ST. LOUIS—With Republicans continuing to control the U.S. House in the next session of Congress, the St. Louis region could again have three members representing the area serving as committee chairs when the next session is sworn in in January, and missed out this week on adding a fourth. 

Rep. Jason Smith, Missouri’s eighth district representative whose district extends into Jefferson County, will return to lead the House Ways and Means committee, which writes tax legislation. Rep. Mike Bost, from Illinois 12th district in the Metro East will stay on as chair of Veterans’ Affairs, after votes earlier this week from the GOP Steering Committee.

“The Ways and Means Committee will be the tip of the spear in advancing policies that grow the economy, increase wages, create jobs and bring more of our neighbors into the workforce, lower the costs of goods and services, expand access to affordable health care in rural America and for seniors, and set our nation on a firmer economic footing,” Smith said in a statement.

"House Republicans have made great progress for veterans and their families over the last two years; and I look forward to working closely with the incoming Trump administration to build on those successes. We’re going to restore our veterans’ trust in the VA while continuing our work to bring the agency into the 21st Century,” Bost said.

Later this week, Rep. Sam Graves, whose sixth district stretches across northern Missouri and into Pike and Lincoln counties, will make his pitch to again lead the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

Rep. Ann Wagner, of Town and Country, lost a bid Monday to serve as chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. That post went to Florida Rep. Brian Mast. Had Wagner been successful, she would have been the only woman to chair a committee. 

With Republicans taking control of the Senate next year, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill will lose his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee.