Scientists & Engineers for America

Henry Waxman


Henry Waxman
D-30-CA


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Biography

WAXMAN, Henry Arnold, a Representative from California; born in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif., September 12, 1939; attended Los Angeles public schools; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., 1961; J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., 1964; lawyer, private practice; member of the California state assembly, 1969-1974; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-fourth and to the fifteen succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1975-present).

Election Update

Rep. Waxman was re-elected in 2008 and will continue to serve in the 111th Congress.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY QUESTIONNAIRE

During the 2008 elections, all candidates were invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Many answered, but Henry Waxman did not. You can still urge him to answer by contacting him through his webform today.

HENRY WAXMAN'S RECORD ON SCIENCE

Contents

[edit] Education

[edit] Energy

On November 21, 2009, Rep. Henry Waxman expressed concerns over the derivatives regulation. He said this derivatives bill might have an “unintended impact” on the electricity and natural gas markets as it was “not developed with adequate regard to how the nation’s energy markets actually function.”[1]

  • Energy Policy
    • Introduced on 5/15/2009 by Rep. Waxman and cosponsored by Rep. Markey, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) aims to create jobs, protect the environment, and increase American energy independence through new regulation of utilities and industry, as well as investment in an array of new technologies. Key provisions of this bill include: mandating that, by 2020, utilities meet 20% of their electricity demand through increased efficiency and/or renewable sources, implement new energy efficiency regulations for buildings and appliances, reduce carbon emissions from large US by more than 80% by 2050, as well as investing in new clean energy technologies and improving the energy efficiency of existing technology.

      Representative Waxman voted for this bill.

On June 27, 2009, speaking of the passage of the bill, Waxman said, "Today we are taking decisive and historic action to promote America's energy security and to create millions of clean energy jobs that will drive our economic recovery and long term growth." [2]

For several months prior to the bill's vote in the House, Rep. Waxman negotiated with members of Congress to ensure the passage of this legislation in time for the July 4th holiday break.

A major roadblock for ACES was the lack of support from Democrats in several farm-states represented by House Agricultural Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN). Several negotiation sessions between Rep. Peterson and Rep. Waxman led to the Peterson Amendment, which transferred certain responsibilities from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Department of Agriculture. [3]

  • ACES in Committee
During his opening statement[4] to the Energy and Commerce Committee on May 18, Rep. Waxman referred to a criticism of the bill continuously repeated by Republican Congress members during the June 26 House vote. "My ranking member, Joe Barton, will argue that this bill will undermine our economy. He and others will claim that there is a fundamental conflict between economic growth and clean energy." Rep. Waxman continued, citing the steady cost of the Clean Air Act.
  • Steps toward climate legislation<p>
In April of 2009, Rep. Waxman insisted that upcoming climate legislation would maintain a 20 percent decrease in greenhouse gases over the next decade. <p>“I want to keep those caps in place. It’s what the scientists are telling us we must do to avoid a global catastrophe." he said.[5] In March of 2009, Rep. Waxman promised to take action on legislation concerning energy and green house gases. He stated that, "We're more and more suffering the consequences of global warming and climate change, which scientists tell us could be irreversible if we don't take very serious action now."[6] <p>His plan would involve a “ cap-and-trade” system, which he hopes to pass by memorial day. Opponents to this plan argue that, in a time of recession across the world, the “cap-and-trade" system would cause even more financial problems. Advocates counter by saying that private sectors would prosper by this act and would keep moving America forward with new technology. Motivation to pass the bill this summer originates in the international climate talks that will take place in Copenhagen next December. [7]
  • Replacing Dingell as House Energy and Commerce Chair
Rep. Waxman challenged Rep. John Dingell's leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Dingell's critics claim he is too allied with the auto industry to promulgate effective legislation on clean-energy standards and the environment.

