Hon. Joe Barton

U.S. Representative, Texas

Congressman Joe Barton was first elected to serve the Sixth District of Texas in 1984. In 2004, he was selected by his colleagues to be the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce – the oldest standing legislative House committee. Barton was the first Texan since former House Speaker Sam Rayburn to chair this important committee. The Energy & Commerce Committee has arguably the broadest non tax-oriented jurisdiction of any congressional committee, with principal House responsibility over matters relating to energy, commerce, public health and marketplace interests. Barton is currently the senior Republican and serves as Vice Chairman of the full Energy and Commerce Committee. In the 115th Congress, Barton serves as the Dean of the Texas Delegation and is the 9th most senior Member of the House.