Congressman-elect Nick Begich III has received his first committee assignments for the upcoming two-year session of Congress. NBIII will serve on the House Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Congressman Bruce Westerman, who not only endorsed Begich for Congress but visited Alaska to raise votes for Begich this past summer.

The House Natural Resources Committee considers legislation about American energy production, mineral lands, mining, fisheries, wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation, and reclamation.

Begich will also be on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Congressman Sam Graves. The committee has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation - from aviation system, to highways, bridges, transit, rail transportation, pipelines, and maritime and waterborne transportation. The committee also has jurisdiction over wastewater infrastructure, emergency preparedness and response programs, public buildings, federal real estate management, federal economic development agencies, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

"With Trump in the White House and majorities in the House and Senate, Alaska is in a position to make progress on policy that will reopen our state to responsible development," Begich said. "I'm thrilled to be joining the House Committees on Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure - both of which are key to ensuring continued opportunity for the people of Alaska. As we work to develop critical minerals at home and procure new sources of domestic energy, America First will require an Alaska-focus, a perspective I will gladly champion on these committees."

Getting assigned a seat on these two committees is an especially competitive process. Begich has been working with steering committee members in Washington, D.C. over the past five weeks, making the case about the importance of these committees to Alaska.

Don Young chaired both of these committees at different times during his 49-year tenure. Young passed ANWR provisions out of the House 13 times, but it took a Senate and a president to finally get it over the line.

The window in 2025 is another opportunity for Alaska -- with the House, Senate, and presidency all in Republican control. It's a window that might not have opened for Alaska if Rep. Mary Peltola had remained in office, especially with what is now a narrow Republican majority: Republicans have 220 House members, while 215 seats are held by Democrats.