FAMU Grad Appointed to Powerful Congressional Tax Writing Committee

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek was chosen yesterday to serve on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the tax writing committee in Congress that has jurisdiction over virtually every aspect of federal government activity. He is the only member from Florida to serve on that committee.

"This is the most powerful committee in Congress," Meek said, "and I intend to do everything I can to direct this power to help with our pressing issues in Dade and Broward Counties: Affordable housing, business growth and development, the creation of new jobs, and making the federal tax code fairer so that it helps make working and middle class families more secure."

Said incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "Kendrick Meek is a rising leader in the House who is respected throughout our Caucus and throughout the Congress. He knows how to make government work, and he will be a great representative of Florida on this key committee, which has power over so many crucial issues."

The Ways and Means Committee is considered the most powerful in Congress. It exercises very broad jurisdiction, including:

· all federal income taxes, tax free bonds used to finance housing and public works projects, and excise taxes;

· Social Security old age and survivors' benefits and private retirement plans;

· Medicare and other health care programs;

· Social Services programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the needy aged, blind and disabled

· trade, imports, tariffs and customs;

· tax exempt foundations and charitable trusts;

· adoption, foster care, child welfare and child support enforcement;

Meek was widely reported to be angling for a seat on the House Appropriations Committee. "I carefully considered a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, where my mother served before me and Congressman Bill Lehman served before her," said Meek.

"But in the final analysis," Meek continued, "while Appropriations is certainly an important committee, I think it will be much more possible on the Ways and Means Committee to move the significant amounts of investment that our community and our state needs, instead of smaller sums for more limited projects."

Meek's rise to the Ways and Means Committee after only 4 years in Congress is in contrast to fellow South Floridian and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Republican E. Clay Shaw (R-Ft. Lauderdale). Shaw, who was defeated for re-election, was selected to the Ways and Means Committee after serving seven years in Congress.

Meek is a 1989 FAMU gradauate, and played defensive end for the Rattler football team.

See: Meek voted CBCF Chair