Henry Waxman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 30th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 14, 1975
Preceded by	None (District Created)
Born	September 12, 1939 (1939-09-12) (age 68) Los Angeles, California
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Janet Kessler Waxman
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Religion	Judaism

Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is an American politician. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. California's 30th congressional district covers part of Los Angeles County, most notably Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Politics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, Federal republic where the President of the United States (the Head of He has represented California's 30th congressional district (map) in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1975. California's 30th congressional district covers part of Los Angeles County, most notably Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Waxman, a Democrat, is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses He serves the cities of West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, and parts of the city of Los Angeles. West Hollywood, a city in Los Angeles County California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Before his election to Congress, he served six years in the California State Assembly.

With the Democrats' victory in the 2006 midterm elections, Waxman became chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the principal investigative committee of the House. This article discusses only races that resulted in a seat's party switch in the U The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816 He was the committee's ranking Democrat from 1997 to 2007.

Life

Waxman attended college at UCLA, earning a bachelor's degree in political science in 1961 and a degree from UCLA's law school in 1964. The University of California Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Westwood Los Angeles, California, United A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and Political science is a branch of Social sciences that deals with the theory and practice of Politics and the description and analysis of Political systems A Law degree is the degree conferred on someone who successfully completes studies in law After graduating, he worked as a lawyer. He was elected to the California Assembly in 1969 and served six years, until his election to Congress in 1975. The California State Assembly is the Lower house of the California State Legislature.

Before the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 1995, Waxman was a powerful figure in the House as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health and the Environment from 1979. The US House Commerce Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the U In this role he conducted investigations into a range of health and environmental issues, including universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, AIDS and air and water pollution. This article refers to Medicare, a United States health insurance program Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources

According to his Web site, his legislative priorities are health and environmental issues. These include universal health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, tobacco, AIDS, air and water quality standards, pesticides, nursing home quality standards, women's health research and reproductive rights, the availability and cost of prescription drugs, and the right of communities to know about pollution levels.

Waxman and his wife, the former Janet Kessler, have a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chairman)
• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

The Oversight Committee

Waxman had a reputation for a vigorous approach to oversight long before becoming ranking Democrat on what was known as the Government Reform Committee in 1997. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816 He was well known for insisting that witnesses appearing before his subcommittee testify under oath, thus exposing them to perjury charges if they didn't tell the truth. Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a For example, in 1994, he forced the chief executives of the seven major tobacco companies to swear under oath that nicotine was not addictive. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Nicotine is an Alkaloid found in the Nightshade family of plants ( Solanaceae) which constitutes approximately 0

In 1998, he created a "Special Investigations Division" to investigate matters that he felt the full committee had neglected. This was possible because the committee has broad powers to investigate any matter with federal policy implications, even if another committee has jurisdiction over it. ^[1] He has also harshly criticized the Republicans for ignoring their "constitutional responsibility" to conduct oversight over the government. ^[2].

On the day after the 2006 elections, Waxman directed his aides to draw up an "oversight plan" for the panel. He had already let it be known that he wanted to investigate Halliburton, as well as its alleged malfeasance related to government contracts in Iraq. Halliburton Energy Services ( is a US -based Multinational corporation with operations in more than 70 countries For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. It is very likely that he could also investigate the numerous scandals surrounding Jack Abramoff. Jack Abramoff (born February 28 1959 is a former Lobbyist, and a businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. This led to concerns among Democratic aides that the Government Reform Committee under Waxman would stage a repeat of the committee's performance under the Clinton administration, when it issued over 1,000 subpoenas. The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the Federal However, Waxman told Newsweek that he is interested in accountability and not retaliation. Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City. ^[3]. Despite this behavior, Waxman has refused to allow whistleblower Sibel Edmonds to testify on various issues involving alleged crimes and cover-ups of the US government^[4][5]. Sibel Deniz Edmonds (born 1970 is a Turkish-American former FBI Translator and founder of the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC

On March 16, 2004, at Waxman's request, the Committee on Government Reform Minority Office published "Iraq on the Record, the Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq"^[6] a detailed and searchable collection of 237 specific misleading statements made by Bush Administration officials about the threat posed by Iraq. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " It contains statements that were misleading based on what was known to the Administration at the time the statements were made. It does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U. S. intelligence at the time it was made, it was excluded even if it now appears erroneous.

On January 4, Waxman changed the committee's name to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, or the Oversight Committee for short. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816

Waxman and the Red Line

In 1985, Waxman sponsored a bill supported by affluent homeowners groups in his district to ban federal funding for the Red Line subway in response to a methane gas explosion in the Fairfax District. NIMBY is an Acronym for Not In My Back Yard. The term is used to describe opposition to a new project by residents even if they themselves and those around The Metro Red Line of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail is a Heavy rail Rapid transit line in Los Angeles. Methane is a Chemical compound with the molecular formula. It is the simplest Alkane, and the principal component of Natural gas. The Fairfax District is an area of neighborhoods in the Mid-City West area of Los Angeles, California. In 2005, a robust real estate market, multi-dwelling construction boom, and lack of public mass transit planning on the westside caused by Waxman's bill resulted in gridlock throughout Waxman's district. Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions notably in the USA, United Kingdom ^[7] At the request of Los Angeles Mayor and LACMTA Board President Antonio Villaraigosa, Waxman agreed to lift the ban if a panel of five engineers found tunneling under the Miracle Mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard to be safe. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (also known as Metro MTA or LACMTA) is the state chartered regional transportation planning and Public transportation Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio Ramon Villar Jr on January 23 1953 or Tony Villar, is the mayor of Los Angeles California. The Miracle Mile is an area in the Mid-Wilshire region of Los Angeles California, consisting of a roughly one-mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax In October 2005, the panel decided that tunneling was possible, and on December 16, Waxman responded by announcing he would introduce a bill to the U. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion S. House that would lift the ban on federal money for subway tunneling in the district. This bill passed the House via unanimous vote on September 20, 2006. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[8]

