“Republicans on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will have a new leader in 2021, but candidates vying for the post are promising as little disruption as possible to their members’ efforts to advance bipartisan policies to help veterans.”
“Lawmakers in the House Republican Party caucus are set to vote as early as Wednesday afternoon on the new ranking member for the committee, to replace Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe, who is retiring at the end of 2020.”
“Although Democrats will continue to control the House next session, the minority leadership post is of high importance to veterans groups both because of its traditional role in crafting congressional policy on veterans issues and its potential role as key critic of the incoming Democratic presidential administration’s VA leadership.”
“Despite that, however, both of the top candidates for the post — Illinois Rep. Mike Bost and Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman — insist they see more opportunities for bipartisan compromise on veterans issues in the upcoming Congress than friction points between the parties.”
“’It’s a case where so many issues we deal with are not partisan,’ said Bost, 59, who served three years in the Marine Corps before entering state and local politics. ‘We can work together. I don’t know a single person on the committee that doesn’t know and understand that.’”
“Bost is the current ranking member on the committee’s panel on disability assistance and memorial affairs and seen by party insiders as the front-runner for the post…” Read the full article here.
Source: House Republicans to pick new top veterans policy leader this week – By Leo Shane III, December 1, 2020. Military Times.
