Republicans Select Key House Committee Leaders

The post election dust-up has settled, and Republicans have sorted out who will head key committees and subcommittees in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Energy and Commerce Committee

Representative Fred Upton of Michigan overcame criticism that he is too moderate, gaining control of this powerful committee. Upton will replace Democratic Chairman Henry Waxman.

Although Upton is probablly a better option than Joe Barton (a.k.a. the man who apologized to BP) he did make the following statement yesterday: "The Obama administration is on notice — they will not be allowed to regulate what they have been unable to legislate."

Upton is, of course, referring to pending EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Read Reuters coverage here.

House Energy and Environment Subcommittee

Politico reported that Upton said he will reward Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky with chairmanship of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee. 

Whitfield came out strongly in support of Upton over Barton. 

However, an Upton spokesperson later said the decision has not been made, and that Upton misunderstood the question. 

Science and Technology Committee

Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas will hold the gavel in the House Science and Technology Committee. This is another committee the GOP will use to drag down the Obama administration’s climate policies.

Hall told Politico he is not a climate skeptic, but that he wants proof. Believe it or not his viewpoint is considered more friendly to climate policies than that of California Republican Dana Rohrabacher, who contested Hall for the committee leadership. 

However, the ranking member on the Oversight Subcommittee, Paul Broun of Georgia, has called climate change a hoax in the past.

It’s going to be ugly.

Read additional coverage at the link below.