Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
House Republicans tapped Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee as they choose the lawmakers who will wield outsized power and influence in the next two years of Republican-controlled Washington .
They also tapped Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) to lead the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, sources told The Hill.
Chair elections were made by the House GOP Steering Committee, a panel of roughly 30 lawmakers that includes leadership and elected regional representatives. Its recommendations must be ratified by the full House, which will likely take place early next year.
Here is more information about the election of committee chairs.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) beat off competition from three experienced committee members, winning the gavel to succeed Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who was term-limited to run again for the position and chose against asking for a waiver. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Joe Wilson (RS.C.) and Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) were also vying for the gavel.
Mast has served in the House since 2017, chairing the Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability. He served in the US Army for over 12 years, where he earned a Purple Heart, among other honors.
The Florida Republican will step into the senior position at a tenuous time on the world stage, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, Ukraine’s war against Russia drags on and Syria collapses from the fall of regime led by Bashar al-Assad. .
One of the primary powers of the president and ranking member is review of US arms sales to foreign countries and the opportunity to exercise a hold to block those sales. Mast is unlikely to oppose any arms sales to Israel or Middle Eastern allies who are seen as key partners in rolling back the threat from Iran in the region.
Mast, a Trump ally, will also wield the gavel as President-elect Trump seeks to advance his “America First” mantra through legislation.
Trump’s efforts to establish a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine; support for Israel and the plight of American hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip; ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and confronting China’s threats to US security interests are just some of the major issues facing the presidency.
Foreign policy initiatives could also include legislation to sanction officials of the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials; maintain an aid block for UNWRA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees; eliminating State Department programming that promotes LGBTQ visibility and blocking aid to any initiative that provides information about abortion access.
Mast made headlines last year after, as a way of showing his support for Israel, he wore his Israeli army uniform to the Capitol, in which he volunteered after his time in the army
Babin is slated to be the next chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, a source confirmed to The Hill, taking the reins from Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma), who was term-limited to seek another round over the panel and instead looking for the gavel for the Financial Services Committee.
Babin is currently the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. No one challenged him for the new role.