U.S. Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., has been named chairman of the newly created Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.
Because of his longtime work in the field of copyrights, patents and trademarks, Coble also will be vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet.
He is a former chairman of that committee.
Coble’s 6th U.S. House District takes in Moore and Randolph counties and parts of Rowan, Davidson, Guilford and Alamance counties. He is starting his 14th term as a U.S. representative.
“As a former assistant U.S. attorney,” Coble said in a press release, “I have enjoyed working with our federal judiciary as a prosecutor and now as a legislator. Also, having served as chairman of the Intellectual Property subcommittee in the past, I have developed some wonderful relationships with many in the IP world. I look forward to working on issues affecting both areas in the 112th Congress.”
The Courts subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes administration of U.S. Courts, federal rules of evidence, civil and appellate procedure, judicial ethics, bankruptcy and commercial law, bankruptcy judgeships, administrative law, independent counsel, state taxation affecting interstate commerce, interstate compacts and relevant oversight.
In the past, Coble has chaired the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security along with the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet.
During the 111th Congress, Coble served on the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. For the 112th Congress, Courts and Commercial and Administrative Law are being combined into one panel.
“Our Republican leaders have articulated three objectives for the upcoming Congress,” Coble said, “namely job creation, national security and enhancing freedom.
“While our new subcommittee will have broad jurisdiction, we intend to focus our efforts on matters that will forward or advance these objectives. Regulatory reform and tax reform proposals are likely hot topics.”
It is expected that the committee will not be fully organized for a couple of weeks. Coble also is a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
His subcommittee assignments there will be announced later.