Energy Commerce Committee

Key Takeaways

• The Energy and Commerce Committee is the oldest standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• It oversees cabinet-level departments and independent agencies such as the DOE, HHS, EPA, FTC, FDA, and FCC.
• The committee includes 55 members: 31 Democrats and 24 Republicans.
• Originally called the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures, its name has evolved over time to reflect its broader jurisdiction.
• In 2018, the committee addressed issues like the opioid crisis, robocalls, and sexual abuse in sports.

What Is Energy and Commerce Committee?

The Energy and Commerce Committee plays an integral role in shaping U.S. energy and commerce policy. It has extensive legislative jurisdiction, overseeing a number of cabinet-level departments within the government, as well as independent agencies. Established in 1795, it is the oldest standing committee within the U.S. House of Representatives. Its key departments and agencies include the DOE, HHS, EPA, FTC, FDA, and FCC. both It regulates interstate and foreign commerce.

Scope and Function of the Energy and Commerce Committee

The Energy and Commerce Committee is a legislative committee within the United States Congress, with extremely broad legislative jurisdiction that operates several subcommittees. These include subcommittees on communications and technology, digital commerce and consumer protection, energy, environment, health and oversight and investigations.1

The departments that the Energy and Commerce Committee oversees include the Department of Energy (DOE), The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).2

Currently, the committee has 55 members, including 31 democrats and 24 republicans. The committee’s chair is Frank Pallone, a democratic representative from New Jersey.1 The committee’s ranking member is Greg Walden, a republican representative from Oregon.3

Historical Development of the Energy and Commerce Committee

The Energy and Commerce Committee was first established as the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures. The U.S. government initially created the committee in order to regulate commerce between the states and with foreign governments. However, by 1819, the committee’s jurisdiction had expanded significantly, and it became the Committee on Commerce. In 1891, the committee’s name changed again when it became the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. In 1981, the committee finally became the Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasizing its more recent role in shaping the country’s energy policy.4

Recent Activities of the Energy and Commerce Committee

In May 2018, the Energy and Commerce Committee marked up legislation to combat the opioid crisis in the U.S. This markup has been part of a two-track push by the committee to fight the opioid crisis though legislation and investigation into the crisis’ root causes. Some bills examined by the committee have proposed ways to improve patient safety, bolster enforcement of drug laws, prevent addiction and address coverage and payment issues within the Medicaid and Medicare systems.5

In 2018, the committee also held a hearing to examine the latest technology available to help fight automated phone calls, commonly referred to as robocalls. The technology could also help stop other nuisances, such as telemarketing scams and caller ID spoofing.6

Also in 2018, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations announced that it would hold a hearing with executives from the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the U.S. Center for SafeSport and other organizations in order to help combat sexual abuse within the U.S. Olympic community. This followed highly publicized reports of rampant sexual abuse of Olympic athletes by doctors and coaches, with universities and the USOC coming under fire for having potentially covered up the abuse.7