Representative Kristi Noem Breaks New Ground with Legislative Committee Assignment

South Dakota’s lone Congresswoman is in a position that no other Representative from the Rushmore State has ever reached.  

Rep. Kristi Noem was confirmed as a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax, trade, and economic growth policies.  According to a press release from her Washington bureau, Noem is the first South Dakota Member of Congress to serve on the Committee and will be one of only a few rural voices on Ways & Means this Congress.

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Responsibilities of the House Ways and Means Committee include tax simplification, expanding trade, patient-centered reforms to the healthcare system, and IRS accountability measures.  Rep. Noem will serve on two of the Committee’s Subcommittees:  Human Resources and Oversight.

The Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the U.S. Congress and serves as the chief tax-writing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The Committee also has jurisdiction over trade agreements and legislation, Social Security, Medicare, foster care programs, and unemployment compensation programs, among other things.