[8]On November 20, 2008, Representative Waxman officially captured the chairmanship from Representative Dingell in a vote of 137-122.[9]
  • Fuel Economy Standards
    • See discussion of CLEAN Energy Act under Renewable Energy section.
  • Nuclear Power
  • Renewable Energy
    • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
    • In January of 2007, the House of Representatives passed the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6). This legislation is intended to address a royalties oversight that occurred when the Department of the Interior issued leases for off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from 1998 to 1999. The bill would also deny income tax deductions for oil and gas companies. Revenues generated from these provisions would be used for the development of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources. Opponents of the bill claimed that the legislation would raise costs for the domestic production of oil and could increase foreign oil imports. Representative Waxman voted for this legislation, which passed with a vote of 264-163.

      During consideration of H.R. 6 in June of 2007, the Senate changed the focus of the legislation into developing a more comprehensive energy bill that focused on the development of renewable fuels, energy conservation, and increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. In the face of a veto threat from President Bush, the House passed the Senate version of H.R. 6 with amendments by a vote of 235-181 on December 6, 2007. Representative Waxman voted for this bill. The final Senate rendering of the bill, which passed with a vote of 86-8, still included language raising CAFE standards to 35 mpg by 2020. The final version of the bill passed in the House with a vote of 314-100 and was signed into law by President Bush on December 19, 2007.
    • In August 2007, Representative Waxman voted for the final passage of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 (H.R. 3221). The legislation would provide tax incentives to promote the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency, including guaranteeing up to $1 billion in loans for the development of biorefineries and biofuel production facilities. The measure also would repeal tax deductions to income attributed to the domestic production of oil and natural gas. It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 241-172 and was sent to the Senate.

      A controversial amendment to the bill was H. Amdt. 748 sponsored by Representative Udall. This amendment would require retail electric suppliers to provide 15% of their electricity through a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) by 2020. Representative Waxman voted for the amendment, which was adopted with a vote of 220 to 190.
  • Off Shore Drilling

[edit] Environment

  • On February 18, 2010, as the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Waxman initiated an examination of fracturing practices after two oil-field services companies admitted their violation of agreements dealing with use of diesel in hydraulic fracturing. "Hydraulic fracturing could help us unlock vast domestic natural gas reserves once thought unattainable, strengthening America's energy independence and reducing carbon emissions," said Rep. Waxman. "As we use this technology in more parts of the country on a much larger scale, we must ensure that we are not creating new environmental and public health problems." [10]
  • After the House failed to pass S. 22 under suspension of the rules (which requires 2/3 to vote for a provision, but does not allow any amendments), the Senate called an unrelated bill, (HR 146), to carry the omnibus land bill. The bill is a combination of over 150 public land bills and will designate over 2 million acres of land as wilderness, improve the management of currently protected land, establish new water projects, and more. Swapping the original legislation in HR 146 for the land bill was designed to make finalizing the bill in the House easy.

    When HR 146 was brought to the Senate, Sen. Coburn (R-OK) introduced several amendments, though only one passed:
    • Amendment 682: to make it less likely that casual stone collectors would run afoul of the criminal restrictions on taking paleontological fossils from federal land (passed)
    • Amendment 675: to stop federal officials from using the power of eminent domain to take land from citizens. Critics say this amendment was unnecessary as eminent domain would not be used in any lands included in the bill.
    • Amendment 677: to require an annual report on the total size and cost of federal property.
    • Amendment 679: to strike provisions that would block renewable-energy development on public land
    • Amendment 680: to bar new construction in national parks until the Interior secretary certifies that current sites are up to date, and
    • Amendment 683: to eliminate what Coburn considers to be "frivolous" projects
The bill passed the Senate on March 19, 2009. It passed the House by a vote of 285-140 on March 25, 2009. Representative Waxman voted for this bill. It was then signed into law by President Obama on March 30, 2009.
  • In a December 27, 2008 profile of Rep Waxman, CQ politics stated reports that "he once blocked an effort to weaken the Clean Air Act by filing 600 amendments that were wheeled in on shopping carts." CQ also notes that Waxman clashed with Rep. John Dingell on environmental issues, including once in 2008 when Dingell revived a proposal to bar California from setting tougher vehicle emissions standards than the federal government.

