The Crypt reports that Waxman continues to be awesome by making nice with Dingell and putting him in charge of something where he's unambiguously on the right side -- health care reform:
By granting Dingell a role as "the lead sponsor" of whatever national health care legislation the committee considers, Waxman is giving the Dean of the House the chance to cap his historic career by realizing his father's goal of universal health care coverage - Dingell's father, a former House member, first introduced legislation creating national health insurance in 1943.Now, I don't know how big a role the Energy and Commerce Committee has on health care, and the real action is in the Senate anyway. But this is a sweet way for things to go. Update: the committee has jurisdiction over national health insurance.
8 comments:
A gentleman and a badass!
ungen: a thick paste used as a common food source among medieval peasants, though also useful as a coagulant in carpentry
Not only did Dingell's father introduce the first NHC bill, my understanding is for years after his election in 1956 he introduced the same bill as HR1, so I think this is a tribute not only to Dingell's dad but also to his own commitment to the issue.
You'd think that Energy and Commerce would have a role in any serious Health Care reform, as a lot of the leverage over the big health insurance companies is the power to regulate interstate commerce.
Neil,
If you go to the Energy and Commerce website and check under subcommittee jurisdictions, you will find that
"The Subcommittee on Health has jurisdiction over public health and quarantine; hospital construction; mental health and research; biomedical programs and health protection in general, including Medicaid and national health insurance; Food and drugs; and, Drug abuse."
Wow, thanks Vadranor.
Waxman is really cool, but I can't be the only person who thinks he looks really - really - funny.
"Waxman is really cool, but I can't be the only person who thinks he looks really - really - funny."
His entire head is actually made out of wax. That way, they're able to use a standard Mr. Potato Head mustache on him.
But whatever works.
There seems a decent chance we're actually going to seize the opportunity here...
Yeah, Waxman looks really weird. Not that losing the mustache would make him a hit with the ladies or anything, but I think it'd be a genuine step up.
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