Exclusive: A senior Republican is sprucing up his campaign to become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee next year.
Rep. Joe Wilson (RS.C.) presents a chip from the Berlin Wall to a fellow lawmaker, according to a photo provided to Fox News Digital by sources.
The inscription on the chip suggests that Wilson acquired it himself some 35 years ago, indirectly confirming his decades of diplomatic work. “It symbolizes the fall of totalitarian communism and the success of democratic capitalism,” the elaborate exhibit says.
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Rep. Joe Wilson is one of four Republicans running for the gavel on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)
The paper said the chip was “secured by State Sen. Joe Wilson at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1990.”
The newspaper said, “Senator Wilson served as a member of the U.S. observation mission for the June 10, 1990 parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, the country's first free elections after 59 years of Nazi and communist dictatorship. He had just returned from a mission.”
The battle for the gavel in the House Foreign Affairs Committee is one of the most important events ahead of the 119th Congress.
This role will be especially important in the United States' relationship with the rest of the world, as Republicans will control all major powers in Washington, D.C., next year.
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A photo provided to Fox News Digital shows a Berlin Wall chip attached to an elaborate display. (Fox News Digital)
Wilson is running against fellow committee members Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), chairman of the Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee, is also in the race.
Mr. Wilson chairs the Panel's subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.
Current committee chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is stepping down to comply with House Republican conference rules that allow members to serve no more than three terms at the top of a committee.
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Current Speaker Michael McCaul will step down in accordance with House Republican Conference rules. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“It has been an honor to serve as your chairman and leader for the past six years,” McCall told colleagues in a message obtained by Fox News Digital. ”[O]Respecting the will of the conference, I intend to abide by these rules and support the new leadership. ”
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“Serving as Speaker has truly been the most rewarding highlight of my career in Congress! I want to thank you for your hard work and patriotism in tackling the great challenges we face around the world.” Masu.”
FOX News Digital has reached out to Wilson's office for comment.