[edit] Climate Change

  • The Wall Street Journal reports reported that Waxman says he intends to push climate change legislation out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by Memorial Day.
  • Waxman, who was elected the new leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in November 2008 supports Barack Obama's call to cut emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by the year 2050. [11]
  • Waxman has promised that a climate bill will be pushed through the House committee in 2009. He stated that it should receive bipartisan support and that "everything, including a carbon tax, would be on the table." [12]

[edit] Health

  • On January 27, 2010, Representative Henry Waxman said he would join the panel of Republicans to send a letter to the White House calling for more transparency in the health care reform. “There is a legitimate need for transparency regarding health reform,” said Rep. Waxman. [13]
  • On January 15, 2010, Representative Waxman showed his disapprovel of the pharmaceutical industry's avowal that it would cease to support the health care reform if the Congress cuts down the proposed 12-year monopoly on biologic drugs. Since the drug industry's support for the reform has been crucial, the White House previously vowed to hand 80 billion dollars in the form of rebates, which took into account the duration of the protection of biologic drugs from competition. While the House and the Senate health care bills proposed 12 years of such protection, President Obama suggested 7 years, and Rep. Waxman argued for less. “The brand name drug companies are threatening to block health care reform for millions of Americans unless they receive virtually permanent immunity from generic competition,” said Rep. Waxman. “This is an outrageous demand. The goal of health care reform is to help struggling families not to enrich the drug companies.” [14]
  • On November 18, 2009, speaking of H1N1 vaccine production, Rep. Waxman criticized the current shortage of vaccines. “The hope was that a robust vaccine supply would arrive before infections began to soar and everyone worked as quickly as possible to meet that goal. These hopes were not met. The past several weeks have reminded us that the process of making flu vaccines is unpredictable and challenging,” said Rep. Waxman. According to the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, 49.9 million doses are currently available. As of November 18, 2009, H1N1 has infected 22 million Americans and killed 4,000 Americans.[15]
  • On November 8, 2009, speaking of the Stupak-Pitts amendment that would keep federal money from funding abortions, Rep. Waxman said there is “no guarantee” that this amendment will be included in the health care reform bill’s final version. “As the gentlemen well knows the decision is not up to one person, it will be up to the conferees and the conferees will have to be meeting with the Senate conferees in going over a number of positions,” said Rep. Waxman. “But if this amendment is adopted by the House it will be the House position as we go into conference. We will have to discuss it further and then we will see what will be the result. But no guarantee can be made by me or any other member at this time. There will be an opportunity, as you know, to instruct the conferees, which reinforces, of course, the particular part of the House bill.”[16]
  • On November 7, 2009, Rep. Henry Waxman expressed his view on the Stupak-Pitts amendment. “I think this [health care reform] bill is too important. This is a fundamental change some of us have been working on our whole careers to accomplish, and I think we’ve got to keep moving this forward,” said Rep. Waxman.[17]
  • On October 29, 2009, Rep. Henry Waxman expressed his firm stance on excluding illegal immigrants from government health insurance coverage in the health care reform bill. “No government funds will be used to pay for illegal immigrants to get health care coverage,” said Rep. Henry Waxman. However, he did not contest the rights of illegal immigrants to purchase private insurance. “Can they buy a car? They’re people doing business in the U.S.,” he said.[18]


  • On October 14th, 2009, a bill that would promote AIDS treatment for low-income patients was approved by the House subcommittee. If this bill becomes law, the government can fund up to 2.5 billion dollars in the treatment of patients who are suffering from immunodeficiency diseases. Expressing approval of this bill, Representative Waxman said, “Without this critical safety net, some of our nation’s most vulnerable populations would not receive the care and treatment they need and rightfully deserve.”[19]
  • On October 13th, 2009, the Senate Finance Committee adopted a health care reform bill. As one of the main creators of this bill, Representative Waxman expressed appreciation. “I’m pleased they passed a bill,” he said. [20]


