Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.). Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) is being tapped to serve as the next chair of the House Committee on Ethics to replace Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), who resigned on Friday.
Why it matters: The development, first reported by Axios, is a boost to Wild, a frontline Democrat whose district in the Philadelphia suburbs is rated "lean Republican" by Cook Political Report, in the final stretch of the campaign.
The context: The committee, which has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, is charged with investigating allegations of misconduct against members of Congress and doling out punishments.
The intrigue: Both of the committee's top members are now newcomers to the job, and the typically 10-member panel is currently two members short.
- Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) ascended to the ranking member position in August after the death of Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.).
- Wild and Guest were both second in seniority behind Deutch and Walorski respectively.
- New members have not been appointed to fill their old seats.
What they're saying: "The daughter of a journalist and an Air Force officer, Congresswoman Wild’s devotion to public service is in her DNA – and she will wield her gavel with the profound humility and reverence that it demands," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement announcing the appointment.
- "Fostering good government, increasing transparency, and holding Members of Congress accountable to the high ethical standards the American people want to see, is the purpose of the House Ethics Committee," Wild said. "I look forward to continuing working with my colleagues to strengthen our democracy."
- “Serving on the House Ethics Committee is simultaneously challenging, rewarding, and at times, unpleasant," said former Rep. Charlie Dent, a Republican who preceded Deutch in the role and represented Wild's district.
- "I wish her well as Chair and believe she will be fair in this new role," he said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with statements from Wild and former Rep. Charlie Dent.