Raul Grijalva
With the changing make-up of Congress after the last election, our senators and representatives will have new, or in some cases continuing, roles on important committees. Here’s a quick look at their assignments.
We’re omitting Rep. Ron Barber and Martha McSally because the results of their race are not final.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva
New role: Ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee.
On the agenda: Keystone XL Pipeline and bills related to energy and energy efficiency.
Where he stands: “I will continue my efforts to ensure oil companies don’t cut corners to place the pursuit of massive profits over the well-being of the American people,” he said in a press statement. “And while I will oppose Republican encroachments to environmental laws, I will work towards common ground wherever it can be found.”
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Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick
Role: Ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee’s oversight and investigations subcommittee.
On the agenda: Efficiency, accountability and access issues at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Where she stands: After passing a reform bill expanding veterans’ choices for health-care providers, Kirkpatrick has said more attention is needed on problems with homelessness, suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder, and that technology should be upgraded at VA centers.
Sen. Jeff Flake
Role: Unofficial tax-dollar watchdog.
On the agenda: There’s no specific committee for this, but Flake regularly calls out government waste. His summer series, “Prime Cuts,” featured social media posts that looked like grocery coupons advertising huge potential savings for taxpayers if the government were to cut wasteful spending.
Where he stands: When the National Taxpayers Union gave him the Taxpayers’ Friend Award earlier this fall, Flake sent out a press release saying, “It’s nice to have others recognize what my wife has known for years — that I’m a cheapskate.”
Sen. John McCain
New role: Chair of the Armed Services committee.
On the agenda: The U.S. role in Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and other conflict areas.
Where he stands: “The administration’s current strategy in Syria is a disaster,” McCain said in a press statement earlier this month.
Raúl Grijalva
Ann Kirkpatrick
Jeff Flake
John McCain
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@tucson.com or 573-4251. On Twitter: @BeckyPallack
Becky Pallack
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