Costa named chairman of Natural Resources subcommittee

WASHINGTON,D.C. - Congressman Jim Costa,D-Fresno, was selected today as chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy andMineral Resources of House Natural Resources Committee.

Costa's selection was announced by Natural ResourcesCommittee Chairman Nick Rahall, D-WV.

Commenting on his Subcommittee chairmanship Costa said, "Ibelieve this will afford us a bipartisan opportunity to address our energyneeds. The Subcommittee will play a role in developing a new direction inreducing U.S.dependence on foreign sources of energy."

Costa will continue to serve on the Committee's Subcommitteeon Water and Power, a membership he sees as important to the development of theValley's future water policy. "The Central Valley's Congressional delegationis working in conjunction with the Water Institute at CaliforniaState University,Fresno and Gov.Schwarzenegger's San Joaquin Valley Partnership to develop a regional waterplan that will address our future water issues. The Subcommittee on Waterand Power will have a role in any federal legislative initiatives that arerequired to authorize the regional water plan and, as well, the legislationthat will implement the SanJoaquin Riversettlement," Costa stated.

In addition to his membership on the Natural ResourcesCommittee, Costa is member of the House Agriculture Committee and House ForeignAffairs Committee.

As a member of the Agriculture Committee, Costa will serveas a member of two subcommittees, the Subcommittee Livestock, Diary and Poultryand the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research. Costsnoted that his Agriculture Committee membership is vital to the interests ofhis district and the Central Valley. "This year we will be reauthorizing the Farm Bill and I look forward to theopportunity to speak to the needs of our agriculture industry, particularly inthe area of trade policy," Costa declared.

The Fresno lawmaker has alsobeen selected for membership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and two ofits subcommittees, the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia and theSubcommittee on Europe. "These aredifficult times for the U.S.in the international arena," Costa declared. He added, "The ForeignAffairs Committee, by exercising its oversight responsibility in a bipartisanmanner, can add common sense and consistency to our foreign policy goals."

# # #