Kentucky's only Democratic congressman will see his influence grow next year when he assumes a House committee chairmanship.
Rep. John Yarmuth's office said Thursday his Democratic colleagues selected him as the next Budget Committee chairman. The Louisville lawmaker said Democrats will pursue budgets investing in national priorities and expanding opportunities.
In recent years, the committee's chief responsibility was passing budget resolutions setting overall spending limits for appropriators. Yarmuth has said he wants the panel to take on more oversight responsibilities on such issues as health care, climate change, tax policy and immigration.
Yarmuth's rise within Democratic ranks gives Kentucky another influential voice in Congress. The state's two senior Republicans are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who sets the Senate's agenda, and U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, an influential voice on appropriations.
