Russell nabs national security chairmanship
A congressional retirement has resulted in U.S. Rep. Steve Russell receiving his first subcommittee chairmanship and better positioned him to take over a headline-grabbing committee.
Of course, any potential future committee chairmanship is contingent on Republicans keeping control of the House and Russell winning reelection in November.
Russell will chair a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on national security. The subcommittee has oversight of the State Department, Defense Department, Homeland Security and the Agency for International Development.
“The American people need to be able to trust their government will live up to and exceed their expectations in keeping them safe at home — and I will continue to fight on their behalf as chairman," the Oklahoma City Republican said in a statement.
The subcommittee was previously chaired by Ron DeSantis, a Republican from Florida who resigned this week to focus on his gubernatorial campaign. Russell had been vice chairman of the subcommittee before Wednesday’s promotion.
The full House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican who will retire in January. The committee’s role in overseeing high-profile investigations has made it a lightning rod for controversy and made its members a fixture on cable news programs.
“Rep. Russell is a tireless worker, served our country with great distinction in the United States Army, and is respected on both sides of the aisle for his preparation, intelligence and willingness to address challenging issues," Gowdy said in a statement Wednesday.
If Republicans keep control of the House in November, Russell could vie for the committee chairmanship, which would be his first since joining Congress in 2015. If Democrats take control, they could wield the committee’s investigative power as a strong force against President Donald Trump.
It was the Oversight and Government Reform Committee that Peter Strzok, an FBI agent whose anti-Trump text messages raised the ire of conservatives and raised questions about the bureau’s objectivity, testified before on July 12.
The month before, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray testified about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. The committee also probed alleged FBI misconduct during the federal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. Russell was a guest on Fox News at least five times in June as a result.
The congressman represents central Oklahoma's 5th District, which includes most of Oklahoma County and all of Seminole and Pottawatomie counties. He will face Democrat Kendra Horn on Nov. 6 in what is expected to be Oklahoma's closest congressional race.