Cynthia Lummis

Washington, Dec 3 -

WASHINGTON – On Monday the U.S. House of Representatives announced committee assignments for the 113^th Congress. U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo), will be returning to a post on the House Natural Resources Committee following a two year absence, as well as receiving two new appointments on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The decision by her House colleagues on committee placement reflects Rep. Lummis’ strong advocacy to serve in positions of significance to Wyoming.

“Priority number one is representing the state of Wyoming in the most effective way,” Rep. Lummis said. “That means landing committee assignments with jurisdictions that are important to Wyoming families, job creators, and way of life. Each of the committees affords me the compelling opportunity to advance Wyoming’s agenda all day, every day”

HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Chairman: U.S. Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA)

The Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over many issues central to Wyoming and to the west.  In particular, the Natural Resources Committee has oversight authority on Wyoming’s expansive government-owned land; mineral production; all matters regarding national parks, forests, monuments, wilderness, and wildlife refuges; and Native American affairs. For Wyoming, there is not another Committee in Congress more meaningful to Wyoming than the Natural Resources Committee. In essence, the Natural Resources Committee is Wyoming’s committee in the House.  As a former member during her first year in Congress, Representative Lummis will retain her seniority, affording her even more opportunity and influence on the committee.

COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM

Chairman: U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA)

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is responsible for conducting oversight, advancing transparency, and instilling accountability throughout the Executive Branch.  Representative Lummis plans to use the committee’s broad investigation and oversight tools to pull back the curtain on Washington bureaucracies that are weighing down jobs and economic growth in Wyoming.  Wyoming deserves to know what is driving this hyper-regulatory environmental agenda that is taking priority over people, jobs, and sound science.  Representative Lummis will help drive oversight over the federal actions that target Wyoming, building on what the committee started this past summer when it held a field hearing in Ohio on the war on coal.

In addition to its broad oversight authority, the committee has legislative jurisdiction over the federal workforce and government organization.  Representative Lummis, who has already helped lead efforts in the House to sensibly reduce the size of the federal workforce, will bring her extensive Wyoming government experience to bear in making the federal government more efficient, effective and the responsive to the people for whom it exists. 

The committee is also responsible for the U.S. Postal Service, whose recent financial problems are endangering its mandate to provide universal service throughout rural and frontier America.  She will be uniquely positioned to ensure that pending postal reform is both fiscally sound and responsive to the needs of Wyoming communities.

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY

Chairman: U.S. Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX)

Serving on three committees in the House is not common, and requires special dispensation from House leadership to even be considered for the extra workload.  Rep. Lummis earned this rare dispensation to serve on the Science Committee.  Newly chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the Science Committee promises to bring much needed oversight to the Obama Administration’s penchant for regulations piled on regulations without regard to science.  Last year the Science Committee held a hearing on the science of energy development in Pavillion, WY, and the committee will remain very active on the science of energy production, development, conservation, and new technologies like clean coal.  With Wyoming’s thriving energy market; unique land, water, and air quality needs; burgeoning science-based small businesses; and the new NCAR Supercomputer, Rep. Lummis is well placed to ensure sound science remains at the core of the federal government’s decision making.

All subcommittee appointments are pending.