COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Year
2007
110th Congress - 1st Session
The Committee on Energy and Commerce reported out an impressive amount of legislation in the first session of the 110th Congress. Legislation that will be critical to protecting the health, safety and welfare of the American people. Most of these measures passed the Committee with strong bipartisan support and, in some cases, passed the Committee and even the House unanimously.
Some of the Committee's most notable accomplishments include:
- The Energy Independence and Security Act. This historic new law, achieved with bipartisan support, requires a 40 percent increase in the fuel economy of our motor vehicles, but does so in a way that preserves American jobs. Along with the efficiency standards for homes, appliances, and lighting, the law will help remove more than 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2030, the equivalent of taking all cars, trucks, and planes off the road and out of the skies for 5 years.
- The FDA Amendments Act of 2007. This new law, which strengthens the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and dramatically improves drug safety, passed the House overwhelmingly, by a vote of 403 to 16. This bipartisan legislation provides FDA with the resources it needs to fulfill its mission of protecting the health of American consumers.
- The Consumer Protection/Toy Safety bill. In addition to giving the Consumer Product Safety Commission the tools and resources it needs to fulfill its responsibility of protecting the American public, this legislation will implement the toughest lead standard for toys in the world. It will also require manufacturers to include tracking labels to aid in the event of a recall and mandate third-party testing of toys. The bill passed the Committee unanimously and the House by a vote of 407 to 0.
- Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007. This legislation prevents a scheduled 10 percent cut in Federal reimbursements to Medicare doctors for 6 months and provides a half-percent update in payments. The bill also extends a number of expiring provisions essential to Medicare beneficiaries, including measures to ensure that seniors in rural areas continue to have access to care.
- The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2007. With a bipartisan vote of 45 to 2, the Committee approved legislation aimed at preventing mercury exposure and developing a long-term storage solution.
- The 911 Modernization and Public Safety Act. The Committee approved, and the House passed by a vote of 406 to 1, legislation to ensure consumers using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are able to reach 911 in the same manner as landline and mobile phone users.
- In addition to our legislative action, the Committee had a busy year conducting vigorous oversight. The Committee held 19 Oversight and Investigation hearings, raising public awareness about a wide range of issues such as the proliferation of Biosafety Level 3 and 4 labs, the rising price of gasoline and the effect of excess speculation in energy futures markets on the energy prices consumers pay. Our successful efforts to protect American consumers includes persuading all major grocery stores to end the practice of selling carbon monoxide treated meat, and raising public awareness about breakdowns in our national food safety system.
Below are links to summaries highlighting key legislative accomplishments for each of the Committee's Subcommittees over the past year:
|
