LA’s Congressman Waxman Eyeing Energy Committee Chair

Via Reconnecting America:

The New Republic reports that Westside Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman is seeking the Chairmanship for the House of Representative’s Energy Committee.  Waxman’s rival is John Dingell (D-MI) who may represent his car building district well, but is responsible for delaying Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and was the first to suggest a $25 billion bailout for the auto industry.  Committee Chairs are selected by the majority caucus so for Waxman to successfully oust the incumbet Dingell he would need to convince a majority of Democratic Congressman to decide he would better run the committee than the incumbent.

The New Republic reports:

As E&E Daily reports,
Waxman’s backers are pointing to the 152 House Democrats who signed a
letter last month calling for steeper cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions
than those proposed by Dingell and Virginia congressman Rick Boucher.
(The Dingell-Boucher bill won’t start reducing CO2 emissions until 2030 or so, thanks to various cost-control measures—way too sluggish for many enviros.)

If Waxman edges Dingell out of his chairmanship, it would signal that Congress is getting more serious about dealing with Greenhouse Gas issues.  Teaming with Senate Transportation Committee Chair Barbara Boxer, the California Congressional Delegation could lead the world to a world with cleaner air.  While any federal transportation funding bill would go through the Transportation Committee, the Energy Committee Chair could have a large say in what language concerning emission reductions appears in the final federal law.

And what does the President Elect think of this intra-party battle?  While he’s keeping quiet, he did tap a former Waxman staffer to be his