  • In August 2009, Representative Waxman asserted that drug makers must pay rebates to the 6.4 million dual-eligible patients who were added to Medicare in 2006. Dual-eligibles are elderly or disabled patients who qualify for benefits under both Medicaid and Medicare programs. According to Representative Waxman, such change would bring a multi-billion dollar “windfall” to the drug companies that provide medicine in the Medicare program because the government would no longer be able to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies as it did with Medicaid. “We want it back,” said Mr. Waxman. “We want to make sure the windfall for the drug companies does not continue, and we want to recover the money that has been a windfall.” Despite the fierce opposition of the drug companies, which contend that they have already finished planning a costly overhaul with the government, Representative Waxman maintained his position. “We don’t have any deal with them, and the whole enterprise of doing health insurance for all Americans isn’t to make the drug companies happy, or wealthier,” he said. “They’re going to make a lot of money when we insure all Americans. There’s no argument for them to get a windfall.” [21]
  • Template:Vote-HHRAndEducationAndAppropriations2010
  • Introduced on March 3, 2009 by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1256) aims to increase the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regulating tobacco in America. The legislation would empower the FDA to require larger warning labels on cigarette packaging, control nicotine levels, and regulate the advertising and marketing of cigarettes. During the 110th Congress, an identical bill had passed in the House in July of 2008 but was never considered in the Senate. The current bill passed in the House on April 2, 2009 by a vote of 298-112. Representative Waxman voted for this bill. The Obama administration has released a statement in support of the bill and Senator Edward Kennedy stated that “the Senate will approve it expeditiously.”
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
  • Rep. Henry Waxman created a bill that would allow generic drug manufacturers to make copies of biologics. Rep. Waxman is pushing for a five year exclusivity period as opposed to the 14 years desired by biologics companies. The bill would require that generic drugs be accompanied by proof of their equivalence to biologics, thus eliminating the extensive clinical trials that biologics must pass. The bill is expected to face much opposition. Sen. Joe Barton and Sen. Anna Eshoo pushed for a similar bill in 2007 that required a 14 year long exclusivity period. Biologic companies are not opposed to this act so long as extensive clinical trials are also conducted on the generic drugs. [22]
  • On January 29, 2009, Waxman weighed in on the timeline for healthcare reform. Unlike some of his colleagues, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) and Rep. Pete Stark, Waxman thinks the overhaul must be done this year. "We need to get this job accomplished this year and get the bill to the president . . .,” Waxman said at a conference, adding that he is "committed to getting it done this year."[23]

[edit] Health Care

  • Waxman released the following statement with other House Democrat Leaders, reaffirming his commitment to permanent reform of the Medicare physician payment formula,[24]
"The House remains committed to a permanent reform in Medicare physician payments. Fair payment and strong physician participation are essential for the stability of Medicare and to maintain access to care for its beneficiaries. While we are disappointed in the Senate vote, the House remains strongly committed to addressing this critical issue, while respecting the commitment to statutory "pay-go" outlined in a letter earlier this year from the Speaker and the Leader. We are confident that we will enact the payment reform this year."
  • On July 22, 2009, Representative Waxman discussed ongoing efforts to secure price reductions on drugs manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry. President Obama has obtained a promise from the industry to provide $80 billion in cost-savings over the next 10 years, a deal that the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Baucus, has signed on to. However, in his capacity as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Waxman said, "I know they have a deal with the Senate, and I think they do have a deal with the White House, but I don’t know how pinned down it all is. But they don’t have a deal with us — the House." Waxman is pushing for an additional $63 billion in consessions from the drug industry. He has also weighed in on the debate over generic drugs. The Senate health committee voted to give companies 12 years of exclusive marketing rights on a new drug, President Obama thinks the line should be set at 7 years, while Waxman has pushed for a limit of only 5 years, saying, "There’s no justification for giving them monopoly pricing for their drugs for such a long period of time."[25]
  • After being vetoed twice by President Bush in 2007, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (H.R. 2) bill was reintroduced in the 111th Congress on January 13, 2009. SCHIP provides a subsidy for children’s insurance for families that cannot afford private insurance yet earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. The cost of the program is funded by an increase in cigarette taxes of 62 cents per pack. The House of Representatives voted 289-139 to pass the bill on January 14, 2009. Representative Waxman voted for this bill. The Senate also passed SCHIP, and it was signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009.
  • In April of 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (H.R. 493) with a vote of 420-3. Representative Waxman voted for this bill. If enacted, GINA will prevent health insurance companies from adjusting premiums on the basis of genetic information and forbid requiring individuals to undergo genetic tests. The bill will also prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of genetic information. This legislation was passed by the Senate in a vote of 95-0. The House passed the Senate amended version of the bill on May 1, 2008, by a vote of 415-1. Rep Ron Paul was the only representative to vote against the bill. President Bush signed GINA into law on May 21, 2008.
  • On July 15, 2008, both Houses of Congress voted to override President Bush’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 6331), a bill to put off an almost 11% cut of payments to doctors who care for Medicare patients. The legislation offset putting off the payment cuts for doctors by reducing reimbursements to insurance companies that include Medicare patients in their managed-care programs.[1] The House voted 383 to 41 in favor of a veto override. Representative Waxman voted for this legislation.
  • Waxman introduced the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1108). The bill would give the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products. The House Committee on Energy Committee approved the bill April 2, 2008, and is scheduled to be considered by the full House later in the Spring.

