For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 8, 2009

Contact: Oversight and Government Reform Press Office, (202) 225-5051

Ed Towns is Elected Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

This evening, the House Democratic Caucus formally elected Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-NY) as Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“I am humbled and honored by my colleagues’ support and confidence. There is a great deal of work to be done to ensure a smooth transition, and I look forward to working with both my Democratic and Republican colleagues in concert with the Obama Administration to ensure the federal government is transparent, responsive and efficient.”

Towns announced his decision to pursue the chairmanship vacancy on November 20th, following Rep. Waxman’s election as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In previous statements, Towns said that, if elected, he intends to hit the ground running in the 111th Congress by focusing on issues, such as: constructive oversight of the executive branch and private sector, contracting reform, the rights and duties of federal employees, and voting representation for the District of Columbia.

Rep. Towns has served on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for the past 26 years.

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