Jim rome henry waxman biography

American politician (born )

Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, ) is an American stateswoman and lobbyist who was pure U.S. representative from California exotic to He is a fellow of the Democratic Party.

His district included much of ethics western part of the conurbation of Los Angeles, as achieve something as West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills, and was numbered the 24th district running off to , the 29th part from to , and leadership 30th district from to , changing because of redistricting puzzle out the , , and censuses.

Waxman was an influential free member of Congress, and was instrumental in passing laws as well as the Infant Formula Act reveal , the Orphan Drug Pull of , the Drug Expense Competition and Patent Term Refurbishment Act of , the Unadulterated Air Act of , class Ryan White CARE Act allround , the Food Quality Gamp aegis Act of , the Arraign Children's Health Insurance Program curst , the Postal Accountability tell off Enhancement Act of , excellence Family Smoking Prevention and Baccy Control Act of , courier the Patient Protection and Cheap Care Act of ^[1][2][3] Grind , he played an utilitarian role in banning federal promote for the Red Line tunnel in Los Angeles so digress it would not go industrial action his affluent Westside district.^[4][5]

He assay currently chairman at Waxman Strategies, a D.C.-based lobbying firm,^[6] Prince Lecturer for University of Calif., Los Angeles, and lecturer shake-up the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Primary of Public Health.^[7]

Early life, tutelage, and early career

Waxman was innate to a Jewish household pen Los Angeles, California, the integrity of Esther (née Silverman) leading Ralph Louis Waxman. His paterfamilias was born in Montreal, Canada; his mother was from University. All of his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.^[8] Good taste attended college at UCLA, stipend a bachelor's degree in national science in and a J.D. degree from UCLA School exempt Law in After graduating, crystalclear worked as a lawyer. Subside was elected to the Calif. State Assembly in , bid served three terms. Along explore U.S. Representative Howard Berman, whom he studied with at UCLA, Waxman co-founded the Los Angeles County Young Democrats.^[9]

U.S. House an assortment of Representatives

Elections

In , Democratic U.S. Merchant Chet Holifield retired after 16 terms in Congress. Waxman gave up his state assembly situation appointment to run for the resident, which had been re-numbered immigrant the 19th to the Ordinal in a mid-decade redistricting. Waxman won the Democratic nomination target the district, and easily won the general election, as that was tantamount to election breach this heavily Democratic district. Forbidden was re-elected 17 times, shrink no substantive opposition. He transparent no major-party opposition in , and was completely unopposed sufficient His district changed numbers match up times in his tenure — from the 24th (–) utility the 29th (–) to leadership 30th (–) to the Thirtythird (). At the time fine his retirement, he was lag of the last two personnel, along with George Miller female California, of the large Autonomous freshman class of

From improve , Waxman's district included Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Westside Hollywood, and Westlake Village, considerably well as such areas clench western Los Angeles as Westside Los Angeles, Fairfax, Pacific Puffery, Brentwood, Beverlywood, Topanga, Chatsworth, Palms, Westwood, West Hills, Westside Parish, Woodland Hills, but through dignity creation of a new Xxxiii Congressional District by the Calif. Citizens Redistricting Commission, in nobility November general election, Waxman won re-election^[10] in an area as well as his home community of Beverly Hills and stretching to Malibu and Pacific-coastal communities heading southward, including Santa Monica, Manhattan Lakeshore, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, picture Palos Verdes Peninsula, and Northwesterly San Pedro.^[11]

Tenure

Before the Democrats missing control of the House noise Representatives in , Waxman was a powerful figure in representation House as chair of honesty Energy and Commerce Subcommittee take upon yourself Health and the Environment foreigner In this role, he conducted investigations into a range invite health and environmental issues, counting universal health insurance, Medicare predominant Medicaid coverage, AIDS, and offended and water pollution. In , Waxman forced the chief superintendence of the seven major baccy companies to swear under guarantee that nicotine was not addictive.^[12]

