Washington, D.C. – Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) released the following statement welcoming Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Brian Mast (R-FL), Francis Rooney (R-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Tom Garrett (R-VA) to the Foreign Affairs Committee for the 115th Congress:

“I am excited by these additions to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Their diverse backgrounds and skills will be invaluable to our work to keep America safe, defeat terrorism, and restore U.S. standing abroad.

“I’m delighted to welcome Congressman Kinzinger back to our committee. He’s a proven leader who understands the importance of countering Russian aggression and holding Iran accountable.

“I share Congressman Sensenbrenner’s commitment to protecting our ally Israel.  And I look forward to working with him to advance our committee’s priorities, including defending freedom and democracy abroad.

“Congresswoman Wagner’s previous experience as a U.S. ambassador, in addition to her work in Congress to combat some of the toughest issues facing our nation, proves she will be an asset to our committee as we work to ensure strong diplomatic ties across the globe.

“Congressman Mast – a former special operator in the Army – displayed incredible bravery in service to our country. His personal experience will be vital to our efforts to defeat ISIS and other terrorist organizations.

“As an accomplished businessman and former U.S. ambassador, Congressman Rooney has extensive international experience that will be critical as we work to strengthen alliances and revitalize the State Department to meet the challenges of today.

“With extensive counterterrorism and anti-corruption work during his 14 years of service at the FBI, Congressman Fitzpatrick is uniquely positioned to make a difference as we confront repressive and adversarial regimes.

“Congressman Garrett’s background as a Virginia prosecutor and officer in the Army will be of great value to our committee as we press our allies to ramp up efforts to combat terrorists.”