Already the chairman of the U.S. House Ethics Committee, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., will also chair the U.S. House Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism Subcommittee.
First coming to Congress in a special election in 2010, Deutch has been the top Democrat on the subcommittee since 2013, often working with then U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., when she chaired it. Deutch has been a strong supporter of Israel and Jordan, including breaking with the Obama administration on the nuclear deal with Iran.
Deutch announced on Tuesday that he would wield the gavel on the subcommittee.
"I'm deeply honored to lead this important subcommittee over a region of such significance to our national security and global stability," Deutch said. "Now more than ever, Congress must present a clear foreign policy vision. From humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen to the destabilizing threats of Iran and ISIS, we cannot afford to turn our attention or our resources away.”
Deutch insisted the subcommittee will continues its bipartisan tone under his watch--though he did throw a jab at the Trump administration.
“On this panel we will continue our record of bipartisanship in standing firmly for our allies, promoting human rights and democratic values, and going after terror groups and their sponsors,” Deutch said. “We will instill confidence in our allies and be resolute against our adversaries. And after two years of the Trump administration's incoherent and often reckless foreign policy, our panel will work to restore American global leadership."
“The Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism Subcommittee covers the region spanning from Morocco to Iran and Yemen to Israel. The subcommittee's purview includes international terrorist threats, international programs to prevent and combat terrorism, and efforts to bring international terrorists to justice,” the congressman’s office noted.
