcommittee underscores just how important crypto may be to the House GOP. McHenry has long advocated for oversight over the tumultuous market and says the committee’s leadership team is ready to meet the moment. 

Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party 

Chair: Mike Gallagher (R-WI)

Ranking Member: TBD

Rep. Gallagher (R-WI) will lead the new China Select Committee after the House voted overwhelmingly (365-65) in favor of its establishment. The panel is expected to zero in on reclaiming U.S. economic independence and exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s coordinated strategy to undermine American leadership. McCarthy said the Subcommittee will address issues like bringing jobs back from China to the U.S., securing intellectual property, and bringing supply chains back to the country. 

146 Democrats voted in favor of this Subcommittee, a sign of bipartisanship in a rocky political landscape. House minority leader Jeffries affirmed the Democratic promise that they would work in a serious manner to evaluate US-China relations, but was adamant that his caucus will not hesitate to speak out against any xenophobic rhetoric should the Committee skew from its overarching objective. 

Terminated or Changed Select/Subcommittees

In addition to the establishment of several new subcommittees, Republicans have also terminated or substantially altered pre-existing ones. Wiping out a plethora of select committees, Republicans have made clear that they intend to highlight their own agendas in the House and differentiate many committees from their predecessors’. 

Education and Labor

The House Committee on Education and Labor has been re-named the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Although the Committee’s original name at its founding in 1867 was the Committee on Education and Labor, the Committee’s name has been flipping back and forth since it changed hands in the late ‘90s. According to Republicans, the change in name is due to the idea that “labor… carries a negative connotation that ignores the dignity of work; the term is something out of a Marxist textbook.”

The name change also reflects Republicans’ anti-labor, pro-business sentiments. Republicans regularly accuse Democrats of trying to force workers into unions or of promoting unions at the expense of workers– never mind the fact that labor unions are composed of and run by the workers.

Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion

House Republicans will eliminate the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee established under Rep. Waters in 2019. The objective of the group was to add greater scrutiny to the financial services industry and work towards a more equitable society for all persons. The Committee held historic hearings and penned invaluable reports that offered greater transparency into America’s largest financial institutions. 

On his decision to eliminate the DEI Subcommittee, McHenry claimed that Democrats wasted HFSC’s valuable time and resources to push burdensome mandates on America’s job creators. Subsequently, Democrats will have to ensure their commitment to DEI is upheld throughout the chaos. 

Select Committees on

• Climate Crisis – Established under former Speaker Pelosi in 2019, the Select Committee focused on combating the climate crisis and protecting the economy, public health and national security. 

• Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth – This Select Committee’s work focused on closing the prosperity gap between wealthy Americans and the rest of the country. 

• Modernization of Congress – Adopted in the 116th Congress, this Select Committee was composed of equal parts D’s and R’s and worked to make Congress a more functional, accessible and transparent space. 

• Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol – Perhaps the most talked about Select Committee, this group investigated the causes, circumstances and consequences of the January 6th attacks. 

Membership/Committee Chairs

With the new Congress comes changes in committee leadership and membership, which will determine their focus going forward. The membership and size of coalitions and caucuses have also changed, signaling shifts in the internal makeup of both parties.

House Rules Committee Roster

The House Rules Committee will now include three hardline Republicans, Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Chip Roy (R-TX). Norman and Roy were originally holdouts on McCarthy’s election for Speaker but agreed to change their votes in exchange for seats on the powerful committee (among other concessions). While Massie, a long-time party outsider, has said that he doesn’t intend to use his position to torpedo legislation, that is exactly what the three conservatives now have the power to do. 

Economically-Focused Committee Chairs

With control of House committees flipping once again, some Republicans, like Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx, will reclaim their old Chairs. Others, like Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, will claim their gavel for the first time following a contested race.

Committee	Chair	Ranking Member
Agriculture	Glenn Thompson (R-PA)	David Scott (D-Ga)
Appropriations	Kay Granger (R-TX)	Ranking Member – Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Budget	Jodey Arrington (R-TX)	Ranking Member – Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
Education and the Workforce	Virginia Foxx (R-NC)	Robert Scottt (D-VA)
Energy and Commerce	Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)	Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Financial Services	Patrick McHenry (R-NC)	Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Small Business	Roger Williams (R-TX)	Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
Transportation and Infrastructure	Sam Graves (R-MO)	Rick Larsen (D-WA)
Ways and Means	Jason Smith (R-MO)	Richard Neal (D-MA)

Caucuses and Coalitions

The Congressional Progressive Caucus has expanded its ranks with 16 new members and is now the largest it has ever been, comprising 103 of the House Democrats’ 212 members. The more moderate New Democrats Coalition, now chaired by Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH), also added 17 members to its ranks, while the Blue Dog Coalition was cut down to a mere seven members following a dispute over a potential name change for the group. Debbie Dingell also officially launched the new Heartland Caucus this week, which will focus on manufacturing, rural healthcare, labor, and other issues essential to the heartland.

