Mike Crapo AP file sept 2019 at hearing

Idaho GOP Sen. Mike Crapo

Idaho’s senior senator appears poised to take the chairmanship of one of the U.S. Senate’s most powerful committees.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is expected to give up his current chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee and return to running Senate Judiciary next year, Politico reported last week. U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, is then expected to give up his chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee and become Senate Finance chairman. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., would then take Crapo’s spot running Senate Banking.

While it seems more likely than not that Republicans will keep control of the Senate next year — Democrats came up short last week in a few states where they had hoped to flip Republican-held seats, most notably Maine — whether Crapo will be a chairman come January does depend on the outcome of two expected Senate runoffs in Georgia. If Democrats win both runoffs, the Senate would be divided 50-50 between the parties, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote.

Crapo’s office said Monday he is waiting to know more about the composition of next year’s Congress before commenting on committee assignments.

Senate Finance, which is in charge of taxes, trade, tariffs, and Medicare and Medicaid, among other things, is considered one of the Senate’s most important committees. Crapo has been on the committee for the past few congresses, and currently serves on its subcommittees on Health Care; Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure; and International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness. He would be the first Senate Finance chairman from Idaho.

Reporter Nathan Brown can be reached at 208-542-6757. Follow him on Twitter: @NateBrownNews.

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