House Energy & Commerce

Chairman in the 104th Congress will not be current Ranking Republican Moorhead (Calif.), according to staffers. Moorhead will not contest Rep. Bliley's (R-Va.) bid to become full committee chair and instead will chair the House Judiciary/Patents Subcommittee. With Bliley's ascent to the chairmanship of Energy & Commerce, Rep. Bilirakis (R-Fla.) becomes the next logical choice to head the panel's Health & the Environment Subcommittee, where currently he holds the number two minority spot behind Bliley. Reps. Fields (R-Tex.) and Oxley (R-Ohio), who have more committee seniority than Bilirakis and could choose to head the Health Subcommittee, are eyeing other chairmanships, according to staffers. The Rowland/Bilirakis bill of the 103rd Congress could serve as a blueprint for more restricted health reform legislation in the house during the 104th, according to Bilirakis aides