U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., has been selected to serve on four Senate committees in the 113th Congress: Appropriations; Select Intelligence; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and the Joint Economic Committee (JEC.).

On the bicameral JEC Committee, Coats will serve as the ranking Republican member.

“These important committee assignments will allow me the opportunity to continue the fight to rein in out-of-control government spending and strengthen our economic and national security,” Coats said in a statement released on Thursday. “At a time when the greatest challenge facing our nation is excessive spending, I look forward to working on efforts to restore our fiscal health through my new role as the ranking Republican member of the Joint Economic Committee.”

“Congress must find the political will to rise above partisan politics and start being honest with the American people about what is needed to get our country on a path to prosperity,” Coats added. “Congress must reexamine every program and determine what is essential and how to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars. We have proven in Indiana that lower taxes, reduced spending and a more limited government is a model that works and it’s a model that needs to be implemented in Washington.”

After serving on the Senate Energy Committee in the 112th Congress, Coats will serve on the Senate Commerce Committee in the 113th Congress. “This key committee was established in 1816 as one of the Senate’s four original standing committees,” the statement said. “Today this committee oversees policy relating to transportation, communications, consumer affairs and science and technology.”

Coats will again serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee, where he served during his previous term and during the 112th Congress. “We must continue to be vigilant against terrorist threats and those committed to harming American citizens,” Coats said. “As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I remain committed to passing cyber security legislation to address the serious threat of cyber attacks against our government and key sectors of our economy.”

Posted 1/4/2013