[edit] Embryonic Stem Cell Research

  • In December 2005, Congress passed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 2520), which President Bush signed on December 20, 2005. The law "creates a new Federal program to collect and store cord blood, and expands the current bone marrow registry program to also include cord blood." Representative Waxman voted for this bill. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 431-1 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

[edit] Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research

[edit] Innovation

  • Stimulus
    • On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1). This stimulus bill contains over $30 billion for energy initiatives including the Smart Grid Investment Program and advanced battery systems; $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy for both businesses and homes; over $8 billion for augmenting energy efficiency in federal buildings and housing programs; and $7 billion to extend broadband service to underserved communities. The Act also gives the National Science Foundation $3 billion for research; the National Institutes of Health over $10 billion for research and renovations; NASA $1 billion, a portion of which to employ more scientists; and the Department Of Energy’s Office of Science $1.6 billion for energy research. Finally, it provides $19 billion for a modernized Health Information Technology (HIT) system; $87 billion to help fund Medicaid programs; $1 billion for health prevention programs; subsidies for temporary insurance; and $19 billion for clean water and environmental restoration programs. For a more complete listing of the bill’s provisions, click here.

      It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 246-183 on February 13th and passed the Senate on February 13th. Representative Waxman voted for this bill.
  • COMPETES Act

[edit] Research and Research Management

  • Funding
    • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
    • In May of 2007, Representative Waxman voted for the final passage of the National Science Foundation Funding Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 1867), which authorizes appropriations for the National Science Foundation for the fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The final vote count was 399 to 17.

      During debate on this legislation, H. Amdt. 128 was offered by Rep. Honda that will allow the NSF to support the creation of K-12 curriculum focused on global warming, climate change, and actions people can take to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Rep. Sullivan of Oklahoma offered a secondary amendment, H. Amdt. 129, that would have required the education materials referenced in Rep. Honda’s amendment to "reflect the diversity of scientific opinion, including the diversity of opinion regarding the impact of human activities on climate change." Congressional Democrats criticized the Sullivan amendment as seeming "to suggest that there is an equal weight of evidence against that perspective [that humans are causing climate change] as there is in favor of it" (read the full debate). The Sullivan amendment failed by a vote of 166 to 250. The Honda Amendment passed by a vote of 252 to 165.

      Representative Waxman voted against the Sullivan amendment and voted for the Honda Amendment.

[edit] Technology

  • On March 4, 2010, a claim was made that the stimulus spending was wasted on building broadband in areas with existing networks and thus, failed to meet mandate. During the oversight hearing at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, Waxman claimed[26], in defense of the funds, that the second round of funding requirements focused to quicken and broaden the spectrum of networks in areas where they were already available. He states[27] that he is "confident" that the agencies "have been managing this program diligently."
  • On October 15th, 2009, House of Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed the Local Community Radio Act, which would lower the limitations on low power FM (LPFM) stations, and subsequently avail numerous listeners to gain access to public airwaves. One of the chief supporters of this bill, Chairman Henry Waxman said, “As a longtime advocate of expanding low power FM radio services and the dynamic contribution they make to localism, a bedrock of our communication laws, I am please that the Committee is acting on this important bipartisan measure. Low power FM stations provide diverse, locally-originated programming that serves the needs of the community.”[28]
  • On October 14th, 2009, Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and other members of the House of Representatives began investigating top telecom companies for practices of “traffic pumping,” including routing conference and adult calls, which can cost more than ordinary phone calls.


  • On March 18, 2009, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) introduced the Electronic Waste Research and Development Act (HR 1580) which works to reduce the waste caused by dumping unwanted electronics and to boost awareness of how to recycle such products. The bill would fund increased research on how to separate out hazardous material from waste as well as fund grants to universities to create curriculums to help in the reduction of this waste. HR 1580 passed in the House by voice vote on April 22, 2009. Representative Waxman voted for this legislation.
  • See stimulus discussion under Innovation section.
  • In the summer of 2008, the House met to consider the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 6304), which would give retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that wiretapped customers’ phones for the Bush administration shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The legislation also allows the warrantless wiretapping of American citizens for up to 7 days before obtaining court approval. The House passed the bill with a vote of 293 to 129, and the legislation was signed by President Bush on July 7, 2008. Representative Waxman voted against this legislation.

[edit] Endnotes

  1. ↑ http://thehill.com/homenews/house/68995-energy-turf-battles-loom-as-waxman-markey-attack-derivatives-bill
  2. ↑ Committee on Energy and Commerce http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1697:house-passes-historic-waxman-markey-clean-energy-bill&catid=155:statements&Itemid=55
  3. ↑ http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_55242.shtml
  4. ↑ http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090518/haw_open.pdf
  5. ↑ <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaE9Lr1448tM>
  6. ↑ Skiba, Katherine, and Amanda Ruggeri. "On Climate Change, Henry Waxman Wants Congress to Act Now." U.S. News 11 Mar. 2009. 16 Mar. 2009 <http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/energy/2009/03/11/on-climate-change-henry-waxman-wants-congress-to-act-now.html?PageNr=1>.
  7. ↑ Skiba, Katherine, and Amanda Ruggeri. "On Climate Change, Henry Waxman Wants Congress to Act Now." U.S. News 11 Mar. 2009. 16 Mar. 2009 <http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/energy/2009/03/11/on-climate-change-henry-waxman-wants-congress-to-act-now.html?PageNr=1>
  8. ↑ Lee Davidson, Matheson Defending House Energy Chairman, Desert News, Nov. 18, 2008.
  9. ↑ Janet Hook and Richard Simon, "Waxman expected to advance Obama's climate agenda as new energy committee chairman," LA Times. November 21, 2008, http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-waxman21-2008nov21,0,2676793.story?page=1
  10. ↑ Two Oil-Field Companies Acknowledge Fracking With Diesel http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/19/19greenwire-two-oil-field-companies-acknowledge-fracking-w-90863.html
  11. ↑ Eli Kintisch. "The Waxman Cometh." Science. November 20 2008. http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/1120/1?etoc
  12. ↑ Jean Chemnick. "US climate bill will move through House committee in 2009: Waxman." Platts. January 9, 2009. http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/8278280.xml?sub=Electric%20Power&p=Electric%20Power/News&?undefined&undefined
  13. ↑ Waxman Requests Information on White House Deals http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/waxman-requests-information-on-white-house-deals/
  14. ↑ Drug Industry Group Threatens to Withdraw Support
  15. ↑ H1N1 Vaccine Production Plodding, But 49.9 Million Doses Available http://talkradionews.com/2009/11/h1n1-vaccine-production-plodding-but-49-9-million-doses-available/
  16. ↑ Waxman Says "No Guarantee" Amendment Prohibiting Abortion Funding Will Be Retained in Final Version of Health Care Bill http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56840
  17. ↑ Stupak-Pitts Pro-life amendment vote today on House floor http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2009/nov/07/stupak-pitts-pro-life-amendment-vote-today-house-f/
  18. ↑ Waxman: No Gov't Health Insuranace for Illegals http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/29/waxman-govt-health-insurance-illegals/
  19. ↑ House Subcommittee Passes Bill To Fund AIDS Treatment http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091014-714515.html
  20. ↑ House Democratic Leadership Tepid on Senate Finance Committee bill http://congress.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/13/house-democratic-leadership-tepid-on-senate-finance-committee-bill/
  21. ↑ Waxman Takes on Drug Makers Over Medicare http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/health/policy/26dual.html
  22. ↑ Mundy, Alicia. "Firms Prepare for a Fight Over Generic Drugs." The Wall Street Journal 12 Mar. 2009. 16 Mar. 2009 <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123682034697503187.html>.
  23. ↑ Jeffrey Young, Waxman: ‘I’m committed’ to health reform in 2009, The Hill, January 29, 2009.
  24. ↑ Reuters Oct. 21, 2009
  25. ↑ Wilson, Duff. "More Cost Cuts Sought From Drug Industry ." New York Times 22 July 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/business/23pharma.html
  26. ↑ http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/84979-republicans-attack-broadband-stimlus-projects
  27. ↑ http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/84979-republicans-attack-broadband-stimlus-projects
  28. ↑ House Committee unanimously backs community radio bill http://reclaimthemedia.org/grassroots_media/house_energy_committee_unanimo1542
  29. ↑ Waxman Scrutinizes Traffic Pumping After Google Voice Inquiry http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/10/rep_waxman_scrutinizes_traffic.html
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    NextGov -- The Federal Communications Commission will propose creating a $4.6 billion Connect America fund to support the deployment and adoption of high-speed Internet service in low-income and rural areas as part of a 10-year overhaul of an existing telecommunications subsidy program. [Read more]
  • A need for new nukes? "Modular reactors" for energy attract interest
    Scientific American -- There is no doubt that the up-front cost of conventional nuclear power plants is high compared with any alternatives. One idea is to create enclosed, small "modular reactors," like the one developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The small reactors would cost $50-million and be an enclosed reactor [Read more]
  • Three States Sue EPA Over Global Warming Ruling
    FOX News -- Texas, Alabama and Virginia, all led by Republican governors, have filed petitions since December, when the EPA ruled that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide endanger human health, clearing the path for the agency to issue mandatory regulations to reduce them.  As the EPA grapples with the lawsuits, Congress [Read more]
  • School’s Shake-Up Is Embraced by the President
    NY Times -- A Rhode Island school board’s decision to fire the entire faculty of a poorly performing school, and President Obama’s endorsement of the action, has stirred a storm of reaction nationwide, with teachers condemning it as an insult and conservatives hailing it as a watershed moment of school accountability. [Read more]
  • The poor don't care about broadband? Of course they do
    Ars Technica -- a new study suggests that this community of broadband outsiders is rapidly disappearing from the landscape, particularly among low income Americans.  "We found no such group," concludes the Social Science Research Council, "even among respondents with profound histories of marginalization—the homeless, non-English speakers from new immigrant communities, [Read more]
  • Success adds up for D.C. schools' math program
    Washington Post -- Camille Jackson's approach is part of a math curriculum that is yielding promising results for D.C. public school children. The road to mastery no longer runs strictly through rote memorization and drilling, District educators say.  They say they think the shift is paying off. December results for the [Read more]
  • Government maps path to geospatial data
    Federal Computer Week -- Karen Siderelis is the geospatial information officer at the Interior Department, where she is responsible for coordinating geospatial information activities across the department’s nine bureaus. Siderelis, not surprisingly, is also is trying to help federal agencies become, as she describes it, more [Read more]
  • Democrats Revolt Over Energy
    Wall Street Journal -- On Thursday, big utility operators and some state officials blasted the administration's formal announcement that it would drop plans for a federal nuclear-waste vault beneath Yucca Mountain, Nev., and instead consider what it believes are better options. On Capitol Hill, a group of Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to block the administration [Read more]
  • More bucks for advanced biofuels?
    Washington Post -- What is a "subsidy" to an industry that truly needs and deserves it? An "incentive." That's what would-be makers of cellulosic ethanol are seeking in a letter sent Wednesday to the chairmen and ranking Republicans of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees. As it happens, the letter - signed [Read more]
  • $100 Million in Stimulus Funds for Green Tech
    New York Times -- The Department of Energy announced this week that $100 million in stimulus funds would be distributed to help accelerate innovation in green technology. “The idea is to get a whole ecosystem of innovative technologies,” said Arun Majumdar, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, which is managing the [Read more]
  • Bipartisan Senate group seeks long-term offshore wind credits
