Rep. Walden to Chair House Energy & Commerce Committee for 115th Congress

December 5, 2016

December 5, 2016

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will have a new chair when the 115th Congress gavels into session in January. And for the first time since its inception in 1795, it will be chaired by a member of the Northwest delegation.

Rep. Greg Walden was selected by his colleagues to serve as chair during a closed-door session last week. Walden led recent efforts to modernize TCPA, as chair of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, a move welcomed by the CUNA-League system.

“Rep. Walden is a steady, thoughtful legislator and a great choice to serve as Chair,” added Jennifer Wagner, NWCUA SVP of Advocacy. “Oregon credit unions have a long history working with Rep. Walden on a variety of key issues, and look forward to continuing to do so when he takes the gavel in January.”

Walden, the outgoing National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman, beat a more senior lawmaker for the position. He succeeds Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), who was term-limited as chair.

Additional Committee Chairs Selected

Other committee chairs were also selected for committees with regular influence over financial services and credit union-related policy.

House Appropriations Committee Chair: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), current Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) will continue as House Financial Services Committee Chair, as will House Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady, (R-TX).

House Small Business Committee Chair: Steve Chabot, (R-OH).

Questions about this story? Contact Eric Horvath: 503.350.2222, ehorvath@nwcua.org.

Posted in Advocacy News, Federal, NWCUA.