Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-3) announced Monday that Chris Vieson will be the staff director for the Committee on Homeland Security when Rogers becomes the committee’s ranking member in January.

“I am thrilled that Chris will be joining the Committee as the Staff Director. His knowledge and leadership abilities are extraordinary and make Chris a perfect choice for this role,” Rogers said in a press release.

Vieson emphasized that he was “honored” and “thrilled” to lead the staff for this crucial committee.

“I am honored for the opportunity to work for Ranking Member Rogers and all the Members on the Committee,” Vieson outlined. “The Committee is at the forefront of vital issues facing the nation and I am thrilled that Rep. Rogers has placed his trust in me to help him lead.”

Vieson was most recently staff director for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Prior to that, he served as a trusted aide to former Majority Leader Eric Cantor and the House Republican leadership for nearly a decade. Vieson was also a partner at Public Strategies Washington where he advised numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Rogers was elected ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security by the House Republican Conference for the 116th Congress, which will serve from January 2019-January 2021. He has served on the Committee on Homeland Security since 2005 and has served as a subcommittee chairman or ranking member on three separate occasions.

Moving into the next Congress, some of Rogers’ stated focuses will be defending the country’s borders, visa security and protecting our transportation systems across the nation. Further, as the threat environment of tomorrow changes, the congressman from east Alabama is expected to spend considerable time discussing cybersecurity, including the security of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and hardening our critical infrastructure. Each of these issues presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for the committee and Rogers intends to be steadfast in examining them and their impacts on national security.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn