Republicans name chairmen for Armed Services, Vet Affairs committees

House Republicans on Tuesday named Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Illinois Rep. Mike Bost as chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee as part of their leadership plans for the 118th Congress.

Both moves were expected, but the official designation allows both committees to now begin their work. Chamber operations have been stalled for the last week as Republican lawmakers debated who would serve as the next House speaker.

Both Bost and Rogers served as the ranking members on their respective committees last year, and neither faced opposition in taking over as the leader of the respective panels.

As chairman of the military panel, Rogers said his committee will focus on “lethality and capability” in military operations, as well as threats posed by China, Russia and North Korea.

“Over the next two years, the House Armed Services Committee will provide our warfighters with the resources and weapons they need to deter and, if necessary, defeat any adversary anywhere in the world,” he said in a statement.

“The committee will also hold the [President Joe] Biden administration accountable for misguided policies that distract from the core mission of the Department of Defense. Initiatives that service a social agenda but don’t advance our national security will be scrutinized.”

Rogers, 64, has served in the House since 2003. Bost, 62, is a Marine Corps veteran who has been in Congress since 2015.

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In a statement announcing his priorities for the upcoming session, Bost said the lawmakers have “made great progress for veterans and their families over the past few years” and need to continue that focus into the future.

“In order to do that, we need to hold the Biden administration accountable and restore regular order,” he said. “This will help us bring [the Department of Veterans Affairs] into the 21st century with commonsense legislation and oversight for the next generation of warfighters, without leaving behind today’s veterans.”

Committee members and subcommittee chairs for the various congressional panels are expected to be announced in coming days.