Afghanistan vet to take charge of House foreign policy

Half of the GOP in the House of Representatives believes the United States has shipped enough dollars to the front lines of overseas conflicts. The other half believes the country can’t afford to shut off the supply lines.

Amid that stark divide—and an increasingly turbulent global scene—Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., will soon take command of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Mast is a four-term congressman, a decorated veteran, and a bit of a wildcard. The House Steering Committee announced his selection for the chairmanship on Monday.

How will Mast manage the dueling expectations within the House GOP?

“Listen, I’m not sure,” Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., a fellow member of the committee, said when I asked her that question. “I haven’t sat down to discuss these things with him; I’m unclear. But he’s an American hero and I’m sure he will have the best interests of the United States at heart. I need to explore that a little bit more.”

The news of Mast’s new post has given lawmakers from his party seemingly opposing hopes that he will work to scale back the country’s engagement overseas in favor of its own domestic interests but also push to increase the U.S. footprint abroad.

Mast served in the U.S. Army for more than 12 years during which he deployed to Afghanistan as a bomb disposal expert with the elite Joint Special Operations Command. While investigating an armed makeshift explosive, Mast sustained heavy injuries that almost killed him and resulted in the loss of his legs.

After receiving an honorable discharge, Mast went on to provide explosives expertise for the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He also contributed to counterterrorism efforts with the Department of Homeland Security.

“Obviously a great patriot, someone who has sacrificed for this country,” Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said of Mast. “He’s the kind of guy that I’ve been glad to work with. I think he will be really good at including people in the conversation, at being well-informed.”

McCormick, a Marine veteran, and Mast both serve on the subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.

I asked McCormick how he thinks Mast will manage areas of uncertainty like Syria, where rebel factions overthrew President Bashar al-Assad this past week, ending 13 years of civil war.

“I think he’s a very cerebral guy who can bring a very astute approach to a very complex area of policy,” McCormick said. “He’s not going to knee-jerk. He’s going to do his homework. The worst thing in my mind is for us to become isolationist. Not one country that has become an isolationist country has survived economically.”

Salazar, the congresswoman from Florida, agreed. Despite limited interactions with Mast, she said she thinks he won’t shrink the U.S. footprint abroad.

“I do know that his commitment to expand and explore American influence in the rest of the world is a noble one,” Salazar said. “I am looking forward to working with him in the Western Hemisphere.”

Specifically, Salazar hopes Mast will take steps to develop U.S. influence in Latin America, a region she believes is itching for more partnership.

“It’s our own backyard. The United States has been very absent,” Salazar said.

But where some members hope Mast will double down on the U.S. presence overseas, others want the opposite: for him to hold the line if Congress is asked for additional investment in countries where American taxpayers have already sent billions.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Fla., also serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee. He said he could not see Mast championing another supplemental aid package for Ukraine.

“I don’t think the policies are going to be the same as they have been in the past, certainly not in line with the Biden administration, that’s for sure,” Jackson said. “We’re not just going to keep dumping money into that. We’re in a bind here financially,”

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., shares that view. Burchett has long called for Capitol Hill to prioritize fiscal responsibility over foreign commitments.

“I think he’s an excellent choice,” Burchett said of Mast’s appointment as chairman. “I don’t think he’s going to risk wasting American dollars or more valuable lives in worthless wars. I think he’ll look at everything, but ultimately, I think his conscience will be his guide.”

Burchett also sits on the subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.

Mast was one of 112 Republicans who voted against a $60.9 billion Ukraine supplemental package passed out of Congress in April. He was also part of a much smaller group of Republicans who voted against a separate, $8.2 billion supplemental aid bill for U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific. Just 34 Republicans voted against it. (He did, however, support a $24.6 billion package for Israel.)

The current Foreign Affairs Committee chairman believes the post—and the instability of the international scene—tends to change the lawmakers who pick up the gavel. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, has led the committee since 2023 but will step down at the end of the year due to the position’s term limits.

“There’s a lot more to the job than what you see. [Mast] is in a different position; he’s chairman. I think he’s got to be a bit above the fray. That’s the historic legacy of the committee. When you disagree, you can do that civilly, with respect. That’s what Meeks and I have,” McCaul said, referencing his relationship with Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the committee’s top Democrat.

McCaul said Mast has reached out for counsel on how to fill the role. His best piece of advice so far?

“You want to get things done. To do that sometimes you have to be bipartisan,” McCaul said.

Mast’s office did not respond to a request for comment on this report.