Reps. Markey and Boucher may swap gavels on key Energy and Commerce subcommittees.»

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/02/boucher-markey-swap/

Reps. Markey and Boucher may swap gavels on key Energy and Commerce subcommittees.»


CQ Politics reports today that Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) may “swap gavels in the 111th Congress,” giving Markey, the current chairman of the House Select Committee on Global Warming, control of a key energy subcommittee:

Since 2007, Rick Boucher of Virginia, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s fourth-ranking Democrat, has led the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, which has taken the lead role in crafting legislation to address global warming.

But Boucher said in an interview Tuesday that he expects Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, No. 3 among committee Democrats in seniority, to bid for the subcommittee chairmanship. Boucher said he would “respect that decision” and stake his own claim for chairmanship of Markey’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

Matt Yglesias explains the implications of such a swap, writing, “Boucher’s a coal guy from West Virginia, but he’s solid on internet stuff, so I think this switch would be a win-win.”