New Congressman Jared Huffman is playing to his strengths in Washington, earning appointments to two House of Representatives committees that mirror the responsibilities he had during his time with the California Assembly.
Huffman, D-San Rafael and an environmental lawyer by trade, will serve on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Budget Committee, according to a press release from his office. The Steering Committee of the House Democratic Caucus notified Huffman of his appointments, and the congressman made the announcement Wednesday.
“These committee assignments both reflect the needs of my district and are a match to my strengths as a policymaker – and they oversee issues that I am passionate about,” Huffman said in a release. “...The Committee on Natural Resources jurisdiction perfectly matches the interests and needs of my North Coast and North Bay constituents. The economy of California’s Second Congressional District is tied directly to the state’s natural resources."
Huffman's new congressional district, which stretches from Marin County to the Oregon border, encompasses several national forests, the Klamath and Trinity River reclamation projects, and some of the most scenic protected sites in the country, including the Redwood National Park to the Point Reyes National Seashore. He said the Natural Resources Committee plays a critical role in overseeing those sites as well as managing the federal government’s role with the North Coast’s iconic salmon fishing industry, native tribal interests and coastal protections.
In the California Assembly, Huffman chaired the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and played a key role in crafting and passing a historic package of water reforms. More recently, he authored legislation to resolve the funding and management problems that have plagued California’s State Parks.
"I welcome the opportunity to work with the committee to protect our environment and create new jobs through policies that grow our economy, resolve natural resource conflicts, advance clean energy solutions and combat global warming,“ Huffman said.
The House Committee on the Budget is charged with developing the fiscal policy of the nation. Huffman served in Sacramento on the Assembly Committee on Budget and ended his tenure chairing one of its subcommittees.
"Over the last six years, I worked on the Budget Committee with my colleagues and the Brown administration to make hard decisions and support key measures that have helped take California from the depths of the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression to being on a path to a budget surplus in 2014," Huffman said. "Using this experience, I look forward to getting to work on the federal budget, and making sure it reflects our values as a nation while also resolving our national debt crisis.”
