Steven Horsford picked to serve on House Ways and Means Committee

Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., second from left, poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, during the opening session of the 116th Congress. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON — Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford was selected to serve by Democratic leaders Wednesday on the powerful, tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, with jurisdiction over Social Security and Medicare.

The selection of Horsford, D-Nev., was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who said “our new Democratic majority is for the people, restoring Congress that works for the public interest instead of the special interests.”

Horsford said he is honored to serve on the panel.

“The decisions made by this committee have a profound impact on the health and welfare of Nevada families,” Horsford said in a statement.

“And I look forward to working with my fellow committee members to strengthen the retirement security system, social safety net, and critical infrastructure so many Americans rely on,” he said.

Horsford also thanked Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., a member of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which selects committee assignments for new and veteran members.

Titus said in a statement that Horsford “is a proven leader, and he will make an outstanding addition to the Ways and Means Committee.”

“His appointment is good news for Nevada and for everyone who believes in protecting Medicare and Social Security,” Titus said.

Members who serve on the Ways and Means Committee, where all spending bills originate, cannot serve on any other committee.

Nevada’s last lawmaker to serve on the panel was Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Democrat, who was put on the committee in 2012, according to a news release from Horsford’s office.

Pelosi also announced new members for two other key committees, Appropriations and Energy and Commerce.

She congratulated the new members on their new posts “where their leadership will be critical as we fight to protect the health, safety and well-being of the American people.”

Rep. Mark Amodei, the lone Republican in the Nevada congressional delegation, is already a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.