Matheson gets energy, commerce spot

WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, has been assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the next session of Congress, he said Tuesday.

While this means he has to drop all his other committees, Matheson said the wide variety of topics the committee handles makes it worth it.

"It has the broadest jurisdiction," Matheson said. "It focuses on issues that are important to me and things that I have been a leader on."

With his energy business background and opposition to restarting nuclear weapons testing, Matheson said the committee will be a good fit.

Republicans have not finalized assignments for Utah.

His bills to create a 25 percent tax on Internet pornography transactions and enforce video game ratings need to go through this committee, putting him in a good position to get the bills to the House floor.

The committee also examines health care policy "the dominant issue of the next decade," Matheson said.

The Democratic caucus finalizes committee assignments. Matheson said he asked for the assignment and incoming Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., supported Matheson coming to the committee.

The committee has jurisdiction over five Cabinet-level Departments and seven independent agencies, including the departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, Transportation and the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, according to Matheson's office.

Matheson had served on the House Financial Services, Science and Transportation and Infrastructure committees in the last Congress.

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