U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
Landrieu is the Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee which handles issues ranging from offshore drilling and revenue sharing to nuclear power generation and the creation of national parks. From her seat on the Energy Committee, Senator Landrieu successfully passed the landmark Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act which opened up more than 8 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to energy exploration and, for the first time, granted Louisiana and other Gulf states who allow offshore drilling a 37.5% revenue share.  Those funds will be used exclusively for coastal restoration, infrastructure and hurricane protection along the Gulf Coast – an area suffering from devastating erosion at the rate of 25 square miles of land each year – or about one acre every 33 minutes.  Today, Senator Landrieu continues to use this committee to push the United States closer to energy independence and to promote the development of clean domestic fuels.

U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
The Appropriations Committee writes legislation allocating federal funds to the numerous government agencies, department and organizations on an annual basis.

The Senate appointed Sen. Landrieu chair of the Appropriations Committee's important Subcommittee on Homeland Security. This subcommittee is responsible for drafting legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security's 20 offices and seven sub-agencies. The Appropriations Committee is considered the most powerful panel on Capitol Hill.

The committee also is responsible for supplemental spending bills, which are sometimes needed in the middle of a fiscal year to compensate for emergency expenses, such as funding to help with natural disasters or military operations. The Appropriations Committee gives Sen. Landrieu an opportunity to be a strong and effective voice for Louisiana's interests, particularly in the areas of health, transportation and education.

U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Sen. Landrieu sits on the the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, which studies the issues relating to American small business enterprises. Senator Landrieu realizes that more than 65 percent of the new jobs in Louisiana in the past decade were created by small businesses; she lessened burdensome federal regulations and created tax relief for small businesses. In fact, her pro-growth, pro-business voting record in the 105th Congress earned her the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Enterprise Award.


U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
This committee was established on February 17, 2005, when it replaced the Committee on Governmental Affairs. It is the chief oversight committee for the United States Senate.

You can learn more about the United States Senates' committee system on the Senate home page.