Kean will remain on Foreign Affairs Committee in 119th Congress

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) will remain a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the 119th Congress, his office announced today.

That’s noteworthy in part because Foreign Affairs is an important committee posting – it has broad jurisdiction over the country’s foreign policy – and in part because Kean was also recently named to the House Energy & Commerce Committee, a wide-ranging body that’s one of the House’s so-called “exclusive” committees. (Members of exclusive committees generally only serve on that committee, and have to request the ability to serve on additional panels.)

“I am honored to be selected to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee once again,” Kean said in a statement. “I am committed to fighting for policy where we stand firm in upholding American values, strengthening our alliances, and addressing international challenges together. I look forward to working with Chairman [Brian] Mast and my colleagues to ensure that the United States remains a strong global leader.”

In the 118th Congress, Kean was the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe. With his new heavy-duty posting on Energy and Commerce, that assignment has been dropped: so too have his postings on the Transportation & Infrastructure and the Science, Space, & Technology Committees.