Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden was tabbed by the House GOP Steering Committee to be the next Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  The Republican from Hood River will be the first chair of that panel, the oldest standing legislative committee in the House, from the Pacific Northwest.  The Energy and Commerce Committee has responsibility for the nation’s telecommunications, consumer protection, food and drug safety, public health research, environmental quality, energy policy, and interstate and foreign commerce.  Walden has been on that committee since 2001.  He said he was “deeply honored to earn the support of my colleagues to chair this incredibly important committee,” adding “Americans are looking for big improvements out of Washington.”