The Shadow
New Committee Assignments
The 119th Congress shapes up to be a busy Congress, particularly for me.
The increase in activity is both because of the bold initiatives Republicans hope to pass and
additional committee assignments that I have been given.
In the last term, I was selected for the first time to serve on the House Committee on
Administration.
The Committee has jurisdiction over most of the activities occurring at the U.S. Capitol. The
U.S. Capitol complex is larger than the Capitol itself.
It includes the Library of Congress, the U.S. Botanical Gardens and the world-famous
Smithsonian Institute Museums. Jurisdiction naturally includes oversight of the Capitol Police
and committee budgets.
What many people do not know is that the Committee has jurisdiction over federal election
administration.
While an important committee, House Administration does not take up as much of my time as
the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
As you know, I have served on Energy and Commerce since first being elected. The Committee
holds scores of hearings related to important issues, such as the country’s health care system,
domestic energy production and broadband.
Further, the Committee holds discussions and briefings that require my attendance.
Chairman Guthrie asked me to take on the responsibility of chairing the committee’s
Environment Subcommittee.
The Subcommittee will be focused on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), government
regulations and overreach, and the country’s environmental policies.
Additionally, in early January, Speaker Johnson appointed me to serve on the House Committee
on Rules.
The Rules Committee exercises great influence over the legislative process in Congress.
Members of the panel contribute to the advancement of legislation, control the length of debate
on a measure, and may even alter the content of legislation.
Excluding circumstances where there is a suspension of the rules, every bill usually goes through
the Rules Committee before a floor vote is taken by the entire House.
Given there are 435 lawmakers in the House, many in the chamber historically offered numerous
amendments to a single piece of legislation. Accordingly, this practice consumed large amounts
of time and prolonged debate on legislation.
The Rules Committee is supposed to streamline the legislative process to avoid unnecessary
delays. The Committee is empowered to place limitations on the number of amendments and
establishes the amount of time of debate for each bill.
I hope to work to assure the Committee does not eliminate debate on important issues.
Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who chairs the Rules Committee, will be serving her first
term as Chairwoman of the Committee.
Following my appointment to the Committee, Chairwoman Foxx selected me to serve as Vice
Chairman of the Committee!
As Majority Leader in Virginia’s House of Delegates, I was a staunch advocate for making sure
the rules of the chamber reflected the principles of Jefferson’s Manual of Parliamentary Practice
and Procedure.
This appointment to the Committee will give me an opportunity to move the House towards a
process that is both efficient and fair.
I have already seen important bills come before the Committee.
Given the trust placed in me by Speaker Johnson and others for these committee assignments, I
will dedicate a great deal of my energy and time to these bodies.
But that does not mean I will not take time to listen to your concerns.
Folks from Virginia’s Ninth District are some of those who will come to DC and meet with my
DC office.
Generally, I try to make myself available to meet with folks when the schedule permits. To do
so, I often must step off the dais and briefly leave a committee hearing to see a constituent in the
hallway.
This practice will obviously continue, and unfortunately be more commonplace, during the 119 th
Congress.
The Rules Committee meets in the U.S. Capitol, while Energy and Commerce meets in the
Rayburn House Office Building, and House Administration meets in the Longworth House
Office Building.
Accordingly, when coming to my office, you may have to be escorted to one of these three
locations. Regrettably, the three locations are not easy to get to from each other, so it may take a
few minutes.
Nonetheless, I will continue to listen to you and advocate for you in Washington, whether that
involves me seeing you in the district, or in the hallways of Congress.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my
Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my
office via email, please visit my website at morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the
latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.
