This week, two members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation were appointed to positions on key committees of interest to the University of Tennessee and the State of Tennessee.
Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) was appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. This committee is especially important to the University and the state given its authority and oversight of key energy programs, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and overall U.S. Energy policy. Blackburn has served on this committee and some of its critical subcommittees for several years. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and serves on the Subcommittee on Oversight, Subcommittee on Health and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Appointed to the House Appropriations Committee was Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-Chattanooga). Fleischmann’s appointment to this committee will well position Tennessee’s interests before national policymakers. The committee is widely known as one of the House’s most powerful. Fleischmann is an alumnus of the UT College of Law.
“The appointment of Blackburn and Fleischmann to these committees will reap great benefits for the people of Tennessee. The importance of these two committees to the areas of research, economic development, and quality of life issues cannot be overstated. We are very happy with the appointments of both members and look forward to working with them in their new capacity in the next legislative session,” said Anthony Haynes, UT Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy.
The 113th Congress convenes in January, where Blackburn and Fleischmann will assume these new leadership positions.
UT Advocacy 