In the coming months, the 109th Congress has a significant amount of work to complete. We must pass a Transportation Bill that adequately funds the $400 billion in road and highway needs that exist in America today. We must pass an Energy Bill that will reduce the high-cost of gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas, while also encouraging the continued research and development of alternative fuel sources. And Congress must come to a compromise on perhaps the most imperative issue of the decade – how to salvage and preserve our nation’s Social Security system. I want to assure the people of Arkansas that I will fight to the bitter end against any effort to privatize Social Security. Many of America’s seniors depend on their Social Security checks to literally survive, and we cannot jeopardize their sole source of income by privatizing it in risky ventures. 

I would once again like to thank the hardworking men and women of Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District for continuing to put your faith and confidence in me to represent your interests, values, and beliefs in the United States Congress. With every vote I cast, I think about how my decision will impact you and your families, and I am so grateful that you have continued to entrust me with this privilege. I look forward to continuing to fight for you in the years ahead.

Ross was approved unanimously by the House Steering and Policy Committee Wednesday morning. The Democratic Caucus will vote later this month to make all committee appointments official. 

“I am honored that my colleagues in Congress have selected me to serve on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce -- one of the most powerful and effective committees in Congress. 

“As a Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I will have the opportunity to write and develop legislation that will improve the quality of life for Arkansas’s families. And I look forward to bringing my eight years of experience as a past member of the Arkansas State Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committees, as well as my knowledge of health care issues as a small town family pharmacy owner, to the table. I plan to play a major role in all aspects of the health care debate.  

“The number one recurring theme I hear from my constituents when I travel throughout the district is the fear that they will lose their health insurance due to the rising cost of health care. And there are hardworking men and women in my district who don’t have health insurance because their employers don’t provide benefits, and they can’t afford health insurance on their own. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce develops and oversees legislation concerning health care issues, and as a Member of this Committee, I will have a hand in developing legislation concerning this issue.

“Another concern I hear often from our farm families is that they are less and less able to afford energy sources for their farming needs. And working families and seniors throughout my district are concerned about the rising cost of energy sources. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is the committee that writes the Energy Bill, and it also oversees legislation concerning natural gas pricing, distribution and some production cost of energy sources. I look forward to playing a role in lowering the high-cost of natural gas, gasoline, and diesel fuel and working with the Committee to expand research and development of alternative fuel sources with the hope that our farm families, loggers, working families and seniors will have more affordable sources of energy.”

 Ross is the only Member of Arkansas’s delegation and one of only three Members in the Southeastern United States who serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  In addition to those listed above, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce oversees issues concerning consumer protection, food and drug safety, and air quality and environmental health. The Committee’s jurisdiction also extends over five Cabinet-level departments and seven independent agencies--from the Energy Department, Health and Human Services, the Transportation Department to the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and Federal Communications Commission—and sundry quasi-governmental organizations. It is the oldest legislative standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, having been created 208 years ago. For more information, please visit the Committee’s website at http://energycommerce.house.gov/.