House Parties Choose Committee Leaders - December 14, 2010

Both parties chose key committee chairmen in the last week. The House Republican Conference named Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) as chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees Medicaid. Upton beat former chair Joe Barton (R-Texas) and other committee members for the position. The Republican Conference also chose Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) to chair the Appropriations Committee. Rogers beat former chair Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) for that position. Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) was chosen in an uncontested race to lead the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees Medicare.

On the other side of the aisle, the House Democratic Caucus elected Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) to be the ranking minority member on the Ways and Means Committee – the committee he currently chairs. The election was somewhat controversial. On Dec. 8, the Democratic Steering Committee voted 23-22 to endorse Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) to serve as ranking member. The next day, the full caucus rejected the Steering Committee’s recommendation, voting 109-78 to elect Rep. Levin to remain the top Democrat on the committee. In less hotly contested races, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) was elected the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was elected to retain his spot as the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee in an uncontested race.