While long-serving Republican senator Mitch McConnell won't be at the helm of the Senate Majority in the coming year, he is slated to chair a pair of committees — the Senate Rules Committee, which overseas how business is run in the chamber, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. McConnell has made bolstering U.S. hard power and maintaining international alliances top priorities, potentially setting up standoffs with the Trump administration.
Second District Kentucky Representative Brett Guthrie will be taking over as chair of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee. Guthrie told Fox Business that opening up energy permitting is high on the to-do list.
"We have to be energy independent and how we continue as we were when President Trump was president, his last term," he said. "The way we do this is to unleash American energy."
Meanwhile, Kentucky Representative James Comer will stay on as chair of the House Oversight Committee, which spent much of Biden's term investigating the president's son, who has since been pardoned.
Sen. Rand Paul will advance to the top spot of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he has said initiating the Trump administration's immigration plans and confirming nominee Governor Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary are near the top of the list.
Lexington GOP Congressman Andy Barr had been viewed as the top contender to chair the House Financial Services Committee, but that position ultimately went to Arkansas Representative French Hill. .
