Elfreth Named Vice Ranking Member of Natural Resources Committee
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) was elected Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. It was also announced that Elfreth will serve on the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries and the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
“The Natural Resources Committee plays a critical role in preserving our nation’s land, water, and air, and I am honored to be named Vice Ranking Member. I look forward to supporting Ranking Member Huffman and all of our colleagues in advancing the pressing environmental work of this Committee,” said Congresswoman Elfreth. “I am also excited to serve on the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee where I am committed to restoring our nation’s waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. On the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, I am ready to play a critical role in advancing the deployment of renewable energy and an equitable transition towards a clean-energy economy.”
The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries oversees the management of America’s water resources, domestic and international fisheries, and other ocean and Great Lakes resources. Subcommittee Democrats are working to protect at-risk wildlife species, habitats, and communities from the negative impacts of climate change.
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources has jurisdiction over energy development and mining activities on our public lands and federal waters. Subcommittee Democrats are committed to fostering a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels and towards a twenty-first-century, clean-energy economy.
Elfreth began her career at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and then spent six years in the Maryland Senate protecting the state’s natural resources, including the Chesapeake Bay. She reimagined the state’s approach to Bay restoration by prioritizing not only the ecological importance of the Bay but also its importance to the local economy and to future generations. Elfreth chaired the tri-state, bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Commission and worked with colleagues to pass the Whole Watershed Act which is promoting innovative, science-based solutions to waterway restoration efforts. Inspired by her work on the commission, she championed dozens of landmark environmental bills to increase oyster populations, invest in and expand state parks, build more resilient infrastructure in response to climate change, and get the state on a path to achieving 50% renewable energy usage by 2030.
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