Area legislatures receive committee assignments

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U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17

By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Kicked off of the powerful appropriations committee because of the Republican takeover of the U.S. House, Rep. Tim Ryan is returning to his roots as a member of the armed services committee.

Ryan of Niles, D-17th, lost the appropriations seat because Democrats saw their membership on that committee shrink from 37 to 21 when they lost majority control of the House of Representatives.

Ryan was the 23rd most senior member on appropriations. After two Democrats leave the committee, Ryan said he’d be returned to appropriations.

Ryan served on armed forces from when he first joined the House in January 2003 till he was appointed to appropriations in January 2007.

“This assignment gives me an ideal platform to not only continue my work to bring defense industry jobs back to the 17th District, but will also allow me to help facilitate the integration of green technologies into the military and into mainstream America,” Ryan said.

The armed services committee oversees defense policies, ongoing military operations, the departments of defense and energy, among other responsibilities.

Also Ryan was selected to sit on two subcommittees: readiness; and emerging threats and capabilities. The first oversees military readiness, training, maintenance and construction. The latter oversees counter-terrorism programs and policies that protect the country from terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, freshman U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Poland, R-6th, was selected as chairman of the veterans affairs’ subcommittee on oversight and investigations.

“I will make sure that the resources we’re dedicating to our veterans are making a difference,” said Johnson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. “We want to help veterans earn their degrees, find jobs and also get quality health care.”

Johnson said as chairman he “will ensure that those responsible for the care of our veterans are held to the highest standards.”

He will also serve as a member of the veterans affairs’ subcommittee on economic opportunity.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler, Pa., R-3rd, was selected as vice chairman of the oversight and government reform’s subcommittee on technology, information policy, intergovernmental relations and procurement.

The newly-created subcommittee seeks to create greater transparency in the federal contracting process and will focus on the use of technology to track federal spending and expose instances of duplication, fraud and abuse, Kelly said.