Greene, Gosar Get Committee Assignments

WASHINGTON — Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., are getting committee assignments in the new Congress, two years after being booted from similar positions for incendiary statements.

In a pair of unanimous votes, the House GOP Steering Committee placed Greene on the House Homeland Security Committee, while Gosar was named to the House Committee on Natural Resources, a panel on which he previously served.

Still pending is a decision on the makeup of the House Oversight Committee, which Greene has said she wants to join and which Gosar served on until his ouster.

Though the steering committee’s decisions are officially considered “recommendations,” the full House GOP Conference rarely rejects the body’s choices.

Greene was removed from her committee assignments by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in February 2021 over her controversial endorsement of certain conspiracy theories.

Before her punishment was handed down, Greene said she regretted believing conspiracies that were not true. Eleven Republicans joined the Democrats in their repudiation of the Georgia lawmaker; seven of those Republicans continue to serve with her in the 118th Congress.

Gosar was censured  by the House and stripped of his committee assignments in November 2021, after he posted a photoshopped animated video on Twitter that depicted him threatening President Biden with a sword and killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Gosar later explained the cartoon was supposed to be funny and that he’s never espoused violence towards anyone. He voluntarily took the video down “out of compassion for those who genuinely felt offense,” he said.

The Republicans joining Greene on the Homeland Security Committee are Reps. August Pfluger, of Texas, Tony Gonzales, of Texas, Anthony D’Esposito, of New York, Mike Ezell, of Mississippi, Nick LaLota, of New York, Laurel Lee, of Florida, Morgan Luttrell, of Texas, Dale Strong, of Alabama, Eli Crane, of Arizona, Josh Brecheen, of Oklahoma, Michael Guest, of Mississippi, and Andrew Garbarino, of New York.

Joining Gosar on the Natural Resources Committee are Reps. Doug LaMalfa, of California, Russ Fulcher, of Idaho, Jerry Carl, of Alabama, John Curtis, of Utah, Harriet Hageman, of Wyoming, Mike Collins, of Georgia, Wesley Hunt, Texas, Jen Kiggans, of Virginia, Anna Paulina Luna, of Florida, John Duarte, of California, and Del. James Moylan of Guam.

Dan can be reached at dan@thewellnews.com and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue