Leaders of House committees related to the ARM industry will start or continue their terms next week.
12/28/2020 15:00
The 117th Congress will start its legislative session Jan. 3, 2021, with a Democrat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and, pending results from the runoff elections in Georgia, a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.
The Jan. 5 elections in Georgia are between U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., and Democrat Jon Ossoff, and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and Democrat Raphael Warnock.
In the meantime, the Democrat majority in the House means they retain control of House committees, speaker of the house and the bills for consideration in the 117th Congress.
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was elected to serve another term as Senate Majority Leader and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was elected as Senate Minority Leader. U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., will continue as Republican whip.
Committees with oversight of accounts receivable management industry regulators and legislation have announced their chairs and ranking members in the U.S. House of Representatives.
House Energy and Commerce Committee
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., will serve as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., will serve as chair of the committee. McMorris is replacing U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who retired.
There will be five new Democrat members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including U.S. Reps. Angie Craig, D-Minn., Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., Kim Schrier, D-Wash., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., according to a news release.
House Financial Services Committee
On the House Financial Services Committee, U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., and French Hill, R-Ark., won in their districts and U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., was also reelected, and will continue as ranking member. Chairwoman U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., was reelected and will continue to lead the committee in the 117th Congress.
House Small Business Committee
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velasquez, D-N.Y., will be chair of the House Small Business Committee, and U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., will serve as ranking member.
Senate Committees
ACA will provide more coverage of the Senate committee leadership after the Georgia runoff election results are available.
If Republicans keep their majority in the Senate, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., could move into the role of chairman of the Senate Banking Committee for his last two years in Congress, ACA International previously reported. Committee leaders in the Senate are to be announced, but U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, may again lead the Senate Judiciary Committee and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham could be selected for the Senate Budget Committee while Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, would take over the Senate Finance Committee, according to Politico.
ACA looks forward to working with President-elect Joe Biden’s administration in 2021 as we await all final election results, including those determining the Senate majority.
ACA prepared a strategy for advocacy efforts based on every outcome of the election in the months leading up to Nov. 3, as outlined in an election memorandum available for members.