I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
New Mexico Rep.-elect Harry Teague is taking his first stand as a Democratic member of the U.S. House — before he is even officially sworn in.
Rep. Henry Waxman of California is taking on Rep. John Dingell of Michigan in a Democratic battle for the chairmanship of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. And Teague has already decided to back Dingell, according to The Crypt, a blog from Politico.
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle’s office distributed a list on Tuesday of three newly elected lawmakers who are supporting Dingell. Michigan’s two newest Democrats — Gary Peters and Mark Shauer — and Rep.-elect Harry Teague of New Mexico are backing the chairman to keep his gavel. Doyle is part of Dingell’s whip team trying to help him retain the chairmanship.
So what is this leadership battle about?
Marc Ambinder, political blogger for The Atlantic, writes it is all about power; the Energy and Commerce Committee will be among the most powerful committees in the House under a Barack Obama administration that will emphasize energy policy.
Waxman wants the job for obvious reasons: the committee will be the most powerful in the new Congress, one that’ll deal with health care and energy legislation. (Ways and Means? Pleghghgh.) A lot of impatient liberal Democrats want to see Dingell go; he is too old, too blinkered in his thinking and too at odds with the party on energy, they say; just as many, it seems, want him to say, including some influential members of the leadership, even if for reasons of preserving the integrity of the seniority system.
And this power-grab isn’t new to Congress – or to Waxman.
Our sister site, the Washington Independent, writes this is similar to a battle 30 years ago where then-Rep. Richardson Preyer of North Carolina was ousted as head of a subcommittee by none other than Waxman, way back in 1979:
The big domestic issue of the day was health care. President Jimmy Carter was pushing legislation tackling rising hospital costs and health insurance policy. Representing North Carolina, Preyer was naturally a defender of the tobacco industry, which made him no friend of cancer groups. Also, his family was heavily invested in the pharmaceutical industry. Critics, including Waxman, accused him of having conflicts of interest.
Of course, Teague may not even get a chance to vote.
Again from Ambinder:
Senior Democratic aides expect that the vote will go to the full caucus; all the loser of the steering committee vote has to do is present a letter with 35 House members. The full vote would be Thursday via secret ballot.
The steering committee vote is today. If it is clear that the loser does not have the votes to win the seat in the a full caucus, he will not ask for a vote of the full caucus. But if it is unclear, look for a pitched battle between Waxman and Dingell.
