The House Republican Steering Committee on Monday in a surprise vote recommended Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, an Army veteran known for his sharp tongue and grievance politics, to be the next chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the office of Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed.
Mast, a Ukraine aid opponent, has had sharp disagreements with ranking member Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., during business meetings. He was a late entrant in the race for the gavel, beating out three more senior members to win a contest whose results surprised watchers.
“I’m very, very surprised. I’m floored. I did not expect this and I did not speak to anyone that did,” said a former Republican congressional aide following the vote, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
For the last two years, Mast has led the panel’s Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee, which outgoing committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, brought back in the 118th Congress to enhance GOP efforts to probe the Biden administration.
Mast’s nomination for House Foreign Affairs leader could be a tacit acknowledgment by the Steering Committee that the Florida delegation’s desire to have a committee chair from their state was merited given the state’s association with President-elect Donald Trump.
Florida Republicans on the Steering Committee on Monday touted Mast’s nomination for Foreign Affairs leader.
“His unwavering commitment to defending American values and confronting America’s enemies, honed through his service and sacrifice on the battlefield, sets him apart as a powerful advocate for our country,” Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, who also leads the House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, Vern Buchanan and Byron Donalds said in a joint statement. “This is an honor for our state, and we were proud to advocate for him in this powerful position.”
The full House Republican Conference will vote early next year on approval of all of the Steering Committee’s chair recommendations. The choices are nearly always backed by the party.
McCaul congratulated Mast on Monday.
“With the world on fire, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is more important than ever. And I have no doubt Congressman Mast — a distinguished combat veteran and experienced member of this committee — will serve the nation well in this role, as he sacrificed in Afghanistan,” McCaul said in a statement. McCaul is leaving the post because of party limits on terms for leaders and opted not to seek a waiver.
Mast beat out three competitors — Middle East subcommittee Chairman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, House Foreign Affairs Vice Chair Ann Wagner of Missouri, and former House Oversight committee Chairman Darrell Issa of California. All three come from the more traditionally dominant internationalist branch of the Republican Party.
For his multiple votes against security assistance to Ukraine, Mast was given an “F” grade in the GOP congressional report card compiled by Republicans for Ukraine, an advocacy effort that aims to shore up conservative lawmaker support for Ukraine.
Mast has also been an outspoken backer of the controversial nomination of former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, now a Republican, to be the director of national intelligence in the incoming Trump administration.
Gabbard’s past willingness to minimize the war crimes of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad— who this weekend fled his country for Russia after a lightning-quick offensive through the country by rebels — as well as to echo Kremlin talking points against Ukraine, have caused alarm among Russia hawks and Ukraine defenders.
And even as other competitors for the Foreign Affairs gavel, particularly Issa, had their own well-earned reputations for partisanship, Mast stands apart for repeatedly tangling — in often heated and personal ways — with Meeks.
At committee markups in the last year, Meeks called out Mast — who previously volunteered with the Israeli Defense Forces — for using language that the Democrat said was dehumanizing toward the Palestinians.
Mast, who wore an IDF uniform to the Capitol in the days following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has accused all Palestinians of being implicit supporters of terrorism and has said Palestinian boys in the Gaza Strip under the age of 18 should not be considered civilians under the international laws of war.
“He and Mr. Meeks have had some pretty publicly heated exchanges. I don’t know if other steering members know that,” said the former GOP staffer. “I don’t know how closely they pay attention to that.”
House Foreign Affairs operations have traditionally been run on a fairly bipartisan basis due to the long-running belief on both sides of the aisle that U.S. national security is enhanced when Congress is viewed abroad to be fairly united on key matters of foreign policy.
Mast’s ascent to the Foreign Affairs gavel would further solidify the role that Floridians are poised to play in key national security roles starting next year. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is Trump’s choice to become secretary of State and is expected to be confirmed. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who is on House Foreign Affairs, is Trump’s choice to become national security adviser.
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