Wicker to committee leadership role in new Congress

Photo: Mississippi U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker talks with students during his stop at Lewisburg High School Friday morning. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

Nov. 10, 2024 – The transition of administrations from President Joe Biden to President-Elect Donald Trump has begun, less than a week after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 general election.  

It’s been announced that Biden has invited Trump to the White House Wednesday to begin talks toward the move to the Republican retaking the Oval Office in January. 

Trump also announced his co-campaign chair Susie Wiles would become his chief of staff, the first time a woman has held that position.  

There will be changes in congressional leadership when the new representatives take office. Mississippi U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who won re-election Tuesday over Democrat Ty Pinkins, will assume a leadership role that fits his philosophy of “peace through strength.”  

“I will become the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee,” Wicker said while at Lewisburg High School Friday. “Mississippi has not had that position since Sen. John Stennis was chairman a number of decades ago.”

Wicker, whose appearance at Lewisburg was one of two stops in DeSoto County Friday, indicated the charges to those elected are now to make what was promised happen.  

“It’s up to us to continue listening to the people to try to deliver what they seem to have been asking for,” Wicker said. “I would hope part of that is building a strong military, and being able to guarantee peace through deterrents.”

The Republican senator appeared at Pleasant Hill Elementary in Olive Branch for the school’s Veterans Day program on Friday. Wicker said the program honored dozens of veterans and told the youngsters their service allowed Americans to go to the polls last Tuesday.  

“I was able to point out that we had a free election on Tuesday, and with Veterans Day observances, we will be thanking the people who gave us the freedom to have a free and fair election,” Wicker said.