Senate's majority Democrats name new members to committee on energy, natural resources

The U.S. Senate's majority Democrats have named two incoming members to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), in a statement released Wednesday, said that the Democratic Steering Committee for the chamber had assigned Sens.-elect Martin T. Heinrich of New Mexico and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii to the panel.

Heinrich, 41, defeated Republican Heather Wilson in November for the seat now held by Sen. Jeff Bingaman. A two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Heinrich formerly served as New Mexico's natural resources trustee and a member of the Albuquerque city council.

While in the U.S. House of Representatives Heinrich served on the Natural Resources and Armed Services Committees.

Bingaman, 69, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1982. He will retire from the chamber next month after serving for the past six years as chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Hirono will replace Sen. Daniel Akaka when the 113th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2013. A member of the House of Representatives since Jan. 2007, Hirono is a triple pioneer in the Senate. She is the first Asian-American female ever elected to the body and, once sworn in, will be the first senator born in Japan and the first senator who is a Buddhist.

Hirono, 65, was Hawaii's lieutenant governor between 1995-2003. During her three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives she did not serve on any committee with jurisdiction over environmental and natural resources policy matters.

Akaka, 88, is leaving the Senate after more than 22 years of service in the chamber. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977-1990. Akaka served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Other Democratic members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the 113th Congress will be (in order of seniority) Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Maria Cantwell of Washington, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Mark Udall of Colorado, Al Franken of Minnesota, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Wyden will take the gavel from Bingaman when the new Congress convenes.

The Senate's Republican caucus has not yet announced committee assignments for the 113th Congress.