The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will add a new energy subcommittee in the 113th Congress. Rep. James Lankford (R-OK) will chair the new Energy Policy, Healthcare, and Entitlements subcommittee, which will allow oversight members to call for testimony on cross-jurisdictional energy policies.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who chairs the overall committee, has previously questioned Energy Department grant and loan programs that have benefited clean energy projects. The new subcommittee might also play a role if Congress decides to consider tax code changes, as many energy programs are financed through tax incentives, making policies relevant to both the House Energy and Commerce and the House Ways and Means committees.
