Texas is losing its clout in Congress

WASHINGTON – The Houston Chronicle reports the biggest Republican state in the nation is suddenly facing a power outage in the U.S. House of Representatives. While the GOP will hold the White House and have majorities in the House and Senate, Texans will be in short supply for key leadership roles on Capitol Hill, at least compared to previous years. That’s thanks to lost seniority through retirements. U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, who led the powerful Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Pilot Point, who led the Rules Committee and was the 2nd ranked Republican on the Commerce Committee, are both leaving Congress this year. That comes just two years after former U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, retired after formerly chairing the Ways and Means Committee.

Those three A-list committees set national spending, taxing, health care and energy policies, which gave Texas an outsized role in influencing a wide range of public policy. While Republicans from Texas are on those committees, they lack the seniority to be able to lead them. Eighteen of the 25 Texas Republicans who will be in the House in January will have been there for three full terms or fewer. That’s a result of an unusual spike in retirements by members of Congress over the last eight years. Just since 2018, 22 Republican members of Congress from Texas have left either through retirements or losing reelection. Texas is also losing a key post on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, has led that committee for six years, but cannot continue because of GOP term limits for committee leadership posts. McCaul said its definitely a period of change for the Texas delegation. Just eight years ago Texans chaired seven different committees and had other high ranking members close to power providing influence. “It’s better when we are leaders up here, rather than not having any chairmanships,” McCaul said.