Natural Resources kicks off 118th

Democratic Members of the Natural Resources Committee held an organizing meeting Tuesday for the 118th Congress. I will serve in the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs and the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. Serving in my eighth term in Congress grants me seniority to make subcommittee selections before most other Members which proved valuable since there are fewer spots for the minority.

The next day the entire Natural Resources Committee, Republicans and Democrats, organized and adopted Committee Rules. I spoke in favor of an amendment to the Rules package that would have made it easier for witnesses to participate in hearings remotely. Allowing witnesses from the Marianas and other areas of the country far from Washington to testify remotely saves money, time, and the grueling strain of traveling for days to attend a hearing that typically lasts a couple hours. Republicans voted down the amendment.