Soon-to-be-Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) is welcoming back some familiar faces to help him run the House Energy & Commerce Committee, including a former telecom policy adviser and top D.C. executive for Verizon.
With the retirement from federal service of Minority Staff Director/Chief Counsel Reid Stuntz and Minority General Counsel David Stoller, Gregg Rothschild and Dennis Fitzgibbons have agreed to return, according to a memo from Dingell to staffers.
Dingell said he had hoped the two exiting staffers would make the transition to the majority, but "respected their decisions."
Rothschild, former minority counsel for telecommunications, returns as chief counsel. Rothschild had been VP, policy counsel, for Verizon since January 2005.
Rothschild became telecom and media adviser to the Dingell in 2003. Previously, he was legislative director for Sen. John Kerry.
Fitzgibbons will be chief of staff to the committee beginning when the new Congress convenes and, until then, he will be the minority senior adviser starting Dec. 1. He has been director for public policy at DaimlerChrysler.
The Democrats picked the speaker, majority leader and whip for the next Congress, with the posts going to Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Stenny Hoyer (D-Md.) and James Clyburn (D-S.C.), respectively. Committee chairmen won't be picked until December, but Dingell will get the post barring the unforeseen, as will Ed Markey (D-Mass.) atop the telecommunications subcommittee.
