Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939) is an
American politicianPolitics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, federal republic where the President of the United States , United States Congress, and judiciary share federal powers, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments...
. He has represented (
map) in the
U.S. House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
since 1975. Waxman, a
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
, is considered to be one of the most influential
liberalLiberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history...
members of
CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
. His district includes much of the western part of the city of
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, as well as West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Before his election to Congress, he served six years in the
California State AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
.
With the Democrats' victory in the 2006 midterm elections, Waxman became chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the principal investigative committee of the House. He was the committee's ranking Democrat from 1997 to 2007. In 2009, he began serving as the Chairman of the
House Energy and Commerce CommitteeThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously - with various name changes and jurisdictional changes - for more than 200 years...
after defeating Chairman
John DingellJohn David Dingell, Jr. is a Democratic United States Representative from Michigan and is currently the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the longest serving Representative and the third longest serving Congressman ever...
in a 137-122 secret vote of House Democrats on November 20, 2008.
Early life and private career
Born in
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
, Waxman attended college at
UCLAThe University of California, Los Angeles is a research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the United States. It was founded in 1919 and is the second-oldest general-purpose campus in the University of California system...
, earning a
bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in
political sciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
in 1961 and a
degreeA Law degree is the degree conferred on someone who successfully completes studies in law. However many law degrees are insufficient education for a license to practice law by the administrative body of that jurisdiction...
from
UCLA's law schoolThe UCLA School of Law is the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. It is generally regarded as the top law school in Southern California. It is the youngest of the top-tier U.S. law schools.- History :...
in 1964. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer. He was elected to the California Assembly in 1969 and served three terms.
In 1974, Congressman Chet Holifield announced his retirement after 32 years in Congress. Waxman won the Democratic nomination for the district, which had been renumbered from the 19th to the 24th after a mid-decade redistricting. This was tantamount to election in this heavily Democratic district. He has been reelected 16 times, never facing substantive opposition. He faced no major-party opposition in 1986, and was completely unopposed in 2008. His district has changed numbers three times in his tenure—from the 24th (1975-1993) to the 29th (1993-2003) to the 30th (2003-present). He is one of three surviving members of the large Democratic freshman class of 1975. The other two,
George MillerGeorge Miller III is an American politician who has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1975, representing ....
of California and
Jim OberstarJames Louis "Jim" Oberstar is a United States politician. Oberstar has been a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party member of the United States House of Representatives since 1975, representing Minnesota's 8th congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota. The district is...
of
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
, are also committee chairmen.
Before the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 1995, Waxman was a powerful figure in the House as chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the Environment from 1979. In this role he conducted investigations into a range of health and environmental issues, including universal health insurance,
MedicareMedicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over, or who meet other special criteria. The medicare program also funds residency training programs for the vast majority of physicians in the...
and
Medicaid Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states. Among the groups of people served by Medicaid are certain...
coverage,
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
and air and water pollution.
According to his Web site, Waxman's legislative priorities are health and environmental issues. These include universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, tobacco, AIDS, air and water quality standards, pesticides, nursing home quality standards, women's health research and reproductive rights, the availability and cost of prescription drugs, and the right of communities to know about pollution levels. Also, he is known to be in favor of gun control, he was quoted as saying "If someone is so fearful that they are going to start using their weapons to protect their rights, it makes me very nervous that these people have weapons at all."
Waxman and his wife, the former Janet Kessler, have a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously - with various name changes and jurisdictional changes - for more than 200 years...
(Chairman)
- As Chair of the full committee, Rep. Waxman is an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Waxman had a reputation for a vigorous approach to oversight long before becoming ranking Democrat on what was then the Government Reform Committee in 1997. He was well known for insisting that witnesses appearing before his subcommittee testify under oath, thus exposing them to
perjuryPerjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the matter lied about would affect the outcome of the case...
charges if they didn't tell the truth. For example, in 1994, he forced the chief executives of the seven major tobacco companies to swear under oath that
nicotineNicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves...
was not addictive.
In 1998, he created a "Special Investigations Division" to investigate matters that he felt the full committee had neglected. This was possible because the committee has broad powers to investigate any matter with federal policy implications, even if another committee has jurisdiction over it. He has also harshly criticized the Republicans for ignoring their "constitutional responsibility" to conduct oversight over the government..
On the day after the 2006 elections, Waxman directed his aides to draw up an "oversight plan" for the panel. He had already let it be known that he wanted to investigate
HalliburtonHalliburton is a US-based oilfield services corporation with international operations in more than 70 countries. It has close to 300 subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide....
, as well as its alleged malfeasance related to government contracts in
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
. It is very likely that he could also investigate the numerous scandals surrounding
Jack AbramoffJack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist, businessman and con man who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. He is currently incarcerated at the satellite prison camp adjacent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland...
. This led to concerns among Democratic aides that the Government Reform Committee under Waxman would stage a repeat of the committee's performance under the Clinton administration, when it issued over 1,000 subpoenas. However, Waxman told
NewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly newsmagazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
that he is interested in accountability and not retaliation..
