As was widely expected, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) on Thursday was approved by unanimous consent as the new chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. He replaces Rep. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-LA), who gave up the position earlier this month.

The House Republican Conference unanimously approved Barton’s nomination as chairman Wednesday, and the House followed suit one day later. “This is a big new job…I will work hard to be true to both where I come from and where the committee must go” in the future, said Barton, who has been preparing for the role for the past couple of years.

He had scheduled a press briefing for Thursday, but postponed it until next week. Barton is expected to announce that Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) will succeed him as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s energy and air quality subcommittee. He also will name new members to the full committee in officer roles, according to Barton spokeswoman Samantha Jordan.

The new chairman is likely to discuss his agenda as well. Barton has said his first priority as chairman will be to work with President Bush and the Senate to obtain the two additional votes that are needed to pass the conference report on the broad energy bill (HR 6) in the Senate. The conference report cleared the House in November, but it stalled in the Senate when Democrats filibustered it.

Barton is opposed to the pared-down energy bill (S. 2095) that Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee introduced earlier this month.

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