Republican Paul Ryan to chair House tax committee

[November 19, 2014]  (Reuters) - Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan has been tapped by Republican leaders to chair the tax-writing Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives during the next congressional session.

Ryan, the outgoing head of the House budget panel and Ways and Means member since 2000, was recommended by the Republican Steering Committee on Tuesday for the post.

Recommended committee leaders will be ratified by Republican lawmakers at a later date.

"We have a lot of work to do to get our economy back on track, and the Ways and Means Committee will be at the forefront of reform," Ryan said.

The panel has jurisdiction over funding the U.S. government funding through taxes, and programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

(Reporting By Amanda Becker and David Lawder; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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