On March 16, 2004, at Waxman's request, the Committee on Government Reform Minority Office published "Iraq on the Record, the Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq" a detailed and searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements made by Bush Administration officials about the threat posed by Iraq. It contains statements that were misleading based on what was known to the Administration at the time the statements were made. It does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U.S. intelligence at the time it was made, it was excluded even if it now appears erroneous.
In 2007, Waxman changed the committee's name from the Government Reform Committee to the "Oversight and Government Reform Committee," or the "Oversight Committee" for short.
Waxman and the Red Line
In 1985, Waxman sponsored a bill supported by affluent
homeowners groupsNIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for Not In My Back Yard. The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
in his district to ban federal funding for the
Red LineThe Metro Red Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a heavy rail rapid transit line in Los Angeles. It is one of Los Angeles' two rapid transit lines , and also the busiest of the five Metro Rail lines...
subway in response to a methane gas explosion in the
Fairfax DistrictThe Fairfax District is an area of neighborhoods in the Mid-City West area of Los Angeles, California.- Geography :It is roughly bordered by West Hollywood on the north, Highland Avenue on the east, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on the west and Wilshire Boulevard on the south...
. In 2005, a robust
real estateReal estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location.
"Real estate" The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin...
market, multi-dwelling construction boom, and lack of public mass transit planning on the westside caused by Waxman's bill resulted in gridlock throughout Waxman's district. At the request of Los Angeles Mayor and LACMTA Board President
Antonio VillaraigosaAntonio Ramon Villaraigosa is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He was elected on May 17, 2005, defeating incumbent mayor James Hahn, and then re-elected for a second term in 2009...
, Waxman agreed to lift the ban if a panel of five engineers found tunneling under the
Miracle MileThe Miracle Mile is an area in the Mid-Wilshire region of Los Angeles, California, consisting of a roughly one-mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax and La Brea Avenues, and the surrounding neighborhoods . It is not to be confused with the Magnificent Mile in Chicago...
stretch of Wilshire Boulevard to be safe. In October 2005, the panel decided that tunneling was possible, and on December 16, Waxman responded by announcing he would introduce a bill to the U.S. House that would lift the ban on federal money for subway tunneling in the district. This bill passed the House via unanimous vote on September 20, 2006.
Waxman maintains that the 1985 bill was sponsored in the interest of public safety and not, as some allege, to hinder access of the working classes in
SouthSouth Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A., is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central Los Angeles, and is still widely known as South Central...
and
East Los AngelesEast Los Angeles is the portion of the City of Los Angeles, California that lies east of the Los Angeles River and Downtown Los Angeles, west of the San Gabriel Valley and the unincorporated area of East Los Angeles, California and City Terrace, California, south of Cypress Park, and north of...
to his affluent district. In a letter to the
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California since 1881. It is distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States...
, Waxman cites the 2005 study: "The panel concurred as well that in 1985, the decision to hold further tunneling in abeyance was prudent, given the circumstances and extent of information and technology at that time. Much has changed since then to significantly improve tunneling and operation safety."
Jewish identity and politics
Waxman is proud of his "strong
Jewish identityJewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under the broader definition, the Jewish identity does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or...
" and has drawn political conclusions from his exploration of the religion. "
JudaismJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
is about
acting and doing the right thingTikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means, "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period...
, not simply believing in it or mindlessly following ritual," he said in a speech presented by the
University of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, nonsectarian, research university located in the University Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA...
's Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. Waxman said he applies Jewish ethical values to his congressional service. He further said that the "Jewish values" of "
human rightsHuman rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the...
,
social justiceSocial justice is a notion used to describe a society with a greater degree of economic egalitarianism through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or even property redistribution, policies aimed toward achieving that which developmental economists refer to as equality of opportunity and...
, and equal opportunities ... are synonymous with
American valuesThe development of the culture of the United States of America — History, Holidays, Sports, Religion, Cuisine, Literature, Poetry, Music, Dance, Visual Arts, Cinema, and Architecture — has been marked by a tension between two strong sources of inspiration: European ideals, especially British, and...
," and that such values "are in my opinion closer to a Democratic position." Saying it suffers from "
a culture of corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
" and "has become obsessed with secrecy," he accused the
American governmentThe federal government of the United States is the central government entity established by the United States Constitution, which shares sovereignty over the United States with the governments of the individual U.S. states. The federal government has three branches: the legislative, executive, and...
of having abandoned these values. "(The) Republican leadership ignores
presidential rules and norms-Powers of State:Because the United States is a presidential system, the President fulfils the roles of both chief of state and head of government. As chief of state, the President of the United States represents the nation at home and abroad...
and has no consideration for custom," he said.
District
Waxman's district includes
Santa MonicaSanta Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the...
,
Beverly HillsBeverly Hills is a city in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. The area's "Platinum Triangle" of wealthy neighborhoods is formed by Beverly Hills and...
,
Agoura HillsAgoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code 91301. The population was 20,537 at the 2000 census. This city on the Ventura Freeway straddles the border between the county of Los Angeles to the east, west and south and Ventura County to the north...