Unlike other caucuses and coalitions on the Hill, the influential House Freedom Caucus does not publish an official list of its members. However, Pew Research Center was able to identify 40 Freedom Caucus members and allies, 18 percent of House Republicans. The caucus is also over-represented on Oversight, Judiciary and the new select subcommittees on the coronavirus and the weaponization of the federal government. With such a slim Republican majority, this far-right caucus will continue to play an outsized role in this Congress.

The Big Picture

Through changes to rules and committees, as well as actual legislation, Republicans have cemented their role in the House majority as one of polarization and opposition, despite their majority status. Substantial changes to committees and the GOP’s choice of committee assignments indicate that obstruction and investigations will be a major priority in the party’s plans for the 118th Congress. Despite this, there may be a willingness deep down within the Republican party to reach across the aisle and do some actual legislating. On the economic policy front, the stakes are high and will remain so at least until the dreaded X-date. 

Update 664 – House Committees & Caucuses
What’s New? What’s Out? And Who’s on Top

With this week’s appointment of committees and assignments of members in the U.S. House, the blurry picture of the 118th Congress comes to greater focus. The committee and caucus assignments stand in contrast to the 117th. Despite ominous-sounding titles like the Weaponization of Federal Government, an obvious product of backroom dealings among MAGA Republicans, reason to believe persists that enough Republicans will engage and not aggravate major economic policy issues (think debt limit). 

While the xenophobic name of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is gratuitous distraction, at least the prospect is there for continuing bipartisan work on implementation of the COMPETES Act and design of a COMPETES 2.0. In a speech this Thursday, Biden made clear the GOP abuses “the full faith and credit of the United States as a bargaining chip,” when it comes to addressing the US economy, putting the gauntlet down. Below, we review the road map of committees and caucuses of the 118th Congress.

Good weekends all,

Dana

_________

New Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced GOP committee assignments on Wednesday for the 118th Congress. Republicans have assumed their position as the Majority in the House and have made major waves in just three weeks. From a procedural standpoint, the House GOP has dismantled historic select and subcommittees, created entirely new ones out of spite, and ousted targeted Democrats from powerful positions while boosting their own to the top (in many cases, undeservingly). 

Despite restructuring the House with a vengeance, there may be a silver lining after all. It seems that in his bid for Speaker, McCarthy may have placed his own party in harm’s way through deal making and closed door conversations. Today, we analyze new committees, discuss which have been eliminated and highlight key assignments that are sure to impact movement in the House. And more on Committee assignments next week, when we turn to the newly released Senate rosters. 

New Committees 

The House GOP has created several new committees, all of which will impact the way the chamber operates. From appointing a crypto working group to establishing a Select Committee on Chinese Competition, there is reason to believe the new House may be prepared to focus on a number of serious economic issues. Will these new committees bring great change for American history, or will they yield nothing more than rhetoric?

Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government 

Chair: Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH)

Ranking Member: TBD

On a party-line vote of 221 to 211, the House voted to establish a Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government under the Judiciary Committee. According to its formal resolution, the Subcommittee will investigate matters related to the collection, analysis, dissemination and use of U.S. citizens’ information by executive branch agencies. The Subcommittee will be chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who was heavily involved in former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 

Despite Jordan’s claims that his goal is not to target Democrats, it is increasingly apparent that this panel will serve as a vehicle to attack the administration and get payback for the investigation into January 6th. More troubling, the Subcommittee will have “open-ended jurisdiction to scrutinize any issue related to civil liberties” and “the authority to obtain some of the most sensitive secrets in the government.” The Subcommittee’s power to issue subpoenas has left many to wonder how willing Biden and Democrats will be to comply, especially after Trump and his allies repeatedly failed to do so in years past. 

Crypto Working Group

Chair: Rep. French Hill (R-AK)

Ranking Member: TBD

Incoming Chair of House Financial Services, Patrick McHenry (R-NC), plans to implement a subcommittee dedicated to the examination of cryptocurrency. The “Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion,” will be chaired by Rep. French Hill (R-AK) and will have a focus on oversight and regulation. They will be tasked with providing clear rules of the road for federal regulators and will work to implement policies that promote financial technology to underserved communities. 

Then-chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) had set up her own digital asset working group in the 117th Congress, but the implementation of this subcommittee underscores just how important crypto may be to the House GOP. McHenry has long advocated for oversight over the tumultuous market and says the committee’s leadership team is ready to meet the moment. 

Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party 

Chair: Mike Gallagher (R-WI)

Ranking Member: TBD

Rep. Gallagher (R-WI) will lead the new China Select Committee after the House voted overwhelmingly (365-65) in favor of its establishment. The panel is expected to zero in on reclaiming U.S. economic independence and exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s coordinated strategy to undermine American leadership. McCarthy said the Subcommittee will address issues like bringing jobs back from China to the U.S., securing intellectual property, and bringing supply chains back to the country. 

146 Democrats voted in favor of this Subcommittee, a sign of bipartisanship in a rocky political landscape. House minority leader Jeffries affirmed the Democratic promise that they would work in a serious manner to evaluate US-China relations, but was adamant that his caucus will not hesitate to speak out against any xenophobic rhetoric should the Committee skew from its overarching objective. 

