Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., will start out the new year in a better position to promote legislation that will benefit Wyoming and the country.

Senators finalized their committee membership over the weekend for the 109th Congress. Enzi will continue serving on panels whose jurisdiction includes health, education, small business, budget, labor, banking and others.

Enzi is the most senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and is expected to become chairman of the committee pending approval of committee membership in January. As chairman, Enzi will set the agenda for what issues will have hearings and what bills will be voted on by the committee.

"Drug safety, healthcare costs, flexibility from federal education initiatives, defense against biological agents and the safety of workers at their jobs, are just a few of the issues my committee will be in charge of working on," said Enzi. "We all have concerns about our healthcare costs and the education of our children. I feel very privileged the people of Wyoming have enabled me to be in a position to have an immediate and direct impact on legislation in these areas."

Enzi will remain a senior member of the Banking Committee, allowing him to continue oversight on implementation of corporate accountability laws he helped author in past congressional sessions.

Enzi will also continue to serve on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee for his eighth year, a panel with jurisdiction over an area that is of particular importance to Wyoming.

"I am committed to helping Wyoming's small business owners and inventors succeed in today's rapidly changing marketplace. I want to make sure that small business interests are considered when drafting legislation," said Enzi.

Enzi, the only accountant in the Senate, will continue to serve on the Budget Committee which sets the broad agenda for Congress on the total revenues and spending for the entire government.