Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., is back as a chairman on the Senate environment committee, leading a panel that will be key to meeting President Trump’s infrastructure goals.
Inhofe had been the long-serving Republican chairman and ranking member on the full committee until the end of last year, when Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., took the helm of the influential committee.
Barrasso’s office announced subcommittee appointments Thursday, naming Inhofe the chairman of the transportation and infrastructure subcommittee.
Inhofe told the Washington Examiner in a statement that he was “pleased” with the appointment. “As Chairman of the full EPW committee for the last two years I worked to pass a long-term highway bill and to get congress back on track to passing a water resources development bill every two years,” he explained. “I look forward to addressing our nation’s infrastructure needs in this new capacity.”
Inhofe is known as an adamant opponent of climate change who sparred often with former colleague Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, who was the top Democrat on the committee. Despite their differences, however, the two did manage to pass major transportation bills and work out differences on funding.
