Energy And Commerce Committee Lighting The Way

Energy And Commerce Committee: Lighting The Way Of The Future Essay, Research Paper

America beings her trek into the 21st Century with a very rocky start, for the prices of gasoline and crude oil are continually increasing, the stock market perpetually slowing down, a shortage of power supply for the entire state of California and several other states nation wide, plus the threat of a recession lurking around the corner; these are among the many obstacles that are blocking America.s road to success. Congress will attempt to emend these issues, plus numerous others, in order to keep American and her citizens on the fast track to victory and individual glory. In lieu of all of the energy and technological problems the 107th Congress will be forced to combat over the next eight months, this essay focuses on the House of Representatives. Committee of Energy and Commerce. And how the new leadership of this committee is attempting to tackle new issues of the day, while undergoing overhauls in order to make the passing of legislation easier. And in turn, how this will affect forth-coming politics and policymaking, as well as party leadership. This essay will attempt to prove with the right mixture of centralized and fragmented power Congress can become a welled oil machine for passing legislation, instead of the political grid lock of the past five to ten years.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is the oldest committee in Congress. Created over 206 years ago; it has undergone numerous leadership style changes, and is as well, one of the only committees to be continually effected as a result of the increasing amount of technological advances which swipe our nation at lightening speeds.

The current chairman of the House.s Energy and Commerce Committee is Wilbert Joseph Tauzin, II.Billy for short. Chairman Tauzin is a Republican from Louisiana; whose has been a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee since 1981, when he was first elected into the House of Representatives. Like all freshmen Congressmen, Billy came into Congress with ambitions to quickly rise to the top and achieve long lasting power and hold all of the important key positions; however this was not to be the case. Yet during his 20 plus years thus far in Congress, he has not lost the passion he had when he first started out. ..It is part of Southern tradition to be passionate. Passion is what touches people.. And as you will see, Billy J. Tauzin has a gift for not only touching people, but moving them as well.

Tauzin.s predecessor to the House.s Energy and Commerce Committee was Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. a Republican from Virginia. Unlike Tauzin, who has been quoted say, .I want to move bills. (Ota).; Bliley spent much of his term in political gridlock. He took a very conservative approach to policy making, which in some cases more than likely inhibited the proposed bill from ever becoming law. This allowed for the House.s Energy and Commerce Committee to be less constructive than they were under Bliley.s predecessor John D. Dingell, A Democrat from Michigan. Dingell was able to turn the committee into a well-oiled policy turning machine. Enabling countless bills to be born, and enviable killed, and several which actually survived both the House and Senate floors to be brought into law (Davison, pg 213). When asked how he felt about Tauzin.s leadership and policy-making abilities, Dingell replied:

.He is very more active than he predecessor. He and I would probably agree more than Bliley and I would. This may be due to the fact that Tauzin is very moderate in his actions and endeavors.

When Tauzin first started out as a Freshman Congressman, and up until his fourteenth year, he was not a card-carrying member of the GOP, but a loyal Southern Democrat. This fact explains why, at times, he can seem very liberal in his ideologies and actions. Although Tauzin switched parties in 1995 because of a personal platform change, many of his tactics are still rooted in his old populist Southern Democrat views, though he always seems to manage to add some Republican flare to his actions which makes both parties feel at ease agreeing with his views and political legislation. His capability to toggle between the Republican and the Democratic parties gives him a unique upper edge of being a popular and strong leader within the House.s political hierarchy. But do not question Tauzin.s loyalty, thou he may sport some liberal ideologies, Tauzin believes strongly in the Republican Party. This can be seen in his continual aiding with obtaining campaign contributions for slated freshman hopefuls, and those republicans who look as thought hey might have a hard time getting re-elected in their district.

Over the past two years Tauzin has traveled across the country on an effort to raise over an estimated eight million dollars for fellow republican. For those whom he gave financial contribution, 94 Representatives in a two-year period, almost all walked away with a victory (Appendix A). Making the loyalty to the party stronger than it would have been at such an early stage of the Congressmen/women.s Congressional career. This is very similar in to the route Newt Gingrich took with the Republican Party in the late 1980.s and early 1990.s, in an effort to re-united them.

Not only is Tauzin wanting to unite the GOP, he is also striving to unite his committee. His wanting to create a family