Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is making good on the promise he made to conservatives to overhaul the powerful Republican Steering Committee.
Prior to being elected to his new post, the Wisconsin Republican said he would make strides to rework the 33-member panel before Thanksgiving.
The Steering Committee, which is responsible for approving committee chairs and assignments, received criticism from conservatives who felt alienated under former Speaker John Boehner. The committee, they thought, gave leadership too much power.
Politico reports that under current Republican rules, the speaker’s vote counts for five on the panel– something the House Freedom Caucus is looking to change.
Several chairman on key committees could be getting the boot after the adjustments are made.
According to Roll Call, five out of six committee chairman who sit on the Steering Committee would be replaced by members elected by the Republican Conference.
Ryan appointed Rep. Luke Messer of Indiana to head the task force created to make changes to the Republican Conference’s rules and diversify the committee.
“People are frustrated with Washington, D.C. and tired of the status quo,” Messer said in a statement. “They want to see Congress working for them. That’s why I’m encouraged by Speaker Ryan’s efforts to open up the process, push past old models of operating and ensure every citizen has a voice through their member of Congress. Changing the Steering Committee is an important first step toward those reforms.”
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