Senate Democrats assumed control of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Wednesday after the full legislature passed a power-sharing resolution, according to a Thursday press release.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) was officially appointed chairman of the committee after party leaders agreed to the organizing resolution Wednesday, the emailed press release said. Sen. Manchin served previously as ranking member of the committee in the 116th Congress, under Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) will serve as ranking member in the 117th Congress. Sen. Barrasso has been a vocal opponent of the Biden administration’s climate agenda and voted against the team’s Energy Secretary nominee Gov. Jennifer Granholm during a committee meeting Wednesday. Sen. Barrasso is also an advocate for Wyoming’s uranium mining industry — he opposes the Department of Energy’s uranium bartering practice as well at the commercial resale of Russian uranium to U.S. power plant operators.
Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) are joining the committee, the press release said. The release did not say when subcommittee assignments will be made. Sam Runyon, a spokesman for the committee, did not return a request for comment by deadline Friday.
