Last night, the Democratic Steering Committee nominated and the full Democratic Caucus approved the appointment of Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Energy and Commerce Committee is often referred to as one of the three most powerful committees in Congress, along with the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees. It has the broadest jurisdiction of any committee in the U.S. House, overseeing policy on health care, energy, the environment, global warming, consumer product safety, telecommunications, and other matters.