House Committee Assignments

The House is still in the process of getting organized, but most of the committee assignments have now been made for the committees that will have the most effect on chemical security and safety legislation. Here is a list of the committee members, as of yesterday, for those committees that I think are most important in this area.

House Homeland Security Committee

Chair: Mr. King of New York; Ranking Member: Mr. Thompson of Mississippi

Republicans: Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Cravaack, Mr. Walsh of Illinois, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Quayle, Mr. Rigell, Mr. Long, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. Marino, and Mr. Farenthold.

Democrats: Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Ms. Harman, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. Cuellar, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Richardson, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Higgins, Ms. Speier, Mr. Richmond of Louisiana, Mr. Clarke of Michigan, and Mr. Keating.

House Energy and Commerce Committee

Chair: Mr. Upton; Ranking Member: Mr. Waxman

Republicans: Mr. Barton of Texas, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Pitts, Mrs. Bono Mack, Mr. Walden, Mr. Terry, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Mrs. Myrick, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Burgess, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Bilbray, Mr. Bass of New Hampshire, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. Scalise, Mr. Latta, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Harper, Mr. Lance, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Olson, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Pompeo, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois, and Mr. Griffith of Virginia.

Democrats: Mr. Dingell, Mr. Markey, Mr. Towns, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Rush, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Engel, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Ms. DeGette, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Doyle, Ms. Harman, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Inslee, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Ross of Arkansas, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Barrow, and Ms. Matsui.

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee

Chair: Mr. Hall of Texas; Ranking Member: Mrs. Johnson of Texas

Republicans: Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Lucas, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Akin, Mr. Neugebauer, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mrs. Adams, Mr. Quayle, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Rigell, Mr. Palazzo, Mr. Brooks, and Mr. Harris.

Democrats: Mr. Costello, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. Wu, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Giffords, Ms. Edwards, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Tonko, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Wilson of Florida, and Mr. Clarke of Michigan.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Chair: Mr. Mica; Ranking Member: Mr. Rahall

Republicans: Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Petri, Mr. Coble, Mr. Duncan of Tennessee, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Gary G. Miller of California, Mr. Johnson of Illinois, Mr. Graves of Missouri, Mr. Shuster, Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Reed, Mr. Harris, Mr. Crawford, Ms. Herrera Beutler, Mr. Guinta, Mr. Hultgren, Mr. Barletta, Mr. Cravaack, Mr. Farenthold, Mr. Bucshon, Mr. Long, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Fincher, Mr. Landry, Mr. Southerland, Mr. Denham, and Mr. Lankford.

Democrats: Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Costello, Ms. Norton, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Filner, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Holden, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Carnahan, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Walz of Minnesota, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Sires, and Ms.
Edwards.

Personal Influence

Everyone that has an interest in chemical security matters should take a good look at the lists above to see if their congresscritter is on one or more of the lists. If so, it would certainly be worth the effort to sit down and write a brief letter or email to them letting them know about your interest in the area. You can find their addresses at: http://clerk.house.gov/. Then as issues come up during the next two years that are of interest to you, keep them up-to-date on your concerns.

There is no way that you are going to make them bend to your personal will, but you might be surprised as to how much attention they pay to your opinion. And your communication could always be the last piece of evidence that tips the scale for a fence sitter.