Foxx appointed to House Rules Committee

By Scott Nicholson

North Carolina’s representatives in the 111th Congress will wield influence on both the way the legislative debates are framed and how veterans’ affairs and the military are shaped.

U.S. House of Representatives Republican Leader John Boehner appointed Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5) to serve on the House Committee on Rules. The Rules Committee determines what legislation comes to the House floor for a vote and under what circumstances that legislation is considered.

“Joining the Rules Committee is a privilege and an honor and I am excited about the new opportunities this committee assignment gives me to stand up for hard-working Americans,” Foxx said. “I plan to play a productive role on the committee that shapes the legislative agenda and debate in the House.”

In addition to controlling the legislative agenda for the House of Representatives, the Rules Committee also controls the amendment process for each bill, determining which amendments are in order for specific legislation. Committee members yield their other committee duties, which means Foxx will not serve on the Agriculture, Education and Labor and Oversight and Government Reform committees this term.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) was re-elected to serve in his role as Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and will also continue to serve on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

Burr has also been assigned to the Committee on Armed Services to provide oversight over military research, development and operations. Burr will serve as Chief Deputy Whip for the Republican Party, promoting the party’s legislative goals.

“It is an honor to be asked to serve on these committees, and I am looking forward to working more with our military communities through the Armed Services Committee,” Burr said in a statement. “These committees oversee many important issues, from improving health care and education to making sure we take care of our veterans when they return home from war. I am looking forward to finding solutions to the many problems we face, and I look forward to using my newest committee assignment to benefit military families in North Carolina and across the country.”

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) secured three committee appointments in her freshman term. She has been appointed to the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

North Carolina will have two representatives of 26 on the Armed Services committee. The committee oversees the annual military budget, which is close to $490 billion and includes installations, facilities and equipment around the world that support more than 2.3 million active-duty military personnel and over 700,000 civilian employees. North Carolina has seven military installations and has the fourth-largest active-duty military and reserve population in the country.

In 2007, military activities accounted for $23.4 billion, or 7 percent, of North Carolina’s gross domestic product. Currently, there are 101 Army National Guard locations and three Air Guard locations in the state.

Committee appointments for the North Carolina General Assembly are expected to be made in the next few weeks.