Boyle Named Ranking Member of House Budget Committee

Brendan Boyle

U.S. 2nd District Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) has been elected as the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, becoming the youngest Democrat to lead the party with the influential group since the 1980s.

The committee was created in 1974 to allow Congress to develop an independent means to analyze the Presidential budget, reconcile it with congressional plans, and develop a fiscal policy of its own. The Act established budget committees in both houses of Congress, as well as a Congressional Budget Office to provide Congress with independent, nonpartisan analyses.

“I am grateful to my Democratic colleagues for entrusting me with leading the House Budget Committee,” said Boyle in a press release. “Budgets reflect our values, and I plan to advocate for working and middle-class families in my future efforts on this committee. As Ranking Member, I will work toward finding common ground with the majority members of this committee so that, in the end, we hopefully can enact a Budget that is fair and equitable to all. I will not stop fighting for the values we share, and an economy that works for everyone.”

Boyle, 45, is the youngest member to lead his party on any legislative committee since Paul Ryan, who served as lead Republican on the Budget Committee a dozen years ago. Fellow Philadelphian William Gray III held Boyle’s position from 1985-89.

In the minority, Boyle’s role will be arguing against Republicans in the majority as they craft their plans. Should Democrats regain the control of the House, he would be in line to potentially assume the chair.

“Congressman Brendan Boyle is a remarkable legislator who has fought hard for lower costs and better-paying jobs throughout his tenure in Congress”, said incoming Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “I congratulate Brendan on his election as he leads the effort to defend our priorities on the House Budget Committee, including the protection of Social Security and Medicare from attacks by the Extreme MAGA Republicans.”

Boyle will succeed retiring House Budget Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) as the panel’s top Democrat.

He has long pushed to end the perennial debt ceiling crisis and sponsored legislation to that effect. One Boyle bill would provide the Treasury secretary the authority to lift the debt limit, while another would provide the president authority to issue debt above the limit, which Congress could only override with a joint resolution of disapproval.

The Commonwealth could find itself with both ranking members in the Budget Committee, as Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster/York) could find himself in the picture for the chair. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Missouri) is in the running for Ways and Means chairman, but should he fall short in that quest, would run for the Budget Committee. Smucker would pursue the Budget gavel only if Smith does not and go against Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-Georgia). House Republicans are not expected to select their Budget chairman until next week at the earliest.

2 Responses

  1. Democrats seem to be making real effort to lower the age of their members in powerful positions. As a senior citizen, I am happy to see the torch being passed to the next generation of Democrats.





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