DeGette, Diana

Diana DeGette represents Colorado's 1st congressional district and serves as Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. As the minority party's leading voice on this subcommittee, she shapes the opposition's legislative priorities and oversight strategy on healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and public health matters. The Energy and Commerce Committee is one of Congress's most powerful panels, wielding jurisdiction over major industries and federal health agencies, making the ranking member role influential in determining which investigations proceed and what alternative proposals the minority advances.

DeGette brings substantial relevant expertise to this position. A lawyer by training who earned her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law in 1982, she built a career focused on civil rights and employment litigation before entering politics. She has represented Colorado in Congress since 1997 and has been the dean of the state's congressional delegation since 2007, giving her seniority and institutional standing. Her legislative record reflects deep engagement with health policy, including sponsorship of bills addressing diabetes programs, physical therapist workforce development, and pharmaceutical regulation.

As Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee, DeGette leads Democratic efforts to scrutinize the majority's healthcare proposals and advance alternative legislation. She has been instrumental in shaping the minority's positions on drug pricing, healthcare access, and regulatory oversight. Her long tenure in Congress and consistent focus on health and civil rights issues position her as a key voice in determining how healthcare debates unfold within the committee and ultimately in the broader legislative process.