BURSTHouse Republicans selected Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee as they pick the lawmakers who will have outsized power and influence in the next two years of Republican-controlled Washington.
They also selected Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) to lead the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, sources told The Hill.
The chair picks were made by the House GOP Steering Committee, a panel of roughly 30 lawmakers that includes leadership and elected regional representatives. Their recommendations must be ratified by the whole House, which will probably take place early next year.
Here’s more information on the committee chair selections.
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) beat out the competition from three experienced members of the committee, winning the gavel to succeed Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who was term-limited from running for the position again and opted against seeking a waiver. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Joe Wilson (R-S.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 U.S. Army for more than 12 years, where he earned a Purple Heart, among other honors.
The Florida Republican will enter the high-ranking position at a tenuous moment on the world stage, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, Ukraine’s war against Russia drags on, and Syria reels from the fall of the regime led by Bashar al-Assad.
One of the primary powers of the chair and ranking member is review of U.S. weapons sales to foreign countries, and the opportunity to exercise a hold to block such sales. Mast is unlikely to oppose any weapons sales to Israel or Middle East allies that are viewed as key partners in pushing back against Iran’s threat into the region.
Mast, a Trump ally, will also wield the gavel as President-elect Trump looks 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; the shock ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and confronting China’s threats to U.S. security interests are just some of the top line issues the chair will face.
Foreign policy initiatives could also include legislation sanctioning officials with the International Criminal Court over issuing of arrest warrants for Israeli officials; maintaining a block on aid for UNWRA, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency; eliminating programming at the State Department that promotes LGBTQ visibility and blocking aid to any initiative that provides information on abortion access.
Mast drew headlines last year after, as a way to show his support for Israel, he wore to the Capitol his uniform for the Israeli military, which he volunteered to serve alongside after his time in the Army.
House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Babin is slated to be the next chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, a source confirmed to The Hill, taking the reins from Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), who was term-limited from seeking another round atop the panel and instead seeking 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.