Crapo Chairs Committee on Committees, Announces Committee Assignments for 117th Congress
Washington, D.C.,--Following the 50-50 power-sharing agreement finalized on February 3, 2021, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) served, for a ninth consecutive term, as Chairman on the Republicans’ Committee on Committees, the panel responsible for committee assignments for the 117th Congress. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Kentucky) selected Senator Crapo for the role, and Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) assisted in the selection process.
“I appreciate Leader McConnell’s continued trust in having me lead the important work of the Committee on Committees,” Senator Crapo said. “I’m grateful for Senator Scott’s assistance on the committee selection process as we worked to reflect the priorities of our constituents and build upon our many successes of the last Congress.”
“I want to thank Mike and Tim for their work. They have both earned the trust of our colleagues in the Republican Conference by effectively leading these important negotiations in years past and this year was no different. Their trust and experience was especially important as we enter a power-sharing agreement with Democrats and prepare for equal representation on committees,” Leader McConnell said. “I am very grateful for their work.”
The Committee on Committees negotiated the process of assigning Republican senators to committees. For the 117th Congress, committees will have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats on each committee due to the 50-50 Senate composition.
Senator Crapo also announced that he will serve on three committees for the duration of the 117th Congress:
- The Senate Committee on Finance, considered one of the most powerful committees in Congress because of its wide-reaching range of jurisdiction, including the federal tax code, revenue generation, foreign trade and social and health care service programs.
- The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which Crapo chaired in the 116th Congress, and has jurisdiction over matters related to financial services, capital markets, mortgages, urban development and foreign investment activity.
- The Senate Committee on the Budget, which develops a budget framework for congressional action on spending, revenue and the debt-limit.
“Americans elected an evenly-split Senate, and working together to achieve policy solutions will be critical in continuing to advance meaningful legislation impacting all Americans,” Crapo continued. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our nation, our economy was the strongest it has ever been. Unemployment was down, average hourly earnings were up, and small business owners were reporting record-level employee compensation and more job openings than qualified applicants. In spite of the best efforts made in the U.S. and around the world, the pandemic wreaked havoc on our economy. The proven fiscal and regulatory policies of the last Congress put us in a better position to continue to rebound from this crisis, and I look forward to continuing to deliver strong, bipartisan results on these committees.”
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