Energy and Environment

Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici on Thursday was appointed to a high-profile committee focused on combating climate change.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the appointment of Bonamici and seven other Democrats to the new panel on a day that also saw the release of the Green New Deal, a sweeping legislative resolution that calls for moving the economy away from fossil fuels.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Thursday she does not feel Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) snubbed her by not putting her on a new special climate change committee.

If there was any doubt that the state of our union is divided, look no further than what has transpired over the last month – we had the longest government shutdown in history, which cost our economy $11 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Not to mention the uncertainty about what happens after Feb.15 if Congress doesn't reach a compromise to keep the government open.

A major perk of being the majority party in the U.S. Congress is getting to fill the leadership slots on every committee. For several new Democratic legislators, however, having their party regain control of the House of Representatives also creates an unprecedented opportunity to shape U.S. science policy.

On Wednesday, the newly configured House science committee will convene for the first time to adopt its rules and structure. To no one's surprise, the 39-member committee will choose Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D–TX) as its chairwoman.