Rep. Jason Smith, a self-proclaimed “firebrand” preaching a populist image of the GOP, won the nomination to be chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
The 42-year-old Republican representing a rural Missouri district is set up to gain a powerful gavel overseeing measures that impact federal revenue and spending, from the tax code and trade policy to Medicare and Social Security.
Once the House Republican Conference formally ratifies the steering panel selection, Smith will become the youngest-ever chairman of Ways and Means. He’ll break the previous record set by former Rep. Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., who was just shy of 45 when he became chairman in 2015 before ending that year as speaker.
