The 114th Congress will convene early next month, and Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar is hoping when it does, it will change the way it produces its annual spending plan.
The 4th District Republican says one of his biggest priorities for 2015 will be to get back to regular order in the budget bills.
"I think that is the most important aspect of the power of the purse is reclaiming by legislative agenda – by doing regular order, and that way we can allocate money to where it belongs, and take money away from programs that are not doing their job," he said.
Gosar said he’d also like to focus on forest health issues in the new year.
Arizona’s delegation will also officially switch from a majority of Democrats to a majority of Republicans.
That’s because Republican Martha McSally defeated incumbent Democrat Ron Barber in Southern Arizona’s 2nd District. Arizona will send five Republicans to Congress and four Democrats – it had been reversed.
Gosar said that could be a benefit to the state.
"When you’re in the majority, you get to control the agenda, and I think that more hands in that pie always helps us, so I think that’s a very good benefit, because that agenda is actually started by the majority," he said. "I think that makes it easier to get things moved and put on the agenda."
