Race is on for prized House Commerce Committee Chairmanship

The top job on the House Energy and Commerce Committee is likely up for grabs in the next Congress, with Rep Fred Upton (R-MI) reaching his six-year term limit with the gavel. The chairmanship has long been prized because it comes with sweeping jurisdiction over technology, healthcare and energy issues.

Rep Greg Walden (R-OR), who now leads the campaign arm for House Republicans, has his eye on the job. So does Rep John Shimkus (R-IL), who outranks Rep Walden in seniority. Both men have been reaching out to party leaders and members who serve on the Steering Committee, which will be awarding top committee jobs after the elections in November. “I’ve talked to a few members of the Steering Committee to make sure that they understood that I do intend to pursue it,” Rep Walden said. The composition of the Steering Committee will shift somewhat after the November elections. But lawmakers seeking to chair a committee, and their aides, often have a good sense of who the decision-makers will be. Rep Shimkus said that he spent much of September speaking with colleagues who might have a say in who gets the gavel. “Yeah, I think pretty much we talked to everyone we were targeted to talk to,” he said. The Energy and Commerce Committee’s wide jurisdiction makes its work of interest to a range of businesses, from Silicon Valley startups to coal-mining companies in Appalachia.