Waxman and Dingell fight could be settled today
Both congressman want to be chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington — The leadership of an important House committee comes up for a vote today in a political battle that pits two powerful congressional Democrats against each other and that could affect President-elect Barack Obama's efforts to curb global warming and other initiatives.
Rep. Henry A. Waxman of Beverly Hills is seeking to wrest the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee from Rep. John D. Dingell of Michigan, the auto industry's strongest ally in fighting stricter standards on pollution.
Waxman, a strong supporter of environmental causes, won the support Wednesday of a House Democratic leadership panel, but it was unclear whether the Democratic rank and file, which votes today, will follow the lead of the Democratic steering and policy panel, which voted 25 to 22 for Waxman.
The panel is made up of many allies of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), a Dingell rival. It also is dominated by members whose liberal views are more in line with those of Waxman than of Dingell, the 82-year-old dean of the House.
In challenging Dingell for one of Congress' most powerful jobs, Waxman hopes to take advantage of the desire for political change that helped Obama win the presidency.
"I am running for the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee because we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance healthcare, achieve energy independence and tackle climate change," Waxman said in a statement.
Jodi Seth, a Dingell spokeswoman, said the congressman's appeal had "always been caucus-wide, and when this vote is put to the full and diverse caucus, we have no doubt Mr. Dingell will continue his chairmanship."
The committee will be a major battleground in the next Congress for a number of Obama priorities, such as combating global warming, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and stopping the volatility in energy prices. It also will be writing healthcare legislation.
Billions of dollars ride on the decisions of the committee, which has been involved in recent years on issues including broadcast decency and toy safety.
One of the committee rooms features a large photo of Earth. "Dingell likes to point to that and say, 'That's the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee,' " said Dan Becker, an environmentalist.
A Waxman victory would increase California's clout in Congress. Pelosi has not publicly taken a position on the race but has battled with Dingell in the past.
