Henry Waxman Topples John Dingell For Key Panel Chair
Rep. Henry Waxman, a liberal ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will take over the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee when the next Congress convenes in January. Waxman is a liberal California Democrat. In an election among House Democrats, he toppled veteran Michigan Rep. John Dingell from the post. Dingell is the longest-serving member of the House.
Published: November 20, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Henry Waxman, a liberal ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will take over the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee when the next Congress convenes in January.
Waxman is a liberal California Democrat. In an election among House Democrats, he toppled veteran Michigan Rep. John Dingell from the post. Dingell is the longest-serving member of the House.
Waxman won the panel chair by a 137-122 vote, capping a bitter fight within the Democratic Party caucus on the Hill.
Dingell has been the top Democrat on the panel for 28 years and is an old-school supporter of the auto industry. Waxman has complained that the committee has been too slow to address environmental issues like global warming.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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