The senator said he was “humbled and honored” to have been selected by his Republican colleagues to head the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in a post to X.
“Time to get to work and unleash American energy,” he wrote.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, of which Lee is currently a member, weighs legislation related to public lands, renewable energy, oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy.
The senior member of Utah’s federal delegation is currently the minority ranking member on the Senate Public Lands, Forests and Mining Subcommittee. He also sits on the National Parks Subcommittee and the Water and Power Subcommittee.
As President-elect Donald Trump transitions into the White House, Lee was speculated as a possible pick for attorney general. He told the Deseret News, however, that he planned to stay in the Senate to help implement Trump’s agenda.
“It’s time to harness our nation’s abundant natural resources to achieve energy independence, stimulate economic growth, and return stewardship of our beautiful lands to the American people who know them best,” Lee said in a statement Wednesday. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to make life affordable again for families in Utah and across America.”
Lee will replace Sen. Joe Manchin — a former Democrat from West Virginia who announced this year he was leaving the party to become independent — as the committee’s chair. A spokesperson for Manchin did not immediately respond to comment on Lee’s new role.
Read the full story at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.