Another Democrat announces bid to head key House tech panel

Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., formally announced Tuesday that he plans to seek the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, adding another contender to the race to head the powerful panel with jurisdiction over tech and telecom as well as energy, health and other issues.

Shimkus, who currently serves as the ranking member on the committee's Health Subcommittee, has served on the committee since 1997 and has sat on every Energy and Commerce subcommittee at one point since joining the panel. In a letter to House Minority leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, who is expected to become speaker when the GOP takes control of the House in January, Shimkus said his experience on the panel as well as his work as vice chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and as co-chairman of that group's Mentoring Program "makes me uniquely qualified among a group of talented contenders to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee."

He faces competition from Energy and Commerce ranking member Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who must obtain a waiver or a clarification of GOP rules limiting members to serving six years as chairman or ranking member on House committees, and from Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., who also is expected to seek the committee's top spot. Upton is a senior member of the committee and serves as the ranking Republican on the Energy subcommittee.

Shimkus said one of his top priorities as chairman would be to repeal the health care legislation enacted earlier this year by congressional Democrats.

"I have the credentials within the committee to bring fairness, without protests from the other side of the aisle, in its operation; to hold full oversight hearings on [Obama] administration actions and implementation of laws; and to use our jurisdiction to help create jobs, not more government regulation," Shimkus said in a statement.