Two weeks after he was officially sworn into office, Fourth District Congressman Joe Kennedy III has his first House committee and subcommittee assignments.

In a statement released today, Kennedy announced he has been appointed to the the Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade. 

Both of these subcommittees are part of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

“The primary role of government is to preserve the safety and well-being of her people,” Kennedy said in the statement. “Today there is no region that greater impacts that responsibility than the Middle East, and I look forward to having an active voice in our engagement and policy throughout the region. A strong US-Israel relationship must remain the cornerstone of those efforts and will be a top priority for my work on this Committee.”

Kennedy also serves on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, where he is awaiting his subcommittee appointments, the press release said.