Gray joins 25-seat House GOP policy group

U.S. Rep.-elect Chuck Gray of Wyoming was voted into the House Republican Policy Committee by his fellow freshman members. The selection places Gray on a 25-member body that serves as the policy development arm for the House Republican Conference.

The House Republican Conference functions as the caucus for all GOP members of Congress and coordinates overall party strategy. Rep. Jay Obernolte of California’s 23rd District currently chairs the committee. Sen.-elect Harriet Hageman of Wyoming is also a member, serving as a sophomore on the panel.

This appointment comes after Democratic victories in the recent midterm elections. Those results mean all three members of Wyoming’s congressional delegation will sit in the minority party when the new Congress convenes. Gray travels to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3 for his swearing-in ceremony. He will receive his standing committee assignments in the coming weeks.

“I’m greatly honored and humbled to be elected by my freshman Republican peers to the Republican Policy Committee,” Gray said in a statement. “As we establish the policy direction for Republicans in this new Congress, I will continue to be focused on advancing our Wyoming conservative values to establish prosperity for this and future generations.”

Rep. Brian Jack of Georgia’s 3rd District, the incoming chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, praised the selection. Jack referred to Gray as a “rising star in the Republican party.”

In a related move, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming was recently reelected as the Republican minority whip by his Senate peers. Both Barrasso and Hageman will join Gray on Capitol Hill as the new term begins.