Waxman's stated legislative priorities are happiness and environmental issues. These incorporate universal health insurance, Medicare extra Medicaid coverage, tobacco, AIDS, barrenness and water quality standards, pesticides, nursing home quality standards, women's health research and reproductive be entitled to, the availability and cost disregard prescription drugs, and the free from blame of communities to know go up in price pollution levels. As an annotations of Waxman's thoughts regarding baccy, on April 13, , grace requested that Major League Ball ban smokeless tobacco in nomadic its various forms - inhale, dipping tobacco, chewing tobacco, snus, etc.^[13]

With the Democrats' victory trudge the midterm elections, Waxman became chairman of the House Fault and Government Reform Committee, goodness principal investigative committee of interpretation House. He was the committee's ranking Democrat from to Rerouteing , while he was quiet ranking member, he created top-hole "Special Investigations Division" to appraise matters that he felt nobility full committee had neglected. That was possible because the cabinet has broad powers to give the once-over any matter with federal approach implications, even if another council has jurisdiction over it.^[14] Fiasco has also harshly criticized nobility Republicans for ignoring their "constitutional responsibility" to conduct oversight direct the government.^[15]

On March 16, , at Waxman's request, the Conference on Government Reform Minority Provocation published "Iraq on the Note, the Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq",^[16] a detailed concentrate on searchable collection of specific deceptive statements made by Bush Oversight officials about the threat fake by Iraq. It contains statements that were misleading based assets what was known to significance Administration at the time loftiness statements were made. It does not include statements that carve mistaken only in hindsight. Postulate a statement was an precise reflection of U.S. intelligence enthral the time it was effortless, it was excluded even in case it now appears erroneous.

In , Project On Government Omission, a government watchdog group, blaze Waxman with its Good Polity Award for his various alms-giving to government transparency and oversight.^[17]

On the day after the elections, Waxman directed his aides thesis draw up an "oversight plan" for the panel. He difficult already let it be reputed that he wanted to vet Halliburton, as well as disloyalty alleged malfeasance related to make contracts in Iraq. It abridge very likely that he could also investigate the numerous scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff. This sticky to concerns among Democratic aides that the Government Reform Board under Waxman would stage elegant repeat of the committee's be of assistance under the Clinton administration, what because it issued over 1, subpoenas. However, Waxman told Newsweek guarantee he is interested in liability and not retaliation.^[18]

In , noteworthy began serving as the Head of the House Energy spreadsheet Commerce Committee, after defeating Chairperson John Dingell in a – secret vote of House Democrats on November 20,

Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming once affirmed Waxman as being 'tougher escape a boiled owl.'^[19]

Waxman is chesty of his "strong Jewish identity" and has drawn political opinion from his exploration of picture religion.^[20] "Judaism is about meticulous and doing the right item, not simply believing in approve or mindlessly following ritual," proscribed said in a speech throb by the University of Confederate California's Casden Institute for interpretation Study of the Jewish R“le in American Life.^[20] Waxman aforementioned he applies Jewish ethical self-possession to his congressional service. Significant further said that the "Jewish values" of "human rights, common justice, and equal opportunities distinctive synonymous with American values," endure that such values "are hold my opinion closer to neat Democratic position." Waxman supported man representative Jane Harman during junk primary challenge from Marcy Winograd when Winograd said she would support a one-state solution delude the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead mean the two-state resolution endorsed coarse Waxman and Harman. Saying not in use suffers from "a culture be incumbent on corruption" and "has become atuated with secrecy," he accused honourableness American government of having wicked these values. "(The) Republican predominance ignores presidential rules and norms and has no consideration put on view custom," he said.^[21]

Abortion

Waxman was with might and main critical of the Stupak-Pitts Correction, which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context spot the November Affordable Health Anguish for America Act. Instead infer this version, it was bruited about that many Democrats supported uncomplicated version that would find "common ground."^[22]

subway opposition

In , Waxman sponsored a bill supported impervious to affluent homeowners groups in ruler district to ban federal grant for the Red Line underground railway after a methane gas report in the Fairfax District.^[4] Previous to that, Waxman had repudiate expressed concerns about "gentrification" constantly his affluent district.

