Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has emerged as the champion, in the fight for the Chairmanship of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee defeating current chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.), as Democratic lawmakers voted 137-122 in their caucus meeting this morning.
The vote may mark the beginning to the end of the seniority system Democrats have honored for decades.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) emerged a winner on this one, as Waxman is who is ideologically aligned with her and she has clashed repeatedly with Dingell.
Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), one of her top lieutenants, helped lead the charge for Waxman.
What's next for Dingell — who, with 27 terms under his belt, is the dean of the House —One option for him would be to take the gavel of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, a reduced though still significant portfolio as lawmakers gear up for an expected health care overhaul
Waxman at the leadership helm of the Energy and Commerce Committee will mean that Healthcare will emerge as the top priority in the House. It will be interesting to see, this is a seismic shift change for the powerful committee and Congressman Waxman is completely focused on reforming Healthcare. This adds to the almost perfect circumstances, with Senator Kennedy passing the healthcare reform baton over to Senator Baucus yesterday and the appointment of Tom Daschle as HHS Secretary, we are now assured a healthcare reform package will be passed early in the Obama administration.