The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s record of bipartisan success will continue in the 114th Congress, chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said.
“Helping to create jobs and grow the economy have always been our focus and will continue to be the top priority for the committee,” Upton said. “We will work to ensure that all sectors of the economy, including health care, telecommunications, manufacturing and energy, can tackle today’s challenges and take advantage of the opportunities of the future.”
In a statement outlining the committee’s priorities for the upcoming congressional session, Upton first pointed to the 21st Century Cures initiative he launched with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in hopes of accelerating the pace of new cures and treatments.
“In the coming weeks, we will continue to advance this initiative and work with our colleagues in Congress and the administration to deliver hope to patients and loved ones all across the country,” Upton said.
Also on Upton’s to-do list are energy and environmental policies.
“We unveiled a broad new energy vision called the Architecture of Abundance, which includes plans to build a modern new energy infrastructure and increase energy efficiency,” he said. “We want to build off our past successes and work together to see these policies enacted.”
Also on the docket is an attempt to “bring the nation’s communications laws into the 21st century” and continue exploring issues ranging from data protection to privacy to manufacturing.
“Over the next several months, we will take what we have learned from our hearings and white papers to update the law to boost job creation and economic growth in the innovation era,” Upton said.