It may have started officially later than he thought, but Rep. Mike Gallagher is ready to hit the ground running on China and several other issues facing the country. Gallagher could not be officially seated until after the House of Representatives chose its speaker. After days of debates and 13 votes, Rep. Kevin McCarthy was named Speaker of the House, the California Republican Gallagher supported during the proceedings. Although it looked messy at times, Gallagher says it was productive.

One of the first things McCarthy did once he was named Speaker of the House was to appoint Gallagher to head up the special committee on China, who has been a vocal critic of the country and its government. A 365-65 vote approved the committee, something he says bodes well for the work they will be able to do moving forward.

Gallagher is also looking forward to serving on a sub-committee on armed services and addressing concerns about oversight.