U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie is poised to chair the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee when the 119th Congress convenes next month.

The Bowling Green Republican announced his intention earlier this year to seek the chairmanship, and the House Republican Steering Commitee selected Guthrie to the post Mnoday.

In a statement, Guthrie said he was honored to be chosen by his colleagues to head the Energy and Commerce committee, which helps shape policy in the realms of energy, climate, health care, technology, the environment and consumer safety.

Guthrie said he looked forward to helping implement Republican policy goals and deliver on the second-term agenda of President-Elect Donald Trump.

“We must work together to restore America’s energy dominance and lower energy prices, protect children’s onilne safety and ensure America remains the world leader in technological innovation and protect access to life-saving treatments while lowering health care costs,” Guthrie said in a statement Tuesday. “The task before us is significant, but together the House Energy and Commerce Committee will lead the way to restore the American Dream for hard-working families.”

The leadership post in the House’s oldest standing legislative committee came open when outgoing chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, announced her retirement for Congress.

Guthrie and Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Latta emerged as frontrunners to succeed Rodgers, with both representatives having experience heading House subcommittees under the Energy and Commerce umbrella.

Guthrie chairs the Committee’s Health subcommittee currently, and with Republican majorities in the House and Senate to supplement an incoming Republican president, the Congressman is in a position to craft policy that touches on a vast swath of interests.

His selection as committee chair earned plaudits from House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana.

“As the current Chairman of the Committee’s Health subcommittee, he already has the experience and know-how required to hit the ground running,” Johnson said of Guthrie in a statement.

In the run-up to his re-election to Congress last month and in the aftermath, Guthrie said a crucial priority for him if he were to be named Energy and Committe chair would be to ensure that U.S. beats China to the development of 6G, the sixth generation of wireless telecommunications.