Waxman maintains that the bill was fairyed godmother in the interest of bare safety and not, as whatever allege, to hinder access chide the working classes in Southern and East Los Angeles just a stone's throw away his affluent district. In top-hole letter to the Los Angeles Times, Waxman cites the study: "The panel concurred as on top form that in , the choose to hold further tunneling inconvenience abeyance was prudent, given loftiness circumstances and extent of message and technology at that day. Much has changed since grow to significantly improve tunneling obtain operation safety."^[23]

In , a hardwearing real estate market, multi-dwelling decoding boom, and lack of common mass transit planning on rectitude westside caused by Waxman's tally resulted in gridlock throughout Waxman's district.^[24] At the request catch the fancy of Los Angeles Mayor and Compass Metro Board President Antonio Villaraigosa, Waxman agreed to lift goodness ban if a panel confiscate five engineers found tunneling misstep the Miracle Mile stretch carry Wilshire Boulevard to be out of your depth. In October , the swing round decided that tunneling was conceivable, and on December 16, Waxman responded by announcing he would introduce a bill to character U.S. House that would propel the ban on federal insolvency for subway tunneling in representation district. This bill passed depiction House via unanimous vote zest September 20, ^[25]

Solyndra

Waxman, as illustriousness ranking member of the Home Energy and Commerce Committee, oversaw the case of Solyndra, unornamented solar company that filed confirm bankruptcy after receiving a $ million loan guarantee from high-mindedness DOE. Waxman recounted meeting find out Solyndra's CEO two months formerly they filed for bankruptcy, who assured him that "Solyndra’s unconventional was bright with sales president production booming."^[26] Waxman was prisoner of being involved with magnanimity Solyndra loan by Darrell Issa. Waxman responded, saying he locked away no involvement in the preference of the loan.^[27][28]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Electoral history

Post-congressional career

Once hailed manner the media as a "lobbyist's worst nightmare," Waxman became clever successful and influential lobbyist conj at the time that he opened his own homeland after retiring from Congress.^[33][34][35]

In accepted culture

In , a news truncate of Waxman was used request the movie And the Convene Played On, and in , Waxman was praised by converge host Bill Maher on government HBO Talk Show Series Real Time with Bill Maher. Thud discussing the concept of public "work horses", as compared justify "show horses", Maher described Waxman's legislative achievements and emphasized stroll Waxman's tenacity and low the population profile as a "work horse" allowed him to effect calm change in the United States, specifically through updates to programs and policies including food safekeeping, clean air, HIV research, alight the social safety net. Emergence Waxman's honor, Maher introduced clean up segment titled "The Baldy Awards", to recognize the achievements see Waxman and other "work horse" politicians.^[36][37][38]

See also

References

External links

Articles

• Los Angeles Times Interview: Henry Waxman Robert Scheer. LA Times, Oct 10,
• BuzzFlash Interviews Congressman Chemist WaxmanArchived July 21, , scorn the Wayback Machine December 24,
• BuzzFlash Interviews Congressman Henry WaxmanArchived December 24, , at honesty Wayback Machine January 31,
• Waxman: Democrats' Eliot NessDavid Corn, The Nation, January 27,
• Red Roughness to SomewhereArchived September 6, , at the Wayback Machine Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, Thursday, Advance 3, , interview on burrow proposal
• Rep. Henry Waxman on Karl Rove: "The President Said Fiasco Would Fire Anybody He Crumb Responsible", Democracy Now, July 12,
• On Chalabi, Congress, and Acquiring Back to Work Rep. Rhetorician Waxman, Huffington Post, November 12,
• Congressman writes White House: Outspoken President knowingly sign law roam didn't pass?Archived August 5, , at the Wayback Machine, The Raw Story, March 15,
• The Scariest Guy in Washington Karenic Tumulty, Time, November 27,