Nick Langworthy

Representative Nick Langworthy has been appointed to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

The committee states its mission is to to ensure the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the federal government and all its agencies.

Langworthy said the committee has broad jurisdiction over all elements of the federal government, “We deserve answers. And we’re going to go out and find some truth for the American people on our withdrawal from Afghanistan, our energy crisis, there’s a lot of things about the President’s family and how they’ve made their money; and what sort of international compromise might be on the table there.”

Langworthy joins other new committee members Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Paul Gosar.

Congressman Tom Reed, who voted in favor of the bill, said the reforms proposed by the Post Master General will go a long way in stabilizing the Post Office, “Making sure they’re pre-funding requirements with their retirement obligations is taken care of. Making sure that through Medicare and a transition policy for their retiree benefits exposure are taking care of in a way that allow them to manage the Post Office’s liabilities and future liabilities in a way that allows the Post Office a ten-year window, essentially, to get their fiscal house in order.”

The House Oversight Committee said these measures would save the agency nearly $50 billion over the next decade.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed to take up the long-sought legislation before the end of next week.

After two years of being blocked by the White House, Republican Leadership, and The Trump Organization at every turn, Democrats hope the new year will provide sunshine on such issues as foreign government spending at Trump properties, Trump’s foreign licensing deals, Trump administration ties to lobbyists and special interests, and spending by Trump’s charitable foundation.

Maryland congressman Elijah Cummings, a Democrat, is poised to take charge of the House Oversight Committee, which could seek Trump’s business tax returns and other company-related financial records.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s personal income taxes, which he withheld during the 2016 campaign and in his two years in office, are expected to be the purview of the House Ways and Means Committee because Internal Revenue Service law allows House and Senate tax-writing committees to request federal returns. Ranking Ways and Means Democrat, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, has signaled publicly he would ask for them — a move the White House might fight.

Chautauqua County’s representative in Congress, Tom Reed (R-Corning) won reelection this week and is a member of the Ways and Means Committee. WRFA asked him his thoughts about the subpoena power the Democrats will have in the House now that they are in power.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

“Having oversight an investigative oversight in the house is appropriate. If they’re investigating legitimate concerns and not playing politics, hopefully that’s the course that they will pursue,” Reed said. “What I’m very concerned about is if they turn this into a political circus and they use it for political point scoring, all of a sudden that’s going to add to an even more difficult environment in DC to get things done.”

Reed also commented on House leadership and who the new speaker would be. Many speculate that person will be former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but Reed says that’s not a given.

“Looking at the candidates and the members on the other side of the aisle that have stated publicly they do not want to see Nancy Pelosi as speaker, I think with a ten-seat majority that is going to be very difficult for her to have the votes on the floor of the House,” Reed said. “I don’t know how 40-50 people running for office  on the Democratic side saying they would not support Nancy Pelosi and that they need new leadership for speaker can then turn their backs on their word to their constituents and vote for Nancy Pelosi. So I think they are going to have a contentious battle over there but at the end of the day, I’m willing to work with anybody who’s willing to reform these rules and start legislating. So let’s see who steps forward and hopefully it’s a breath of fresh air on the Democratic side.”

Reed, who is co-chair of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, is referring to proposed rules changes that group brought forward in July that it says will reward openness and transparency, encourage a willingness to reach across the aisle, create debate on divisive issues, and empower lawmakers to find real solutions concerning our nation’s most pressing matters. The package includes — among others — proposals to give fast-track priority consideration to bipartisan legislation and guarantees markups on bipartisan legislation from every Member of Congress.

As for alternatives to Pelosi, Reed said  he would support Democrat Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who currently serves as the House minority whip and has voiced support for the rules changes brought forward by the Problem Solvers.

The next session of Congress, which begins in January 2019, will mark the first extended period of time Reed has been part of the minority party since first being elected in 2010, when Republicans took control of the House as part of that year’s Mid-Term elections.