New Committee Leadership and Congressional Leadership

The 118th Congress began on Tuesday, January 3 but was not sworn in until January 6 when Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) became the 55th Speaker of the House. With the change in party leadership, the committee leadership in the House introduced new leaders for important committees pertinent to our issues. Here are the confirmed leaders for the 118th Congress:

• Committee on Agriculture: Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15)
  Representative Thompson comes into this role as the committee prepares to write a 2023 farm bill to set multi-year policy for agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and other programs. The current five-year bill expires September 30. The Agriculture Committee is likely to debate the agriculture industry’s role in climate change policy.
• Committee on Appropriations: Representative Kay Granger (R-TX-12)
  Representative Granger has repeatedly made clear that defense won't bear the burden of any spending cuts that Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-CA, agreed to in exchange for conservatives' support.
• Committee on Energy and Commerce: Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05)
  Representative McMorris Rodgers has served on this committee as the ranking member for the past two years. She's expected to focus first on energy policy as Republicans seek to lower gas prices and counter Biden’s energy and economic agenda.
• Committee on Judiciary: Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH-04)
  Representative Jordan will lead the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department and a wide array of issues including immigration. He has shared that the committee’s work would be vigorous and aggressive. His plans, along with Republicans' larger focus, will be focusing on the crossing of migrants at the southern border and, according to Rep. Jordan, the weaponization of the government and the Justice Department against citizens.

With a narrowly Republican House and a very small Senate Majority for the Democrats, major legislation, especially if tied to significant spending, is less likely.