News Release

Congressman G. K. Butterfield, a Democrat from the state’s 1st Congressional District, was appointed Tuesday to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health during the 113th Congress, making him the eighth-most influential Democrat on the subcommittee.
The subcommittee has jurisdiction over a wide range of issues. Among those include Medicare and Medicaid, private health insurance, public health, hospital construction, health-information technology, privacy, cyber security, medical malpractice and drug abuse.
The subcommittee also has oversight of the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service and the Department of Homeland Security.
The subcommittee positions allow Butterfield to play a leading role in influencing the Affordable Care Act. Butterfield will also advocate for the robust network of hospitals spanning the 1st District.
“I am so pleased to be appointed to Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee,” said Butterfield in a statement. “My chief responsibility as a new member of the Health Subcommittee is to protect and defend the Affordable Care Act against Republicans’ flagrant efforts to dismantle it. I played a leading role in the development of this landmark law that has given millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans access to affordable health care. I hope to not only play an essential role in preserving the reforms to our healthcare system, but to also expand and improve health-related policies and regulations for all Americans.”
Butterfield also was newly appointed to the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, he and will continue to serve on the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee.
Butterfield has been a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee since 110th Congress. He now begins his fourth term on the committee.