Congressman Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, has been elected the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee by the House GOP Steering Committee for the next Congress.
Rogers currently serves as the ranking member on the House Committee on Homeland Security. Rogers defeated Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, the ranking member of the House Strategic Forces subcommittee, and Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Virginia, in the race.
The full House GOP conference is expected to ratify the Steering Committee’s decision in the coming days.
Current ranking member Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, is retiring.
The House Armed Services Committee is tasked with crafting the National Defense Authorization Act. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, recently named Rogers a conferee on the conference committee tasked with preparing the 2021 NDAA.
“I am honored to once again be named an NDAA Conferee,” Rogers said. “Being at the table to negotiate the NDAA is more important than ever. With more threats to our great nation every day, I will continue to advocate for a strong National Defense.”
Rogers was a strong proponent of creating the Space Force as a new military branch.
Democrats were able to narrowly maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 elections. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, leads one of the smallest majorities anyone has had in the House since World War II. That, and if the Republicans can hold onto their majority in the Senate, means that Republicans will have a sizeable influence on defense policy during the Biden presidency.
If Republicans can pick up seats in the 2022 midterms, Rogers presumably would chair the House Armed Services Committee. Under House GOP rules, a member can be a ranking member or a chairman of a committee for just three terms until they are term-limited out of that role.
The popular Rogers easily defeated his Democratic challenger in the 2020 election to win his 10th term representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District.
