Conaway gets committee assignments for first term

Newly-elected Rep. Herb Conaway, Jr. (D-Delran) has been assigned seats on the Veterans’ Affairs and Small Business Committees.

“These committees are critical to addressing key issues such as healthcare for veterans, access to capital, and economic development,” said Conaway.  “I am eager to bring the voices and values of New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district to the table during my time on these two historic committees.”

But Conaway did not get a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, which has tremendous influence over a major employer and economic driver in the region, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.  Four of the last five congressmen from the 3rd district – James Saxton (R-Mount Holly), Jon Runyan (R-Moorestown), Tom MacArthur (R-Toms River), and Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) – had seats on Armed Services.

Conaway, a physician and U.S. Air Force captain, was a medical officer at McGuire in the 1990s.

Still, Conaway’s committee assignments could be considered a good luck charm: Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Manchester) served on Veterans Affairs and Small Business as a freshman.  He’s been re-elected 22 times.