WASHINGTON -- Two members of Arkansas' congressional delegation got new committee assignments Friday as House officials divvied up key positions.
Other members were given promotions or learned they'd be taking on new tasks during the 115th Congress.
U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican from Jonesboro, was added to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence by its chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.
Also Friday, Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, was appointed to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by its chairman, Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa.
Crawford, a former U.S. Army veteran who grew up in a military family, said he's honored that he'll serve on the committee.
"It's extremely important and I certainly view it that way," the lawmaker said in an interview.
Nunes said Crawford will be joining a committee whose work "is vital to America's national security."
A former explosive ordnance disposal technician, Crawford served in the military for four years, reaching the rank of sergeant.
As a member of the intelligence committee, he'll sometimes be entrusted with classified information that can't be publicly disclosed.
He said he plans to be circumspect.
"It'll be quite some time before I feel comfortable enough to talk about what's going on in that committee and [it] certainly is not that time, having just joined," he said. "That's the reason why I will be very tight-lipped about what's going on. I've certainly got to get my feet under me."
While Crawford is studying the nation's secrets, Westerman will be scrutinizing its roads, rail lines and waterways.
"There are a lot of transportation and infrastructure issues in my district. Everything from Interstate 49 to Interstate 69. Most of the Arkansas River is in my district in Arkansas. You've got the Ouachita River, the Red River. We've got a lot of pipelines and railways as well that are in my district," he said. "Especially with the president-elect saying he wants to work on infrastructure, I think it could be a good time to be on the committee."
Shuster said Westerman would bring "a wealth of relevant experience" to the job.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also touted the appointment.
"As a professional engineer by trade, Bruce is the perfect choice for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee," he said in a written statement.
Earlier, U.S. Rep. French Hill announced that he'd be serving on the leadership team of the House Financial Services Committee.
Hill, a former U.S. Treasury official, also served as chairman and chief executive officer of Delta Trust & Banking Corp., a Little Rock financial institution he founded and led before its 2014 purchase by Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff.
As majority whip, the Republican from Little Rock "will play a vital role in helping the committee craft proposals to increase access to capital, grow the American economy and help create jobs," according to its chairman, U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.
In an interview, Hill said he's pleased to be taking on the new responsibilities.
The financial services team includes Hill, the chairman and the subcommittee chairmen, he said.
"That gives me another place of influence on the committee's agenda and the design of legislation that we take up," Hill said.
Hill said he'd also been asked to "help bring up to speed" the committee's 10 new Republican members.
He will also be joining the steering committee of the Republican Study Committee, a group that describes itself as "the conservative caucus of House Republicans."
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack will be tackling a new assignment: serving on the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.
The Republican from Rogers previously served on the appropriations panel's Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.
The new spot will expand Womack's "jurisdiction as a subcommittee member over areas that affect our national security," he said, adding that he wanted the task "because I have such a passion for the national defense of our country."
Womack, 59, served 30 years in the Arkansas Army National Guard, retiring as a colonel in 2009. He also served in the 1990s as the executive officer for the University of Arkansas' Army ROTC program.
A Section on 01/14/2017