Terminated or Changed Select/Subcommittees

In addition to the establishment of several new subcommittees, Republicans have also terminated or substantially altered pre-existing ones. Wiping out a plethora of select committees, Republicans have made clear that they intend to highlight their own agendas in the House and differentiate many committees from their predecessors’. 

Education and Labor

The House Committee on Education and Labor has been re-named the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Although the Committee’s original name at its founding in 1867 was the Committee on Education and Labor, the Committee’s name has been flipping back and forth since it changed hands in the late ‘90s. According to Republicans, the change in name is due to the idea that “labor… carries a negative connotation that ignores the dignity of work; the term is something out of a Marxist textbook.”

The name change also reflects Republicans’ anti-labor, pro-business sentiments. Republicans regularly accuse Democrats of trying to force workers into unions or of promoting unions at the expense of workers– never mind the fact that labor unions are composed of and run by the workers.

Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion

House Republicans will eliminate the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee established under Rep. Waters in 2019. The objective of the group was to add greater scrutiny to the financial services industry and work towards a more equitable society for all persons. The Committee held historic hearings and penned invaluable reports that offered greater transparency into America’s largest financial institutions. 

On his decision to eliminate the DEI Subcommittee, McHenry claimed that Democrats wasted HFSC’s valuable time and resources to push burdensome mandates on America’s job creators. Subsequently, Democrats will have to ensure their commitment to DEI is upheld throughout the chaos. 

Select Committees on

• Climate Crisis – Established under former Speaker Pelosi in 2019, the Select Committee focused on combating the climate crisis and protecting the economy, public health and national security. 

• Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth – This Select Committee’s work focused on closing the prosperity gap between wealthy Americans and the rest of the country. 

• Modernization of Congress – Adopted in the 116th Congress, this Select Committee was composed of equal parts D’s and R’s and worked to make Congress a more functional, accessible and transparent space. 

• Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol – Perhaps the most talked about Select Committee, this group investigated the causes, circumstances and consequences of the January 6th attacks. 

Membership/Committee Chairs

With the new Congress comes changes in committee leadership and membership, which will determine their focus going forward. The membership and size of coalitions and caucuses have also changed, signaling shifts in the internal makeup of both parties.

House Rules Committee Roster

The House Rules Committee will now include three hardline Republicans, Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Chip Roy (R-TX). Norman and Roy were originally holdouts on McCarthy’s election for Speaker but agreed to change their votes in exchange for seats on the powerful committee (among other concessions). While Massie, a long-time party outsider, has said that he doesn’t intend to use his position to torpedo legislation, that is exactly what the three conservatives now have the power to do. 

Economically-Focused Committee Chairs

With control of House committees flipping once again, some Republicans, like Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx, will reclaim their old Chairs. Others, like Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, will claim their gavel for the first time following a contested race.

Committee	Chair	Ranking Member
Agriculture	Glenn Thompson (R-PA)	David Scott (D-Ga)
Appropriations	Kay Granger (R-TX)	Ranking Member – Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Budget	Jodey Arrington (R-TX)	Ranking Member – Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
Education and the Workforce	Virginia Foxx (R-NC)	Robert Scottt (D-VA)
Energy and Commerce	Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)	Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Financial Services	Patrick McHenry (R-NC)	Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Small Business	Roger Williams (R-TX)	Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
Transportation and Infrastructure	Sam Graves (R-MO)	Rick Larsen (D-WA)
Ways and Means	Jason Smith (R-MO)	Richard Neal (D-MA)

Caucuses and Coalitions

The Congressional Progressive Caucus has expanded its ranks with 16 new members and is now the largest it has ever been, comprising 103 of the House Democrats’ 212 members. The more moderate New Democrats Coalition, now chaired by Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH), also added 17 members to its ranks, while the Blue Dog Coalition was cut down to a mere seven members following a dispute over a potential name change for the group. Debbie Dingell also officially launched the new Heartland Caucus this week, which will focus on manufacturing, rural healthcare, labor, and other issues essential to the heartland.

Unlike other caucuses and coalitions on the Hill, the influential House Freedom Caucus does not publish an official list of its members. However, Pew Research Center was able to identify 40 Freedom Caucus members and allies, 18 percent of House Republicans. The caucus is also over-represented on Oversight, Judiciary and the new select subcommittees on the coronavirus and the weaponization of the federal government. With such a slim Republican majority, this far-right caucus will continue to play an outsized role in this Congress.

The Big Picture

Through changes to rules and committees, as well as actual legislation, Republicans have cemented their role in the House majority as one of polarization and opposition, despite their majority status. Substantial changes to committees and the GOP’s choice of committee assignments indicate that obstruction and investigations will be a major priority in the party’s plans for the 118th Congress. Despite this, there may be a willingness deep down within the Republican party to reach across the aisle and do some actual legislating. On the economic policy front, the stakes are high and will remain so at least until the dreaded X-date.