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McCain joins Foreign Relations Committee
After giving up his spot as the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is adding a new panel to his resume: the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
McCain was named to the Foreign Relations panel Thursday as the Republicans announced their committee assignments for the 113th Congress.
After serving three terms as ranking member of Armed Services, McCain was term-limited out. He said he would step down, and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is expected to take over as the top Republican.
McCain indicated last month he’d be interested in joining Foreign Relations while remaining on Armed Services, which was made official Thursday. He is not expected to seek the ranking position on the panel, which should go to Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), after Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) was defeated in 2012.
The Foreign Relations Committee will also likely be getting a new chairman, with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) nominated as secretary of State. The next Democrat in line is Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.).
In addition to McCain, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — a libertarian-leaning Republican who has often held up proceedings in the Senate over issues relating to foreign aid — is also joining the Foreign Relations panel. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) are also new members.
The Armed Services panel has four new Republicans: Sens. Roy Blunt (Mo.), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Deb Fischer (Neb.).
