Congressman Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said he will seek permission to continue to serve on the House Committee on Natural Resources as he takes on the role of ranking Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

He was chairman of Natural Resources, but lost that position when Republicans gained control of the House. Rules within the House bar Rahall from serving as a ranking member on a major committee and any other committee, but he said he will seek a waiver so he can continue to serve a non-leadership role on natural resources.

“Hopefully I will still be a member, but that is yet to be determined,” Rahall said. “I would need a waiver of our Democratic rules to be ranking on a major committee and serve on any other.”

During his campaign, Rahall said his position on the Natural Resources committee was crucial to block legislation that would be damaging to the coal industry. He said as ranking member on the Transportation committee, he would be able to stop an amendment to the Clean Water Act that would give the EPA authority to enforce the act over all waters and not just navigable waters.

“That is devastating to our coal industry. I have stopped that in the past and I do not envision that bill passing in the new Congress,” Rahall said. “I will be there to block such devastating legislation that would amend the Clean Water Act.”

Rahall said if he is not granted a waiver and allowed to serve on the Natural Resources committee, he still will be able to exert some influence on legislation that goes through that committee via the relationship he has built with Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., who will now chair the committee.

“I’ve discussed coal issues with him since the election and I expect him to take my views under serious consideration when such issues are addressed by his committee,” Rahall said. “He is pro-coal, as pro as I am. He’s for all of our domestic sources of energy.”

The new ranking Democrat on the Natural Resources committee will likely be Ed Markey, D-Mass., a lead supporter of cap and trade and other climate legislation. If the Democrats were to recapture the House, Markey could become chairman of the committee in two years.

“In two years, when we recapture the House — well, that’s a little too long to look down the road,” Rahall said. “We’ll have to see. (Markey) might find another committee, it changes around quite a bit.”

Rahall often faced criticism for his position as chairman of the Natural Resources panel because of his pro-coal stance. Now, some are questioning how he will handle issues in the Transportation committee.

Washington, D.C., blogger Tanya Snyder wrote that Rahall’s website was missing a few issues that may come before the committee.

“It’s got three bullet points: highways, water and broadband. Mass transit? Pedestrian safety? Bike infrastructure? Not big issues in southern West Virginia.”

Rahall said he understands those concerns, and admits they aren’t featured prominently on his website, but that doesn’t mean he ignores those issues.

“I don’t give them much play on my website, because while important, they don’t play as prominent a role in the way we move our coal, our goods and our people,” Rahall said. “We don’t benefit as much in West Virginia from all of those categories, but we do have some. Rails-to-trails for example and we have bikeways and scenic byways. We have several of those right here in southern West Virginia.”

West Virginia lost much of its ability to funnel federal dollars into the state through the Senate Appropriations committee, which was chaired by the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd. In a ranking position on the Transportation committee, Rahall may be put in a position to set aside funds for West Virginia projects in pieces of legislation including the Federal Aid to Highway bill set to expire Dec. 31.

“I have already made a number of earmark requests that are on my website,” Rahall said. “They have been out there all this past year for public scrutiny.

“I will be not in the driver’s seat, because I won’t be chairman, but I will be riding shotgun in the car when we do this highway bill and I am going to request those earmarks. I think they are vital to improving our infrastructure in southern West Virginia.”

Several Republicans in the House and Senate have been supporting a moratorium on earmarks.

Rahall said that as long as earmarks are publicly listed and financial interests are disclosed, earmarks are an essential function of the legislature.

“I think earmarks have a proper role when they meet those tests ... . They are a proper tool for a congressman. I can’t understand those constitutionalists in the Republican Party who preach against the president having all this power, but they preach against earmarking, as well.

“All you’re doing by abolishing earmarking is giving the president more power. I’m against that. I think a member of Congress knows his district better than the President of the United States.”

The primary argument against earmarking is that the process encourages wasteful spending. Earmarks represent about 1 percent of the annual federal budget.

Rahall said he is seeing that in some instances, Republicans are seeing the benefits of earmarking in certain cases, particularly in the highway bill.

“There is some understanding among the anti-earmark crowd that there position has been perhaps a little too rigid, but they have to respond to the Tea Party,” Rahall said.

— E-mail: tkuykendall@register-herald.com