Upton to chair Energy and Commerce

The House Republican Steering Committee selected Fred Upton (R-Mich.) to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Upton, who has served on the committee since 1991, will succeed Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). Upton, who co-chairs the Rare and Neglected Diseases Caucus, plans to make legislation to repeal or restructure the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) a committee priority. He has supported federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research, opposed negotiating Medicare Part D drug prices, and opposed drug importation. The Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over FDA operations and will play a primary role in shaping PDUFA V. ...