|
(Washington, D.C.) Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) was selected
by his House colleagues Wednesday to serve on the House Committee on Energy
and Commerce, an exclusive committee that has jurisdiction over public
health issues, the supply and delivery of energy, and general issues concerning
interstate and foreign commerce, among many other issues.
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/. |
|