Missourians are set to head two of the most powerful committees in this Congress

Missouri will have more influence in the U.S. House over the next two years.

As the new Republican majority on Tuesday approved which members will take charge of its committees, two of the state’s eight representatives will take on powerful roles determining how the federal government raises and spends its money.

Rep. Jason Smith, a Republican from the “bootheel” region, won a contested race to become chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee on Monday. The committee plays a big role in writing the tax code and has jurisdiction over aspects of social security, medicare and other social services.

Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican who represents the Kansas City Northland, is taking over the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that passed Congress in 2021.

As leaders of two of the more powerful committees in the House, the two Missourians may fill the influence gulf created by the retirement of Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, who was on the Senate Appropriations Committee and was ranking member on the Rules Committee. Now Missourians will be the top Republicans in the House in charge infrastructure decisions and the top tax-writing committee.

“We have two chairs coming from Missouri, chairing some of the most influential committees,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, adding that other members also have their own spheres of influence. “That’s a pretty big deal. And it’s an even bigger deal if you don’t see us fighting each other.”

Graves has been working to become the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since he first became a member of Congress in 2001. He became the highest-ranking Republican in the committee in 2019.

“As the Committee’s lead Republican these last four years, I’ve worked to prioritize people and property in managing the Missouri River and secured millions to repave Missouri highways, replace one-lane bridges, and build a new Buck O’Neil Bridge to connect the Northland to downtown Kansas City,” Graves said in a written statement. “As the Chairman, I’ll have the ability to improve Missouri’s infrastructure even more.”

While Graves has staked positions on issues prioritized by Republicans — like pushing back on the Biden Administration’s environmental policies, including a revised version of the Waters of the U.S. rule, which has long been challenged by farmers who say it creates uncertainty around how they can handle ditches, ravines and other water on their land — he also expressed a desire to find bipartisan support on Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization and the Coast Guard, both of which fall under the purview of the Transportation Committee.

Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat whose district borders Graves’, said she believes she’ll be able to find common ground with Graves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, of which she is a member. She said she’ll seek to protect the money that has been allocated to Kansas communities in the 2021 infrastructure bill.

“The last few days have not inspired confidence in how the new Republican majority will govern, but there’s always common ground if we are just willing to look for it—and I am,” Davids said.

Cleaver said having Graves as chairman of the committee as Kansas City is set to host the 2026 World Cup could help get federal resources to help beef up transportation in the area.

“I’d prefer to be in the majority and would prefer to have things uniquely my way,” Cleaver said. “But with a new Congress comes new opportunities, new plans and new ways to win for Missouri.”

Missouri is one of only a handful of states that will have more than one House committee chair in the new Congress. Kansas will not have any House committee chairs.

Smith, 42 is set to head one of the most important committees in Congress. The tax writing Ways and Means committee holds the power of the purse in the House and has a hand in everything from Social Security, to Medicare, to Student Loans.

In a statement released after he won the chairmanship against two other Republicans — Rep. Adrian Smith, from Nebraska, and Rep. Vern Buchanan, from Florida — Smith, who will be the youngest chairman in the history of the Ways and Means Committee, pledged to challenge the Internal Revenue Service and rewrite trade policy to strengthen American supply chains.

“With our new House Republican majority, we have made a commitment to the American people to build a stronger economy that gives everyone – not just the wealthy and politically-connected – greater opportunity to build a more prosperous future for themselves and their families,” Smith said.

Smith is part of the faction of the Republican Party that appears to be more focused on conservative, rural, working class voters. In an interview with Roll Call, a Washington-based publication, he called himself a “hillbilly” and firebrand.

Where the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee can play a role in getting specific, Missouri-based projects funded, the Ways and Means Committee has larger national policy implications rather than state-specific projects.

As the head of the tax-writing committee, Smith said he wanted to examine the tax code and reevaluate “showering tax benefits on corporations that have shed their American identity in favor of a relationship with China.” That’s in line with other conservatives like Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, who have taken on a combative position in regards to China.

“He’s in a great spot,” said Republican Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who represents central Missouri. “He’s a very bright guy with a great background. And obviously the conference has a lot of confidence in him, because they chose him to be the new chair.”

Cleaver said he is concerned by claims that some Republicans hope to cut programs like Medicare and Social Security — which is set to be unable to pay all of its obligations by 2035.

Already, one of the first votes taken by the Republican majority was an attempt to rescind about $71 billion intended for the IRS to modernize their operations and hire employees.

Republicans have painted the funds as a way for the administration to hire new IRS agents to audit small businesses, but the Biden administration has said the money is going after wealthy tax cheats and largely won’t affect people who make less than $400,000.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that repealing the funding would add $114 billion to the federal deficit. It is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate as a standalone bill, but could be part of negotiations between the two chambers later in the Congress.

While the top committee roles were approved by the Republicans this week, the remaining members won’t get their committee assignments for another two or three weeks. Rep. Mark Alford, from Lake Winnebago, one of the new members who doesn’t yet know which committee he’ll be on, offered his congratulations to both Smith and Graves.

“Missouri and our nation are better served today with Representatives Smith and Graves as committee chairs,” Alford said. “They’ll protect taxpayers, support strong infrastructure, and we’ll fight together for working class families.”