Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) has named Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) the committee’s vice chairman. The moves follow Rep. Jeff Duncan’s (R-SC) departure from the committee earlier this week.

“I’d like to thank Congressman Duncan for his impressive work on the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Chairman Royce said. “As a former Marine Corps colonel, Rep. Cook is deeply committed to defending U.S. interests worldwide. I look forward to working with him to continue holding the Castro and Maduro regimes accountable for their brutal repression, while increasing U.S. commercial opportunities throughout the hemisphere.

“I am also excited to have Rep. Rooney as our vice chairman. His previous experience as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and as a successful businessman has been valuable in our efforts to counter global threats, and promote peace and American prosperity abroad.”

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