Congressional leaders spent the early weeks of 2013 handing out committee assignments to new members and reshuffling the leadership of some panels.
Two new Republicans are expected to join the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has oversight of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act: Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Deb Fischer of Nebraska. They will replace Nebraska’s Mike Johanns and Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander, each of whom is expected to leave the panel to take on other assignments.
Senate Republicans had previously announced that Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana would replace Oklahoma’s James Inhofe as the committee’s lead Republican, though Inhofe will remain a member of the panel. There are no membership changes expected among the Democratic members of EPW.
In the House of Representatives, Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) will return as chair of theEnvironment and the Economy Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce panel, which has jurisdiction over the Safe Drinking Water Act. But Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), a newcomer to Energy and Commerce, will take over as the ranking Democrat of the Environment and the Economy Subcommittee. Tonko, who represents the Albany region of upstate New York, replaces Rep. Gene Green of Texas, though Green will remain a member of the subcommittee.
Other newcomers to the Environment and the Economy Subcommittee include Democrats Jerry McNerney of California and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, and Republicans Ralph Hall of Texas, David McKinley of West Virginia, Gus Bilirakis of Florida, and Bill Johnson of Ohio.
The Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure panel will see no changes among its leaders, as Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio is back as chairman and Timothy Bishop of New York returns as ranking Democrat. But the fullT&I Committee is getting a new chairman in Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania.
The House Homeland Security Committee is experiencing turnover at the top, with Texas Rep. Michael McCaul replacing New York’s Peter King as chairman. The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies is also getting a leadership change, with Pennsylvania’s Patrick Meehan taking the gavel from ex-California Rep. Daniel Lungren, who narrowly lost his reelection bid in November.
Homeland Security’s Democrats are facing fewer changes, as Bennie Thompson of Mississippi will return as the full committee ranking Democrat and New York’s Yvette Clarke will be back as the lead Democrat on the cybersecurity panel.
On the House Appropriations Committee Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho will continue to serve as chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the EPA budget. Virginia’s Jim Moran will return as the ranking Democrat.
GOP leaders have created a new Environment Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Committee that will focus on EPA oversight. Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland will chair the new panel, and Oregon’s Suzanne Bonamici will serve as the Ranking Democrat.
To view the full rosters of these committees and subcommittees, click on the links embedded above.