Dreier is the youngest chairman of the House Rules Committee in U.S. history. As well as being the only Californian to hold that position, he is the third-longest-serving chairman of the Rules Committee (1999 to 2007 and 2011 to 2013) and the longest-serving chairman since 1967. When the Democrats gained control of the House in the 2006 midterm elections, Dreier served as ranking member for the 110th and 111th Congresses. With the Republicans regaining control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections, Dreier again assumed the chairmanship during the 112th Congress.