    The Hill -- Four senators are pushing legislation that would ensure long-term tax credits for the fledgling offshore wind industry.  Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced a bill Wednesday to extend production and investment tax credits for coastal projects until 2020.  There are currently no U.S. [Read more]
  • Coal-State Dems Unveil Bills Stalling EPA Emission Curbs
    Greenwire -- Four influential coal-state Democrats introduced companion bills in the House and Senate today that would block U.S. EPA from implementing any climate-related stationary source rules for two years, a timeout of sorts that they think gives Congress time to pass legislation dealing with the issue. Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia [Read more]
  • Jump-starting nuclear energy
    LA Times  (Opinion) -- President Obama's announcement that the federal government would guarantee loans for two advanced-design nuclear plants in Georgia was good news.  The commitment jump-starts the U.S. nuclear energy industry at a time when we have begun to understand that nuclear energy has a substantial role to play in combating climate change and [Read more]
  • High-tech will help spur economic recovery
    Politico (Opinion) -- During the past decade, new platforms and technologies — such as virtualization, WiFi, cloud computing, mobility and social networks — have spurred new levels of efficiency, collaboration and cost savings. They created the likes of Google, My­Space, Facebook and Twitter. A recent Democratic Leadership Council study found that investment and recovery go [Read more]
  • Green tech seeks its 'Netscape moment'
    CNET -- The ARPA-E Summit, a conference designed to showcase potential breakthrough clean-energy technologies, started on Monday, attracting some 1,700 investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers all vying to reinvent the energy infrastructure to be cleaner and more efficient.  Given the makeup of the group, the mood is optimistic that new technologies can shake up even the [Read more]
  • Is ARPA-E Enough to Keep the U.S. on the Cutting-Edge of a Clean Energy Revolution?
    Scientific American -- A host of speakers regarded ARPA–E's effort as an Apollo project, a Manhattan project, and Mike Splinter, CEO of Applied Materials, even called for ARPA–E to be part of a potential Marshall Plan for energy—a road map to a future of clean power, complete with the Hoover Dam of solar, or the [Read more]
  • Jackson: Effort to stop EPA 'step backward' for science if successful
    The Hill -- EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson blasted an effort in Congress to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.  She said the effort would be an “enormous step backward for science” if successful.  Jackson defended EPA’s finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health and welfare. That "endangerment" finding requires [Read more]
  • NASA Chief Bolden Seeks 'Plan B' for the Space Agency
    Wall Street Jounal -- NASA chief Charles Bolden has asked senior managers to draw up an alternate plan for the space agency after members of Congress indicated they wanted to reject a White House proposal to hire private companies to ferry U.S. astronauts into orbit and beyond. In an internal National Aeronautics and Space Administration [Read more]
  • Four Democratic senators aim to halt stimulus wind project
    Washington Post -- A group of Democratic senators called Wednesday for the government to halt a federal stimulus program aimed at building wind farms and other clean-energy projects, arguing that too much of the money spent so far has gone to create jobs overseas.  The Obama administration and wind-energy advocates strongly disputed the criticism by [Read more]
  • Texas-based refiners pledge to fund fight against California's global warming law
    LA Times -- Two Texas-based refinery giants have pledged as much as $2 million to fund signature gathering for a ballot initiative to suspend California's landmark global warming law, according to Sacramento sources.  The companies, Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., own refineries in California that would be forced under the law to slash emissions [Read more]
  • EPA Makes Polluters Pay Less
    Wall Street Journal -- The Environmental Protection Agency is riling many businesses with proposals to regulate greenhouse gases for the first time, but data suggest it has been slow out of the gate under President Barack Obama in enforcing existing regulations on traditional pollutants. In fiscal 2009, the EPA's enforcement office required polluters to spend [Read more]
  • Space Coast lobbyists run into economic reality
    Orlando Sentinel -- With just four space shuttle missions left and 23,000 job losses looming when the orbiters stop flying, Gov. Charlie Crist and aerospace-industry leaders are making a big push to help the state's struggling space sector in this year's legislative session.  But Florida's dismal economic realities are threatening to derail the effort.  In [Read more]
 
 

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