Democratic Leadership on House Foreign Affairs Finalized

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Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) won the ranking member spot on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa in an unexpected maneuver on Tuesday. Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA), the third ranking Democrat on the committee, was widely known to be planning to put his name forward for the position. However, when it became apparent that Deutch had whipped enough votes to win the spot, Sherman chose not to officially offer his name for the position. He instead bid for his previous post as ranking member on the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, which will be chaired by Representative Ted Poe (R-TX).

In a statement following his election on Tuesday, Deutch said, “We face enormously consequential foreign policy challenges in the Middle East, from how we eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat and combat terrorism to how we strengthen Israel’s security and support Israel’s ongoing quest for peace, to how we advance democracy, gender equality and human rights in the region.” He added, “I am honored to have this opportunity to help shape our responses to these challenges, and I look forward to working with my friend and Subcommittee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.”