OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - U.S. Rep. Tom Cole has been appointed by House Speaker John Boehner to serve on the powerful House Rules Committee.

Cole says his appointment was approved Wednesday night by the House Republican Conference.

The nine Republican members on the panel are personally selected by the speaker and is part of the House leadership. The committee is the first to consider all House measures and works with the speaker and majority leader to schedule bills for debate.

Cole will continue as a member of the House Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.

The Republican from Moore says his top priority for the coming session is to enact ``responsible spending cuts and entitlement reform.''