Waxman maintains that the 1985 bill was sponsored in the interest of public safety and not, as some allege, to hinder access of the working classes in South and East Los Angeles to his affluent district. South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South LA, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown East Los Angeles can refer to East Los Angeles California (unincorporated community East Los Angeles (region In a letter to the Los Angeles Times, Waxman cites the 2005 study: "The panel concurred as well that in 1985, the decision to hold further tunneling in abeyance was prudent, given the circumstances and extent of information and technology at that time. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed Much has changed since then to significantly improve tunneling and operation safety. "^[9]

Jewish identity and politics

Waxman is proud of his "strong Jewish identity" and has drawn political conclusions from his exploration of the religion. Jewish identity is the subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish ^[10] "Judaism is about acting and doing the right thing, not simply believing in it or mindlessly following ritual," he said in a speech presented by the University of Southern California's Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Tikkun olam ( תיקון עולם) is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly ^[10] Waxman said he applies Jewish ethical values to his congressional service. He further said that the "Jewish values" of "human rights, social justice, and equal opportunities … are synonymous with American values," and that such values "are in my opinion closer to a Democratic position. Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena above all it is the Culture of secular communities of Jewish people but it can also include Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a Society in which Justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than Equal opportunity is a term which has differing definitions and there is no consensus as to the precise meaning The development of the culture of the United States of America — music, cinema, dance, architecture, literature, poetry The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. " Saying it suffers from "a culture of corruption" and "has become obsessed with secrecy," he accused the American government of having abandoned these values. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. "(The) Republican leadership ignores presidential rules and norms and has no consideration for custom," he said. Powers of State Because the United States is a Presidential system, the President fulfils the roles of both Chief of state and Head of government.

District

Waxman's district includes the complete cities of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, West Hollywood, and Westlake Village as well as such areas of Los Angeles as West Los Angeles, Beverly-Fairfax, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Beverlywood, Topanga, Chatsworth, Westwood and Woodland Hills. Agoura Hills is a city (incorporated in 1982 in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code Calabasas is a city in Los Angeles County California in the western United States. Hidden Hills is a comedy series that aired on American Television network NBC during the 2002-2003 TV season. West Hollywood, a city in Los Angeles County California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984. Westlake Village is a community which straddles the Ventura and Los Angeles County line encompassing all of the area surrounding the lake at West Los Angeles Los Angeles California, a neighborhood of Los Angeles The Westside, a region of Los Angeles County, incorporating Pacific Palisades is a district within the US city of Los Angeles California, located between Brentwood to the east Malibu to the west Beverlywood is a district on the West Side of Los Angeles California. Topanga is an Unincorporated area in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Woodland Hills is the name of various communities in the United States including Woodland Hills Los Angeles California Woodland Hills

See also

• Hatch-Waxman Act
• Safe Climate Act
• Politicization of science for a brief discussion of Waxman's work on the subject
• Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 for Waxman's take on whether that bill became law or not

References

External links

• U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman official House site
• Henry Waxman at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission — Henry A. Waxman campaign finance reports and data
• New York Times — Topics: Henry A. Waxman collected news and commentary
• On the Issues — Henry Waxman issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Henry A. Waxman campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Henry A. Waxman (CA) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Henry A. Waxman profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Henry Waxman voting record
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Henry A. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as Waxman, Chairman
• The Democratic Commitment Henry A. Waxman, Honorary Chairman

Articles

• The Scariest Guy in Washington Karen Tumulty, Time, November 27, 2006
• Congressman writes White House: Did President knowingly sign law that didn't pass?, The Raw Story, March 15, 2006
• On Chalabi, Congress, and Getting Back to Work Rep. Henry Waxman, Huffington Post, November 12, 2005
• Rep. Henry Waxman on Karl Rove: "The President Said He Would Fire Anybody He Found Responsible", Democracy Now, July 12, 2005
• Red Line to Somewhere Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, Thursday, March 3, 2005, interview on subway proposal
• Waxman: Democrats' Eliot Ness David Corn, The Nation, January 27, 2005
• BuzzFlash Interviews Congressman Henry Waxman January 31, 2002
• BuzzFlash Interviews Congressman Henry Waxman December 24, 2001
• Los Angeles Times Interview: Henry Waxman Robert Scheer. David Corn is a Liberal American political journalist and author This article is about the US Publication. For other newspapers magazines and alternate uses by the same name see The Nation (disambiguation. LA Times, October 10, 1993