Position As Resource Chairman Will Help Serve West Virginia

Position As Resource Chairman Will Help Serve West Virginia

This week, the House Democratic Caucus elected me to serve as the next chair of the House Resources Committee. This is not my honor, but rather, a tribute to the people of West Virginia whom I have the great privilege of serving.

The Resources Committee is the birthplace in Congress of legislation affecting a broad range of activities, from mining of minerals and drilling of oil and gas, to management of our parks and wild lands, to oversight of our fisheries and preservation of our historic treasures. During the upcoming new Congress, as Chairman of the Resources Committee, I intend to pursue an agenda of American Values - an agenda that reflects the ideals instilled in me as a West Virginian.

In recent years, this Administration and the Congress have pursued policies concerning our Nation's natural and cultural heritage that are out of touch with the values West Virginians hold dear. The concept of stewardship has been turned on its head. But I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to restore the balance that has been lost by lopsided policies and lack of oversight.

As Chairman of the Resources Committee, I will oversee sound conservation that will ensure that families can enjoy the grandeur of our National Parks, while also safeguarding opportunities for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.

As Resources Chairman, I will put an end to tax breaks to Big Oil. These multinational conglomerates must be made to pay the American people a fair price for the people's resources. And I will prioritize the reclamation of abandoned coal mines so that our miners and our mining communities are safer and healthier.

West Virginia is blessed with a rich tapestry scenic wonders. Our State has been equally blessed with natural resources that have helped to provide jobs for our people and economic strength for our nation. In our State, we understand the need for balance, to respect God's handiwork and the places that fuel our soul, as well as the necessity of harnessing those resources for well-being of our families today and in the future. These things I will bring to my Chairmanship.

Americans deserve to enjoy the bounty of our natural resources today and to benefit from them as critical sources of employment and sustenance. But we are equally obligated to ensure that these same opportunities remain for our children and our grandchildren.

I appreciate that my colleagues chose to elect me Chairman of this Committee, but I am particularly grateful to the people of West Virginia who have sent me to Washington to look after their interests. Come January, when I take the gavel of the Resources Committee, I intend to advance an agenda that will make West Virginians proud - an agenda of American Values.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) represents West Virginia's 3rd District

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