From MSNBC News:
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., will take over as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee, which has sweeping jurisdiction over energy, the environment, consumer protection and health care programs such as Medicaid and the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Yeeessss!!! Rep. Waxman has long been one of my heroes. Throughout the years, even when the Republicans were at the height of their power, he never ceased to battle for the environment, clean energy, consumers, and health care for children and the elderly. I'd receive his emails and think to myself that he's our modern day Don Quixote. His battles seemed doomed to failure, but he never gave up fighting for the causes he believed in.
The former chairman of the committee, Rep. John Dingell, too often kept Waxman's proposals bottled up in committee. Dingell is 82 years old and has health problems. I wish him well. Many consider the committee to be the most influential in the Congress. Sometimes dreams come true. Waxman will serve as a goad to the Democrats in Congress, when they falter in working for real change, which is why we voted them in.
Yes, he's cool! Glad for him and for us!
ReplyDeleteSusan, he is not just a pretty face. LOL. Some of the pictures of him are awful, but I love him anyway.
ReplyDeleteI cheered at the car radio when I heard the news!
ReplyDeleteI suppose Waxman's done some good things, but I will never forget that he sponsored the legislation to prohibit extending the LA subway to the Westside when there was actually money available for mass transit. While this was supposedly a response to the methane explosion in the Fairfax district, anybody who lived in Los Angeles at the time knew that the real reason was the widespread fear that the subway would bring those black and brown people into the our part of town. So instead the subway went to Universal Studios, a truly moronic end destination, but one which skirted Henry Waxman's district.
ReplyDeleteI received email updates from Waxman's office over a period of a couple of years. I nearly always supported his poicies.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I don't know everything that Waxman has done. You, being from his district, obviously know more than I do.
I happen to agree w/ you, Mimi...
ReplyDelete...but you can't imagine what things are like here, in Michigan now.
Losing Dingell as chair, the Big 3 execs getting told "Take a hike", while Michigan sinks into economic apocalypse.
It's easy to say (or think---as even I have) "What goes around, comes around. Live by the combustion engine, die by the combustion engine."
But what of the people here? WHERE will they work?
[Can't help but wonder, if (US) Americans, esp. Michiganians, will be sneaking over the border, or fleeing as "boat people", looking for a better life. It just SUCKS to be here now, and it's going to get much WORSE before it gets better. :-( ]
That has to be good news.
ReplyDeleteJCF, I know it's hard for the folks in Michigan. The US car companies are in a mess, partly due to a lack of vision, and partly due to things out of their control. My heart goes out to the workers who will be hurt. GM offered one large dealership around here an inventory buyout, and the owners accepted the offer. 50 jobs are gone.
ReplyDeleteDP, I believe it is good news, and I pray that he doesn't forget workers. I don't believe that he will.