Building on his experience as a bank examiner, small businessman and community banker, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has been asked to return to the House Small Business Committee as vice chairman and has been named to continue serving on the House Financial Services Committee where he was promoted to a subcommittee vice chairmanship for the 113th Congress.

The Small Business Committee, which was established to protect and promote small businesses, has jurisdiction over issues related to small business financial aid, regulatory flexibility and paperwork reduction. The panel also has oversight authority for the Small Business Administration and any federal program that affects small business. The Financial Services Committee has jurisdiction over the nation’s financial services and housing sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, securities, and domestic and international monetary policy. 
 
Luetkemeyer will serve on the House Small Business Subcommittees on Health and Technology and Agriculture, Energy and Trade. Luetkemeyer will also serve on the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Committee and was named vice chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.
 
“I am extremely excited to return to the Small Business Committee and look forward to representing small business people who feed the economic engine of our nation by creating jobs and expanding opportunities for all Americans,” Luetkemeyer said. “I also have had the opportunity to learn a great deal about the impacts of key fiscal and monetary issues on hard-working Missouri families during my two years on the House Financial Services Committee and I look forward to building on my previous work on the panel.”

Luetkemeyer will also work alongside his Missouri colleague, House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-6).

“I’ve worked closely with Congressman Luetkemeyer on Missouri matters for several years, and I look forward to working with him on the House Small Business Committee again,” Graves said. “His position of committee vice chairman will help provide more leadership during an upcoming session that will be active and ambitious. Not only does his experience as a small business owner help the committee better advocate for the 27 million small businesses across America, but his unique background is a great advantage in crafting policy to aid Missouri’s local economy.”

The new House Financial Services Committee Chairman, Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), is also eager to welcome Luetkemeyer back to the committee, given his experience with many of the issues dealt with by the panel.

“I want to congratulate Blaine on his vice chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance,” Hensarling said. “His background in the financial services industry, both in the public and private sector, will ensure government red tape and bureaucracy don’t stand in the way of the healthy economy we desperately need right now.”