The race for House committee leadership roles is on as Congress prepares for its 119th session.
We couldn’t fit all the congressional committees here if we tried, but we have our eyes on the key panels that move and shake Washington. These committees will be instrumental in the incoming Trump administration’s agenda.
The process is straightforward in the Senate where lawmakers ascend to leadership roles based on their seniority. No one in the upper chamber has to knock another over to get to the top, so we’ll focus on the House where the contests are competitive.
The contenders jockeying for key roles in each of these powerful committees will make their case to the steering committee the first week of December.
House Energy and Commerce: We’ve extensively reported on the race between Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) for the next chair of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. Remember: E&C is not only an “A” committee. It will be one of the most critical committees in the next Congress because of its broad jurisdiction that includes tech, trade, energy and health care.
Latta is in part running on his experience and seniority. He currently chairs the subcommittee on communications and technology and has served on all six subcommittees on the panel.
Guthrie, meanwhile, has a fundraising advantage and chairs the panel’s health subcommittee. He’s pitched colleagues on privacy and protecting children. In addition, Guthrie’s has broad support among senior House Republicans.
Both Latta and Guthrie are also running on expanding broadband, artificial intelligence research and cracking down on China.
All signs point to Guthrie winning the role.
House Foreign Affairs: This is a four-way contest between Reps. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).
Wagner would be the only woman elected to chair a full committee next Congress. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) is in the running to be appointed to chair the House Rules Committee. Wagner is close to leadership and was ambassador to Luxembourg under former President George W. Bush.
Issa and Mast have been aligning themselves closely with President-elect Donald Trump. Both candidates have been spending time at Mar-a-Lago recently and have asserted that they want to help push Trump’s agenda next year. Wilson, who is co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus, echoed that sentiment. Wilson is the most senior in this quartet.
Of course, the Russia-Ukraine war will be a huge issue next year as Trump says he wants to notch a peace accord between Kyiv and Moscow. Trump has also been opposed to sending more aid to Ukraine.
Wagner is favored to win.
House Financial Services: There is also a four-way race between Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.). Currently, Barr has the inside track to head the panel.
Hill has the policy chops and fundraising heft. But people are skeptical because of his ties to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Huizenga has way more support — and respect — than he is being given credit for by some members of the House Republican Conference and shouldn’t be outright ruled out.
Lucas, a 30-year veteran of Congress, has chaired two full panels already, so the steering committee is somewhat unlikely to give him another term with a gavel.
House Transportation and Infrastructure. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) is unlikely to get a waiver to serve another two years atop T&I. No one is in favor of waivers right now. The two contenders here are Reps. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) and Rick Crawford (R-Ark.). This is truly a toss-up, although Crawford probably has a slight edge.
House Education and the Workforce. This contest is between Reps. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). Owens is widely seen as a favorite here. He’d be the only Black man to serve as a full committee chair in the 119th Congress. Walberg is also a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
