Trey Gowdy Picked to Chair House Oversight Committee

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Ut., left, speaks with Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., right, during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. October 10, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

The Republican Steering Committee has elected Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., to serve as the next chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“I am grateful to the Steering Committee and the Conference as a whole for this opportunity to serve,” Rep. Gowdy said in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside the other Committee members, as well as any member of Congress, as we discharge the jurisdiction assigned to us.”

Rep. Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, will replace outgoing Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Ut., who recently made the surprise announcement that he is resigning from Congress at the end of June.

“Trey Gowdy is the right person for the job,” Rep. Chaffetz said in a statement. “He has a long history of demanding accountability, upholding transparency, and relentlessly pursuing the truth. Under his capable leadership, the Committee will continue to work towards ensuring effectiveness and efficiency throughout the federal government. As his friend and colleague, I have every confidence in his abilities moving forward.”

Mr. Gowdy led a two-year long investigation into the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and is a favorite among the conservative base. He was an outspoken critic of the Obama Administration.