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WAXMAN TAKES CONTROL IN THE HOUSE
By Lee Becthel, NHF National Lobbyist
November 24, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
WAXMAN TAKES CONTROL IN THE HOUSE
By Lee Becthel, NHF National Lobbyist
November 24, 2008
In case you may have missed it, on Thursday, November 20, the House Democratic Caucus, which is composed of ALL of the current and newly-elected Democratic Members in the House of Representatives, narrowly voted in favor of Henry Waxman (D-CA) to be the next Chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, over Representative John Dingell (D-MI), the 28-year veteran. Many Washington insiders were not expecting this. The Committee has jurisdiction over health care and most importantly the affairs of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Caucus vote for Waxman, an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, shows the control of the Speaker and it is easy to draw the conclusion, the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party will have over the direction the party will take, at least in the House of Representatives. According to one press account of the Caucus meeting and the secret vote, 18 of the 26 newly-elected Democratic members of the incoming Congress voted for Waxman over Dingell.
In dethroning Dingell, a more-moderate politician and a pragmatist, it is clearer that the "liberal" wing of the Democratic Party will be in charge of the public-policy direction of the new Congress. The Democrat-controlled Senate, philosophically, is not far behind with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a close ally of the President-elect and second in command in the Senate, and with Senator Edward Kennedy heading the key Senate FDA committee. What does this mean for health freedom in the next two years of Congress, and for shaping U.S. health-freedom policies on the international front as well?
It may not appear to be much, but this change politically translates into much in terms of defending health freedom in both the U.S. and abroad. In particular, it means a heavier burden for us, in having to defeat legislation and laws mandating more federal government control over people's lives and decisions, regardless of whether the issues involve government-run health insurance, more FDA domestic interference with supplements and nutritional foods, the influence of the World Health Organization, bureaucratic control of the FDA in Codex decisions, and a range of other issues represented by the mission of the NHF on behalf of health-freedom advocates. The political climate on Capitol Hill has changed drastically. The Waxman/Dingell/Durbin/Kennedy alliance is now firmly in place. They will impose their pro-government political will over your individual rights.
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National Health Federation: Established in 1955, the National Health Federation is a consumer-education, health-freedom organization working to protect individuals' rights to choose to consume healthy food, take supplements and use alternative therapies without unnecessary government restrictions. The NHF is the only such organization with recognized observer-delegate status at Codex meetings. www.thenhf.com
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