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Brady Named Mayor — of Capitol Hill

As expected, Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.) was officially tapped by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to head the House Administration Committee today. Brady’s appointment to the post follows the April 22 death of the panel’s former chairwoman, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.).

In taking over the committee, Brady — who earlier this month came in third in Philadelphia’s mayoral primary — now becomes the unofficial “mayor of Capitol Hill.” His nomination by Pelosi to the post was approved by the Democratic Caucus at a meeting Thursday morning.

“Congressman Brady’s experience as a leading member of the House Administration Committee and his in-depth knowledge of the internal functions of the House will make him a powerful voice as Chairman,” Pelosi said in a release. “I know Congressman Brady will expand upon the efforts of Chairwoman Millender-McDonald to promote equality and diversity on Capitol Hill.”

Brady, who served as interim chairman following Millender-McDonald’s death, said in a statement that he will continue the late Congresswoman’s legacy “to correct oversights from the past. One of my priorities will be to make every effort to keep the Capitol Complex as secure as possible while remaining accessible for the millions of visitors every year.”

Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), the ranking member of House Administration, said in a statement that he is “most pleased with the Speaker’s decision to appoint Representative Brady as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration. … I look forward to continuing our successful relationship as this Committee works on the many issues requiring our attention.”

Earlier this month when it became clear that Brady would become Millender-McDonald’s likely successor, Ehlers sent him a letter expressing concern that the committee wasn’t doing enough to assert its jurisdiction on Capitol Hill. Specifically, Ehlers said he hoped Brady would work to “refocus” the panel’s efforts on several issues such as the ongoing Capitol Visitor Center project and the yet-to-be-completed merger between the Capitol Police and Library of Congress Police.

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