Mary Potter
Thursday, December 1, 2016 3:44 pm
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Kentucky Democrat Will Lead House Democrats' Fight Against Trump Budgets, Efforts to Repeal Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON - House Democrats voted to elect Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) as Ranking Member of the powerful House Budget Committee for the 115th Congress, set to begin in January. Yarmuth was elected unanimously by the Caucus's 198 members.
"I believe that budgets are statements of our values, and the Budget Committee provides us the opportunity to show the American people the sharp contrasts between Democratic values and those of Republicans in the House and White House," said Yarmuth. "The task before us will be even more important as we'll debate budget proposals submitted by President-elect Donald Trump, which could be far more extreme than any plans we have seen in recent memory. As part of House Democratic leadership for the 115th Congress, I look forward to representing my colleagues and my constituents on this vitally important committee."
The Budget Committee is expected to take center stage in the new year as Congress also battles over the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, tax reform, and many of the issues President-elect Trump campaigned on.
Yarmuth has previously been tapped by Democratic leadership to help with several communication efforts, including the Affordable Care Act and bipartisan immigration reform. He also currently serves as a member of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, which has been tasked with developing Caucus-wide messaging.
Yarmuth is currently the second-ranking Democrat on the committee, which he has served on since 2009. He will replace the outgoing Ranking Member, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), who was elected to Maryland's open Senate seat earlier this month.
Editor's Note: Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky currently chairs the House Appropriations Committee, another powerful Congressional funding committee