West Virginia's Capito formally named Senate EPW chair

The United States Senate adopted a resolution Tuesday formally appointing Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., to the position of chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Capito has served on the committee since she first became a senator in 2015. In the two previous congresses — the 117th and 118th — Capito has served as the committee's ranking member — the highest ranked member of the minority party.

With the Republican Party regaining control of the Senate for the 119th Congress, Capito is now stepping into the chairman role.

She has also previously served as the chairman of EPW's Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee and Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

“It is an honor to serve as Chairman of the EPW Committee, and I am deeply humbled by the trust my colleagues have placed in me to lead the Committee," Capito said. "EPW was among my first committee assignments when I was sworn into the U.S. Senate in 2015, and serving as Ranking Member for the past four years has provided me great experience with the issues within our jurisdiction and how to achieve bipartisan solutions. I am dedicated to getting things done and delivering for the American people."

As a leader on the EPW Committee, Capito is committed to promoting a commonsense regulatory strategy and protecting affordable, reliable energy production; building the nation’s infrastructure; and encouraging economic development, according to a press release.

“I look forward to working with Ranking Member (Sheldon) Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and all of the committee members to continue our bipartisan tradition of reaching commonsense solutions," Capito said. "I am confident in the EPW Committee’s ability to work together in the upcoming Congress, continuing to be one of the most productive committees in the U.S. Senate. Let’s get to work.”

Other senators who will serve on EPW during the 119th Congress are:

Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; John Curtis, R-Utah; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.; Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.; John Boozman, R-Ark.; Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md.; and Jerry Moran, R-Kan.