Henry Cuellar to play vital role despite Democrat's loss of House Majority

Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) will take on a high-profile leadership post among House Democrats. Pelosi appointed Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Cuellar as co-vice chairmen of the Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee, where they’ll have influence on committee assignments and what the party’s policy agenda.

Cuellar, a member of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Democrats, will focus on deficit reduction and ending waste, fraud and abuse in his new role. He scored a legislative victory during the lame duck session when Congress passed a bill with major budgetary reforms.

While a state representative in Texas, Cuellar, introduced similar cost-cutting provisions . Cuellar has consistently said that the federal government should cut wasteful spending. “The Republicans are talking, ‘Let’s fight about whether we want big government or small government,’” Cuellar said. “Small government is good, but you really want to have government that is effective, efficient and accountable.”

The Associated Press and Brownsville Herald contributed to this report