WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Rep. Steve Austria (R – Beavercreek) today announced he has been appointed by Minority Leader John Boehner to the House Homeland Security and Budget Committees. 

“I am honored to be selected to serve on these two extremely important committees,” Austria said. “It is paramount we protect our homeland, especially after September 11, 2001. It will also be imperative in the coming Congress we ensure that our first responders are prepared for emergencies in the unfortunate case of a crisis.”

The House Homeland Security Committee was created in 2002 after the tragic events of September 11.  Serving on the committee will give Austria the opportunity to address head-on issues such as global counterterrorism, terrorism risk assessment, and transportation security.

On a local level, the Homeland Security Committee will be increasingly important to the future of Wright Patterson Air Force Base in regard to the areas of emerging threats, cybersecurity and science and technology.
“It is my hope that in serving on the Homeland Security Committee I will be able to work on important projects for the district, such as the Calamityville project,” Austria said. 

The Wright State University Calamityville project will create a self-sustaining, all-hazard, actual conditions training environment for military, first responders and emergency medical personnel.  With the inclusion of the military and a focus on medical personnel, this is the only training, simulation and research center of its kind in the United States.

The President of Wright State University applauded today’s committee announcement saying, “We would like to congratulate Congressman Austria on his new committee appointment.  We appreciated all the work Austria did on the Calamityville project, while in the Ohio Senate and look forward to continuing our partnership, now that he is even better positioned to assist with disaster preparedness.”

Austria was also pleased with his selection to the Budget Committee, allowing him to follow in the footsteps of former Congressmen Hobson and Kasich, who both played key roles in balancing the budget in the 1990s. The House Budget Committee is primarily responsible for setting the overall spending and tax priorities for the federal government.

“It is time to restore fiscal discipline to the budget process,” Austria said. “We have to stop putting trillions of dollars of debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren. Serving on the Budget Committee will also give me the opportunity to work on restoring jobs and growing the economy, two of the biggest issues facing Congress today.” 

Austria is currently serving in his first term in Congress and represents the 7th Ohio Congressional District, which is comprised of Clark, Fairfield, Greene, Fayette, Pickaway and Perry counties, as well as parts of Ross and Franklin counties.
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