House GOP Leadership to Shimkus: DENIED!

By Kevin Robinson in News on Dec 8, 2010 2:00PM

Michigan Republican Fred Upton will assume the committee chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, after closed-door voting by the Republican Steering Committee denied Collinsville Republican John Shimkus the seat. Shimkus, who walked out of a joint session of Congress earlier this year while the President spoke, was vying for the seat by trying to claim the mantle of the true conservative choice for the seat.

Upton, who is known as a more moderate Republican, will wield the gavel on the powerful committee as a newly born-again conservative. Generally seniority rules when assigning committee chairs, although party leadership also select colleagues that they believe will best promote the party's agenda. With Shimkus most likely headed for a subcommittee, Illinois is left with no congressmen chairing committees, although suburban Chicago Republican Peter Roskam holds the title of chief deputy majority whip, making him the fourth ranking Republican in Congress.