Womack to replace Graves on Financial Services subcommittee

Rep. Steve WomackStephen (Steve) Allen WomackEx-CBO director calls for more than trillion in coronavirus stimulus spending Overnight Defense: Lawmakers tear into Pentagon over .8B for border wall | Dems offer bill to reverse Trump on wall funding | Senators urge UN to restore Iran sanctions Lawmakers trade insults over Trump budget cuts MORE (R-Ark.) is set to take over as the top Republican on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, replacing outgoing ranking member Tom GravesJohn (Tom) Thomas GravesIs Congress reasserting itself? Rep. Tom Graves announces early retirement Democrat in race against Marjorie Taylor Greene drops out MORE (R-Ga.).

Graves stepped down from his congressional seat on Oct. 4.

Though fiscal 2021 began last week, Womack may have a chance to leave his mark in the lame-duck session.

Congress has failed to agree on any of the 12 spending bills to fund the government and passed a stopgap measure leaving 2020 funding in place until Dec. 11.

The results of the election are likely to affect whether any or all of the bills pass before the presidential inauguration and seating of the 117th Congress in January.

House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDemocratic Rep. Carbajal tests positive for COVID-19 Trump defends move to halt relief talks, accuses Democrats of playing ‘games’ Biden pounces on Trump decision to end COVID-19 relief talks MORE (D-Calif.) has talked up the importance of passing appropriations bills before the next deadline and said those bills may be a vehicle for passing additional COVID-19 relief measures.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump and Biden’s plans would both add to the debt, analysis finds Trump says he will back specific relief measures hours after halting talks Trump lashes out at FDA over vaccine guidelines MORE called off negotiations on a separate package Tuesday.

Womack, who is also the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said he would focus on fiscal responsibility with his new post.

“We must responsibly address the needs of our nation, foster strong economic growth, and ensure that hard-earned tax dollars aren’t wasted. Making tough choices to chart a responsible fiscal path forward is what I came to Congress to do,” he said.

The subcommittee on Financial Services covers the Treasury and IRS, as well as a slew of general agencies including the Executive Office of the President, Securities and Exchange Commission, Small Business Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Postal Service.

His Democratic counterpart on the committee is Charman Mike QuigleyMichael (Mike) Bruce QuigleyPreventing next pandemic requires new bill’s global solutions Democrats introduce legislation to revise FDA requirements for LGBT blood donors Tucker Carlson sparks condemnation with comments about deadly Kenosha shooting MORE (D-Ill.).