Upton Bests Barton For House Energy And Commerce Chair
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
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"Industry-friendly" Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., has weathered a battle from Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, to claim the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Upton "sees the value of a variety of FDA-regulated industries," said Daniel Fabricant, VP of global government and scientific affairs at the Natural Products Association. "Some people will look at that as a real benefit," said Fabricant, who noted that on the whole, Upton has been "industry-friendly." The House Republican Steering Committee selected Upton Dec. 7, and the entire caucus voted to approve the nomination Dec. 8. In addition to Barton, John Shimkus of Illinois and Cliff Stearns of Florida were also in the running. While Barton is the current ranking member, due to caucus rules that prevent a member from serving more than six years in a leadership position, he would have needed a waiver to re-take the top spot (Also see "Barton Attracts Support In Uphill Bid For Energy and Commerce Chair" - HBW Insight, 15 Nov, 2010.). Barton had hinted that he may appeal the Steering Committee's decision and force a vote on the chairmanship by the entire caucus, but ultimately declined to do so. In a statement after his selection, Upton said he "[looks] forward to standing shoulder to shoulder" with Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, Whip Kevin McCarthy of California "and the entire Republican Conference as we repeal Obamacare, fight rampant job-killing regulations, cut spending and help put folks back to work." Energy and Commerce is a key committee for the personal-care industry. The shift in leadership from Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to Republican control following the election could prove beneficial for a plan supported by the Personal Care Products Council to overhaul FDA oversight (Also see "Elections Create More Favorable Environment For Council’s Regulatory Plan" - HBW Insight, 15 Nov, 2010.). Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act (H.R. 5786) in July and may have a harder time gaining support among committee members for the legislation, which is vigorously backed by the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics. |