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WAXMAN WINS.
Secret Twitter sources say that Henry Waxman -- who, according to my Google image search, is shorter than Arianne Huffington by a startling margin -- just beat John Dingell for chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee by 15 votes. If you care about action on global warming, that's a very big deal indeed. And frankly, a bit unexpected. Dingell is an old lion in Congress. He's got a lot of friends and has done a lot of people favors. His loss isn't personal. Rather, it's evidence that Democrats are serious enough about climate change to want the relevant committee to be something more than an arm of Detroit.
And though this is a direct victory for Waxman, it's a quiet triumph for Pelosi. Without her tacit support, Waxman's campaign would have quietly died. Meanwhile, few in the House will forget that she tried to solve this problem months ago by letting Dingell remain at Energy and Commerce and creating a new Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Dingell fought her efforts, and managed to neuter the new committee. It has nothing more than an advisory role. But it's now clear that what looked like a win for Dingell was actually prelude to a much larger loss. He not only loses jurisdiction over global warming, but over health care and most everything else. And on some level, he's been publicly humiliated. Recalcitrant chairmen are going to be far more afraid of crossing Pelosi this afternoon than they were this morning.
And finally, Waxman's chief of staff, Phil Schiliro, was named last week as Barack Obamas director of legislative affairs. Energy and Commerce is probably the most important committee for Obama's agenda. With Schiliro in the White House and Waxman holding the chairmanship, you're likely to see an intense and easy cooperation between the two branches.
COMMENTS (18)
My concerns about the Obama administration being neutered by its Democratic (supposed) allies the Carter and Clinton were just got a whole lot smaller. This guy knows what he's doing. If he turns out to be half as good on policy as he is on politics we're in for a good run.
Posted by: studebaker hawk | November 20, 2008 11:10 AM
This is an outstanding victory for literally generations of the Earth's populace.
Posted by: Peter | November 20, 2008 11:13 AM
For once I'll keep it short: High fives and hugs all around!
Posted by: Peter Basso | November 20, 2008 11:15 AM
Question: In what ways will this affect the seniority system of the House, if at all? Where does the most senior Member go from here?
Posted by: w/an F | November 20, 2008 11:24 AM
I've always thought Waxman would have made a great Prefessor Flitwick.
PS I kid because I love.
Posted by: jacob | November 20, 2008 11:24 AM
Why do men with rodential faces insist on accentuating it by growing mustaches?
Posted by: jeebus | November 20, 2008 11:46 AM
Lots to be happy about here. Waxman is one awesome guy, and I want the House to basically be a Nancy Pelosi dictatorship.
Posted by: Neil the Ethical Werewolf | November 20, 2008 11:47 AM
Why do men with rodential faces insist on accentuating it by growing mustaches?
You stole my thunder. I was just going to comment how Waxman looks like Jo-Jo the Rat-Faced boy.
Posted by: El Viajero | November 20, 2008 11:53 AM
Wow. Just... wow. Dingell was not a small player in the House. Pelosi must have made herself very, very clear on this one. I think it's pretty obvious that the PelosiObama axis of power is dead, dead serious about climate change. This could lead to some very interesting places.
Posted by: NBarnes | November 20, 2008 12:03 PM
Awesome:
For virtually the entire 1980s, Waxman blocked Dingell and the Reagan administration from weakening auto emission standards. At one point, he blocked a key vote on a bill to debilitate the Clean Air Act by introducing 600 amendments, which he had wheeled into the room in shopping carts. Waxman also led the war on secondhand cigarette smoke. He publicized an obscure EPA report that established secondhand smoke as a carcinogen, uncovered the onetime Philip Morris lab director who had determined that nicotine was addictive, and publicly grilled tobacco company CEOs about their failure to share that fact with the public.
Posted by: Neil the Ethical Werewolf | November 20, 2008 12:28 PM
I work for a large environmental advocacy organization, one that for legal/political reasons couldn't take a stand on this fight. But everyone in the offices around the country is ecstatic this morning.
I don't think the importance of this development can easily be understated. It literally could be the difference between America passing weak global warming legislation (and developing countries following suit, hiding behind the US's inaction) and America passing strong legislation that puts pressure on Brazil, India, and China to do the same, significantly affecting what our world might look like in 50 years.
This is fantastic.
Posted by: Adam | November 20, 2008 1:05 PM
Overstated. Not understated, moron.
Posted by: Adam | November 20, 2008 1:12 PM
I think the jerrymandering that put Ann Arbor into Dingell's district may have opened him up to a green challenger. Someone talk to Ellis Boal.
Posted by: crack | November 20, 2008 1:28 PM
This is change I can believe in. Can't wait to see him in action.
Posted by: SK | November 20, 2008 5:18 PM
"Henry Waxman -- who, according to my Google image search, is shorter than Arianne Huffington by a startling margin"
The most powerful hobbit on earth, apparently.
Great news, especially, as you point out, it shows Pelosi's (and hence Obama's) power over the caucus. Like Neil the Ethical, I'd be happy to have the House replaced by 434 rubber stamps and Rep. Pelosi, so this is all kinds of win.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of the Great Satan | November 20, 2008 5:44 PM
How many of you caled your congressmen to get this done? My friends and I around around the country did and I think it affected the outcome (at least I hope it did). We have to did in and get proactive and HELP the Obama administration get things done if he is going to be successful. I hope everyone will get off their butts and jump in and do their parts.
Posted by: crink | November 21, 2008 7:19 AM
sorry about the typos.
Posted by: crink | November 21, 2008 7:21 AM
The mortgage and consumer credit giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were given enormous stimulus packages a couple months ago in order for them survive during the economic meltdown. In Washington DC on Tuesday, December 9th, the mortgage firms were subject to a hearing by the House Oversight Committee where they were grilled by Congress over their corporate strategies that led to the near destruction of their companies. What had apparently happened was that the leadership of those companies had invested in mortgage backing for their cash flow. So they basically bought other people’s debt, thinking that it meant instant cash flow, especially when they raised the interest rates on the mortgages that they purchased. Borrowers who had borrowed money from irresponsible lenders started defaulting on their loans, thus, the companies that had bought their debt began to stagger towards the brink. House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman called their action irresponsible, especially after senior risk managers had questioned the call to make and invest in such loans. This shocking incident emphasizes the importance of being extremely responsible with your finances. Budget properly, practice smart spending habits, save money, and don’t put money into anything that looks too good to be true. If you need some help with a sudden emergency expense, payday loans are available at a reasonable rate to keep your finances above water until your next payday. Click to read more on Fast Payday Loans.
Posted by: Franrose O | December 15, 2008 5:03 AM