This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
WASHINGTON - Rep. Jim Matheson, who will be Utah's lone member of the majority party in Congress come January, has secured nomination to a powerful House committee.
House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday a recommendation for several committee assignments. Though all Democratic members must approve the list, it appears Matheson has snagged one of eight Democratic seats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has broad authority and oversees several Cabinet-level departments.
It has also handled issues ranging from consumer protection to energy to telecommunications.
Matheson, who will not retain a seat on his current assignments to the Financial Services Committee nor the Science Committee, says he can do a lot for Utah from a seat on the Energy and Commerce panel.
“It's the most powerful committee in Congress,” Matheson said. “It presents a great opportunity. It affects every American.”
Matheson added that the committee is a good fit for the issues he has emphasized in his time in Congress, mainly dealing with the Energy Department and its role in nuclear weapons development and testing.
Republican assignments have not yet been announced, though it's unlikely that Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah will keep his seat on the Rules Committee, which includes only four members of the minority party. Bishop, who is entering his third term, has been on the committee since being elected to Congress.
It's also unclear whether Utah's other House member, Rep. Chris Cannon, will keep his seats on the Judiciary and Government Reform committees.
Across the aisle, Pelosi, in a statement, said Democrats appointed to committees on Tuesday "will be instrumental in Democrats' efforts to take America in a new direction that increases security, opportunity, and prosperity, while restoring civility and integrity to the Congress."