House Foreign Affairs Committee adopts rules, staff list and oversight plan; sets reauthorization agenda

The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 12 adopted its committee rules, professional staff list and oversight plan by unanimous consent and opened the 119th Congress with a stated priority of conducting the first comprehensive State Department reauthorization since 2002.

The action came on a motion from the committee chair (mover not separately recorded) to adopt three organizational documents that had been circulated to member offices in advance. “Without objection, so ordered,” the chair said after the motion; the committee then adopted the rules, staff list and oversight plan and authorized staff to make technical and conforming changes.

The plan reorganizes oversight responsibilities so each regional subcommittee is paired with specific State Department branches and bureaus for reauthorization. The chair said the reauthorization will require bureaus to “defend, repent, or in some cases, make the case…