,
CalabasasCalabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,123. The city was formally incorporated in 1991....
,
Hidden HillsHidden Hills is an incorporated city, and also a gated development in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,875 at the 2000 census. It is located in the westernmost San Fernando Valley...
,
MalibuMalibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population is 12,575....
,
West HollywoodWest Hollywood, a city in Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984. The latest residential population estimate was 34,675. The city is well-known for its nightlife, celebrity culture, and diverse atmosphere. The city has large gay, Jewish and eastern European populations...
, and
Westlake VillageWestlake Village is an incorporated city located on the western edge of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city, located in the region known as the Conejo Valley, encompasses half of the area surrounding Westlake Lake, and small neighborhoods primarily south of U.S. Route 101 and...
as well as such areas of Los Angeles as
West Los AngelesWest Los Angeles is a district in Los Angeles, California, within a larger region known as the "Westside."-Geography and transportation:The district is bordered by Santa Monica on the west, Brentwood on the northwest, the unincorporated Sawtelle Veterans Administration grounds on the north,...
,
FairfaxThe Fairfax District is an area of neighborhoods in the Mid-City West area of Los Angeles, California.- Geography :It is roughly bordered by West Hollywood on the north, Highland Avenue on the east, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on the west and Wilshire Boulevard on the south...
,
Pacific PalisadesPacific Palisades is a district within the U.S. city of Los Angeles, California, located between Brentwood to the east, Malibu to the west, Santa Monica to the southeast, the Santa Monica Bay to the southwest, and the Santa Monica Mountains to the north. The area currently has about 27,000 residents...
,
BrentwoodBrentwood is a district in western Los Angeles, California, United States; it should not be confused with Brentwood, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California or the Brentwood area of Victorville, California....
,
BeverlywoodBeverlywood is a district on the West Side of the city of Los Angeles, California.-Geography and transportation:Beverlywood is bordered by Century City on the northwest, Cheviot Hills on the west, Palms on the southwest, Culver City on the south, Crestview on the east; South Robertson on the north...
,
TopangaTopanga is an unincorporated area in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Occupying Topanga Canyon, it is often referred to by that name...
,
ChatsworthChatsworth is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States in the San Fernando Valley region.-Geography:The district is bordered by the Santa Susana Mountains and unincorporated Los Angeles County lands to the north, Porter Ranch to the northeast, Northridge to the east, West...
,
WestwoodWestwood Village is a district in western Los Angeles, California, United States. Westwood is best known as the home of the University of California, Los Angeles . The eastern portions of the district are often thought of as a distinctly different neighborhood, Holmby Hills...
,
West HillsWest Hills is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.It is surrounded by the Chatsworth Reservoir to the north, Canoga Park to the east, Woodland Hills to the south, the city of Hidden Hills to the southwest, and the Simi Hills to the west...
and
Woodland HillsWoodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California, United States.It is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, northeast of Calabasas and west of Tarzana. To the north Woodland Hills is bordered by West Hills, Canoga Park, and Winnetka. Running east-west...
.
See also
- Hatch-Waxman Act
- Politicization of science
The politicization of science is the manipulation of science for political gain. It occurs when government, business, or interest groups use legal or economic pressure to influence the findings of scientific research or the way it is disseminated, reported or interpreted...
for a brief discussion of Waxman's work on the subject
- Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 , is a United States budget Act of Congress.-Legislative history:Senate bill passed the Senate, with a tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President Dick Cheney, and House bill passed the House 217-215. The Senate bill was signed by President George W...
for Waxman's take on whether that bill became law or not
- American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 is an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would establish a variant of a cap-and-trade plan for greenhouse gases to address climate change...
, also known as the Waxman-Markey bill, legislation for the introduction of emissions tradingEmissions trading is an administrative approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. It is sometimes called cap-and-trade or cap-and-tax....
into the United States.
- The Waxman Report - book written by Waxman
External links
Articles
- The Scariest Guy in Washington Karen Tumulty, Time, November 27, 2006
- Congressman writes White House: Did President knowingly sign law that didn't pass?, The Raw Story, March 15, 2006
- On Chalabi, Congress, and Getting Back to Work Rep. Henry Waxman, Huffington Post, November 12, 2005
- Rep. Henry Waxman on Karl Rove: "The President Said He Would Fire Anybody He Found Responsible", Democracy Now, July 12, 2005
- Red Line to Somewhere Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, Thursday, March 3, 2005, interview on subway proposal
- Waxman: Democrats' Eliot Ness David Corn
David Corn is an American political journalist and author, and is chief of the Washington bureau for Mother Jones. He has worked as the Washington editor for The Nation and has also appeared regularly on FOX News, MSNBC and National Public Radio...
, The Nation, January 27, 2005
- BuzzFlash Interviews Congressman Henry Waxman January 31, 2002
- BuzzFlash Interviews Congressman Henry Waxman December 24, 2001
- Los Angeles Times Interview: Henry Waxman Robert Scheer. LA Times, October 10, 1993