{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-selected-chairman-house-energy-and-commerce-committee", "Greg Walden selected as Chairman of House Energy and Commerce Committee", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Greg Walden selected as Chairman of House Energy and Commerce Committee \u00a0 \nWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The House GOP Steering Committee today elected\u00a0U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) \u00a0to serve as the next Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Walden released the following statement:\u00a0\n\u201cI am deeply honored to earn the support\u00a0of my colleagues to chair this incredibly important committee.\u00a0 Americans are\u00a0looking\u00a0for big improvements out of Washington, and that\u2019s just what we\u2019re going to give them as we work\u00a0with the Trump Administration, the Senate, and the governors, to move forward on the Better Way agenda.\u00a0 Our work will focus on what\u2019s best for consumers, on creating better paying jobs and\u00a0providing\u00a0patient-centered health care.\n\u201cI commend my friends and fellow committee members,\u00a0former Chairman Joe Barton and Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus, for stepping forward to compete for this chairmanship.\u00a0 They are talented legislators and leaders to whom I will turn for help as we\u00a0embark on our legislative work. I also want to thank outgoing Chairman Fred Upton who proved again yesterday with overwhelming passage of the 21st\u00a0Century Cures legislation, that our committee does great, bipartisan work for the American people,\" said Walden.\nWalden said he and other committee chairs will not make subcommittee\u00a0chairmanship decisions until after the Steering Committee finalizes committee rosters in early January. \u00a0\nAbout the Energy and Commerce Committee\u00a0\nAs the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House, the Energy and Commerce Committee has broad jurisdiction. It has responsibility for the nation's telecommunications, consumer protection, food and drug safety, public health research, environmental quality, energy policy, and interstate and foreign commerce. Walden is the first Energy and Commerce Chairman from the Pacific Northwest.\u00a0\nFor a complete history of the committee,\u00a0please click here.\u00a0\nAbout Greg Walden\u00a0\nGreg Walden represents the people of Oregon's Second Congressional District, which includes 20 counties in central, southern, and eastern Oregon. Walden, 59, is a lifelong Oregonian whose ancestors came to Oregon by wagon train in 1845. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in journalism. He and his wife, Mylene, owned and operated small market radio stations in Oregon for 21 years.\u00a0\nIn 1998, he was elected to the U.S. House, winning a seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee in 2001. Since 2011, he has served as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. He\u2019s also served four years as Deputy Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and four years as Chairman.\u00a0\u00a0\nWalden served eight years in the Oregon Legislature before coming to Congress.\u00a0 In addition to his small business and legislative experience, Walden also served several years on various boards, including\u00a0a local community hospital board, a community bank board, the Oregon Health Sciences Foundation board, and the Associated Oregon Industries board.\u00a0 He\u2019s a Member of the Elks, and Rotary International, and is an Eagle Scout.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-selected-chairman-house-energy-and-commerce-committee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9772588964551687, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}