WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, is the first Black woman to serve in House Ways and Means subcommittee leadership since the committee was founded in 1789.
Sewell was selected to serve as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight for the 119th Congress. She will be the top Democrat on the subcommittee.
The House Ways and Means Committee is responsible for tax writing and is the oldest committee in Congress. The committee oversees tax, trade, Social Security, and Medicare.
1/ Today I became the first Black woman to serve in subcommittee leadership on the House Ways and Means Committee since it was established in 1789. I am honored to have been selected by my Democratic colleagues to lead our work as Ranking Member of the Oversight Subcommittee. pic.twitter.com/yTGvGdzxRr
— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) January 8, 2025
“As Congress prepares to consider new changes to our tax code, I look forward to fighting alongside my colleagues to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare and ensure that our tax system benefits all Americans, not just billionaires and big corporations,” Sewell said in a statement.
Sewell also said in a news release that she plans to “work with my Republican colleagues where possible and hold the incoming administration accountable when necessary.”
Sewell will also serve on the Ways and Means Subcommittees on Trade and Social Security. She has been a member of the House Ways and Means Committee since 2017.