House Committee Chairs for 115th Congress
House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has announced the following roster of Committee Chairs for the first session of the 115th Congress set to convene in January 2017:
Agriculture: Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX)
Appropriations: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Armed Services: Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)
Budget: Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)
Education & the Workforce: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
Energy and Commerce: Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)
Financial Services: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
Foreign Affairs: Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)
Homeland Security: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)
Judiciary: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Natural Resources: Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)
Oversight & Gov’t Reform: Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
Science, Space, & Technology: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)
Small Business: Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)
Transp. & Infrastructure: Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)
Veterans’ Affairs: Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN)
Ways and Means: Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)
State drinking water programs should note that new Chairs have been named for both the House Appropriations and Energy & Commerce Committees. Reps. Frelinghuysen and Walden both have significant experience with drinking water issues on their respective Committees and are taking over for term limited Members. It is also interesting to note that Texas is especially well represented with seven of seventeen Committee Chairs being from the Lone Star State.
The Senate Republican leadership has not yet confirmed all of its Committee Chairs but ASDWA can report that Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) are expected to step into the Chairmanships of, respectively, the Appropriations and Environment & Public Works Committees. Like the House, these new Senate Chairs are filling term limited seats.
