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Source: Congress.gov
Summary
The House Foreign Affairs Committee convened to adopt its formal rules, staff list, and oversight plan for the 119th Congress. Committee leaders, including Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul and Ranking Member Brad Sherman, emphasized bipartisan cooperation and strengthened oversight of the State Department. The committee restructured its subcommittees to assign specific State Department bureaus for reauthorization, ensuring rigorous scrutiny of foreign assistance programs. Key policy topics included China's growing influence in the South China Sea and tech competition, the need for robust diplomatic engagement, and ensuring State Department and USAID resources are fully funded to maintain U.S. global leadership. The committee affirmed that diplomacy is the primary defense against international threats and stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, and diversifying the State Department's workforce.
Participants
Transcript
Before we begin, I ask everybody to rise about face and join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Pursuant to notice, the committee is meeting today to organize, which involves considering three items that were previously provided to member offices. Committee rules, a professional staff list, and the committee's oversight plan. Without objection, the chair may recess the committee at any point, and any recorded votes may be rolled. So ordered. Before I begin, I'm going to recognize Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul for just a few words. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to congratulate you on becoming the successor to being chair of this very historic committee.
Going back to the Continental Congress, a committee of war and peace issues are so important on this committee, more so than any other. And it has been the opportunity of a lifetime of my career to serve as chairman of this committee. And I want to thank all the members on both sides of the aisle. And on the other side, Mr. Meeks particularly for his friendship during the years and partnership. That's how we got things done. I also wanna thank the staff. I couldn't have been effective without my staff and my staff director, Brendan Shields and Laura Fullerton and so many others. And for the new members, This is your time. And I think the times defined my chairmanship more than anything with the fall of Afghanistan, the invasion of Ukraine to Chairman. She's unholy alliance with Putin threatening Taiwan. and the Pacific and the Ayatollah rearing his ugly head in the Middle East with the invasion of Israel on October the 7th. So it's my hope, sir, with your leadership and working as a team and the incoming, the new president, that we'll project strength so that we have peace. Strength so we have deterrence against these dictators that threaten our very civilization. And I know under your leadership we're gonna get this done. And sir, I look forward to working with you. Yield back. Thank you, Chairman Emeritus McCall.
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Unknown (SPEAKER_03)
So I'm gonna begin by welcoming the committee's new members. And Mr. Meeks will be recognizing his new members following that in just a few minutes. First of all, Representative Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, Washington, Representative Jefferson Shreve of Indianapolis, Indiana, Representative Ryan McKenzie of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Representative Sherry Biggs of South Carolina's 3rd District, and Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who is sick today, but out of St. Petersburg, Florida, my home state. Each of these new members, they have a unique perspective and a unique background, and we're excited to have them on the committee and I'd also like to recognize our vice chair of the committee, Representative Issa, down there, and appreciate all of his work. Representative Issa has worked together with myself on many things and look forward to working with you in this role. Representative Chris Smith will serve as the chair of the subcommittee on Africa. Representative Young Kim will serve as the chair of the subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific. Representative Keith Self will serve as the chair of the subcommittee of Europe. Representative Mike Lalla will serve as the chair of the Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa. Representative Bill Huizenga will serve as the chair of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia. And Representative Maria Alvarez Salazar will serve as the chair of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere. And Representative Corey Mills will serve as the chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Intelligence. We're also going to have a Foreign Military Sales and Export Controls Task Force, which will be chaired by Representative Ryan Zinke. And that task force will examine the process, make it more transparent, ensure that we're getting the instruments of war, which are also the instruments of peace, into the hands of the right allies at the pace that war deterrence and preparation require. Our mission will be very clear as a Foreign Affairs Committee that every diplomat and every dollar that we authorize will put America, our national security, and our advancement first.
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