House and Senate Leadership Begins To Shape Up

With a massive agenda on a vast array of topics, the Obama administration will be working with Congress on many fronts. The heads of the various Congressional committees and subcommittees will likely be in the spotlight as these issues are debated and decided.

To help you get a feel for who these people are, or who will soon be chosen, we're providing an overview of the more prominent committees that could come into play on environmental issues. To identify people other than the chair or ranking minority member on each committee or subcommittee, go to the listed URL. For more information on each person, such as background or contact information, his or her Web page will usually show up quickly via an Internet search, or you can find their Web pages on the home page of the House or Senate.

All names reflect Web site listings as of Jan. 19, 2009, but some include leaders from the last session of Congress, and could change in the near future as committees and subcommittees complete their organizational processes. In addition, some Web sites have yet to be changed in response to the results of the November 2008 elections.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD); Minority Leader, John Boehner (R-OH).
   
• All committees.
   
• Agriculture: Chair, Collin Peterson (D-MN); Ranking Minority Member, Frank Lucas (R-OK). Subcommittee leadership positions to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry; Horticulture and Organic Agriculture; Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; and Specialty Crops, Rural Development, and Foreign Agriculture.
   
• Appropriations: Chair, David Obey (D-WI); Ranking Minority Member, Jerry Lewis (R-CA). Subcommittee leadership positions to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include: Agriculture; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Defense; Energy and Water; Interior and Environment; Military Construction; and Transportation.
• Energy and Commerce and Minority Subcommittee: Chair, Henry Waxman (D-CA); Ranking Minority Member, Joe Barton (R-TX).

  Subcommittees:

  Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection: Chair, Bobby L. Rush (D-IL); Ranking Minority Member, TBA.

  Energy and Environment: Chair, Edward Markey (D-MA); Ranking Minority Member, TBA.

  Health: Chair, Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ); Ranking Minority Member, TBA.

  Oversight and Investigations: Chair, Bart Stupak (D-MI); Ranking Minority Member, TBA.
   

• Homeland Security: Chair, Bennie Thompson (D-MS); Ranking Member, Peter King (R-NY). Subcommittee leadership positions to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism; Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection; and Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology.
   
• Natural Resources: Chair, Nick Rahall (D-WV); Ranking Minority Member, Doc Hastings (R-WA). Subcommittee leadership positions to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Energy and Mineral Resources; Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans; National Parks, Forests and Public Lands; Water and Power; and the Office of Indian Affairs.
   
• Oversight and Government Reform: Chair, Edolphus Towns (D-NY); Ranking Minority Member, TBA. Subcommittee leadership positions to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Domestic Policy; Government Management, Organization, and Procurement; Information Policy, Census, and National Archives; and National Security and Foreign Affairs.
   
• Science and Technology: Chair, Bart Gordon (D-TN); Ranking Minority Member, Ralph Hall (R-TX).

  Subcommittees:

  Space and Aeronautics: Chair, TBA; Ranking Minority Member, TBA.

  Technology and Innovation: Chair, David Wu (D-OR); Ranking Minority Member, Phil Gingrey (R-GA).

  Research and Science Education: Chair, Brian Baird (D-WA); Ranking Minority Member, Vernon Ehlers (R-MI).

  Investigations and Oversight: Chair, Brad Miller (D-NC); Ranking Minority Member, James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI).

  Energy and Environment: Chair, TBA; Ranking Minority Member, Bob Inglis (R-SC).
   

• Transportation and Infrastructure: Chair, James Oberstar (D-MN); Ranking Minority Member, John Mica (R-FL)

  Subcommittees:

  Aviation: Chair, Jerry Costello (D-IL); Ranking Minority Member, Thomas Petri (R-WI).

  Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation: Chair, Elijah Cummings (D-MD); Ranking Minority Member, Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ).

  Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management: Chair, Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC); Ranking Minority Member, Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL).

  Highways and Transit: Chair, Peter DeFazio (D-OR); Ranking Minority Member, John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN).

  Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials: Chair, Corrine Brown (D-FL); Ranking Minority Member, Bill Shuster (R-PA).

  Water Resources and Environment: Chair, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX); Ranking Minority Member, John Boozman (R-AR).
   

• Ways and Means: Chair, Charles Rangel (D-NY); Ranking Minority Member, Dave Camp (R-MI).

  Subcommittees:

  Trade: Chair, Sander Levin (D-MI); Ranking Minority Member, Kevin Brady (R-TX).

  Oversight: Chair, John Lewis (D-GA); Ranking Minority Member, Charles Boustany, Jr. (R-LA).

  Health: Chair, Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA); Ranking Minority Member, Wally Herger (R-CA).
   

• Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Chair, Edward Markey (D-MA); Ranking Minority Member, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

U.S. SENATE

• Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV); Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Senators.
• All committees.
• Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Chair, Tom Harkin (D-IA); Ranking Minority Member, Saxby Chambliss (R-GA). Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, and General Legislation; Energy, Science and Technology; Domestic & Foreign Marketing, Inspection, & Plant & Animal Health Jurisdiction; Production, Income Protection and Price Support Jurisdiction; and Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry, and Credit Jurisdiction.
• Appropriations: Chair, Robert Byrd (D-WV); Ranking Minority Member, Thad Cochran (R-MS). Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Defense; Energy and Water Development; Homeland Security; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
• Armed Services: Chair, Carl Levin (D-MI); Ranking Minority Member, John McCain (R-AZ). Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities: Chair, Jack Reed (D-RI); Ranking Minority Member, TBA.
• Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Chair, Christopher Dodd (D-CT); Ranking Minority Member, Richard Shelby (R-AL). Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development: Chair, Charles E. Schumer (D-NY); Ranking Minority Member, Mike Crapo (R-ID) .
• Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Chair, Daniel Inouye (D-HI); Ranking Minority Member, Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX). Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Science, Technology, and Innovation; Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security; Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety; Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard; Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences; Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security; and Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism.
• Energy and Natural Resources: Chair, Jeff Bingaman (D-NM); Ranking Minority Member, TBA. Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Energy; National Parks; Public Lands and Forests; and Water and Power.
• Environment and Public Works: Chair, Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Ranking Minority Member, James Inhofe (R-OK). Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Clean Air and Nuclear Safety; Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection; Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children's Health Protection; Superfund and Environmental Health; Transportation and Infrastructure; and Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality.
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Chair, Joseph Lieberman (I-CT); Ranking Minority Member, Susan Collins (R-ME). Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security; Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery; Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration; and Investigations.
• Indian Affairs: Chair, Byron Dorgan (D-ND); Vice Chair, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) .
• Judiciary: Chair, Patrick Leahy (D-VT); Ranking Minority Member, Arlen Specter (R-PA). Subcommittee leadership to be determined, but subcommittees to watch include Administrative Oversight and the Courts; Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights; Immigration, Refugees and Border Security; and Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security.