WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a registered nurse, congresswoman brings practical experience to position

Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, has been designated vice chair of the House of Representatives Health Subcommittee.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Michigan, announced Mrs. Capps' appointment Thursday.

The subcommittee oversees a wide range of health care issues including Medicaid and Medicare, public health, research, and food and drug policy.

Mrs. Capps is expected to exert significant influence over the agenda of the subcommittee. A registered nurse, she has authored health-related pieces of legislation, including the HEART for Women Act, the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act, the Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act, the Nursing Reinvestment Act and the National Pain Care Policy Act.

"I am thrilled to take on this new leadership role on the Health Subcommittee," Mrs. Capps said in a statement. "I've spent my entire professional career working on the issues that the subcommittee oversees and it's an honor to be able to serve the committee and my constituents in this new capacity.

"I look forward," she continued, "to working closely with Chairman Dingell and Chairman Pallone on important health issues before the subcommittee in the coming months."

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