Simpson to continue on as House energy, water development subcommittee chair

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) will continue as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

According to the Idaho Farm Bureau’s blogspot, Simpson has headed the subcommittee, which funds U.S. Department of Energy functions, since November 2013.

“We have made great progress in the last few years in making strategic investments to enhance our national security, maintain U.S. leadership in nuclear research and development, and to fulfill cleanup commitments to states, and I look forward to building on that work this coming year,” Simpson said in the blog.

The subcommittee oversees the Bureau of Reclamation, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Additionally, the subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Central Utah Project, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Southern Crescent Regional Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

“Whether it’s the cleanup of sites like INL (Idaho National Laboratory), the maintenance of our nation’s nuclear weapons, or the many vital water projects across the Western United States, the Energy and Water Subcommittee’s work touches almost every community in Idaho and across the country,” Simpson said. “I look forward to working with (former Texas) Governor (Rick) Perry as the new secretary of Energy to continue our critical work. Given the importance of this subcommittee to Idaho and its daily impact on my constituents, I am honored and pleased to have the opportunity to continue as its chairman.”