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Rep. Henry Waxman: The reason I’m leaving Congress
Washington Post ^
| 02/01/2014
| Rep. Henry A. Waxman
Posted on 02/01/2014 7:36:05 AM PST by SeekAndFind
I announced this past week that I will be retiring after having the honor of serving my Los Angeles constituents in Congress for 40 years.
Immediately, speculation began that I am leaving because I am frustrated with a broken institution. But the exact opposite is true: I am leaving Congress with my conviction intact that the legislative branch can be a powerful force for good.
Of course there are aspects of the current Congress that I abhor. This past week, every Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where I have served most of my career, voted to limit the Environmental Protection Agencys ability to regulate carbon pollution that is causing climate change. When my colleague Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) offered a simple amendment affirming that climate change is real, they voted against that, too.
That kind of mindless denial of science is an embarrassment.
Voting over and over to repeal the Affordable Care Act, shutting down the government and threatening default are other deplorable examples of the extremism of tea party Republicans.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: 2014election; 2016election; abortion; california; climatehoax; congress; deathpanels; demagogicparty; election2014; election2016; epa; fairnessdoctrine; globalwarmingtax; henrywaxman; impeachnow; janschakowsky; lies; memebuilding; obamacare; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; singlepartystate; zerocare
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To: Vesparado
61
posted on
02/01/2014 8:29:08 AM PST
by
Jack Hydrazine
(Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; me = independent conservative)
To: Jack Hydrazine
62
posted on
02/01/2014 8:29:18 AM PST
by
nascarnation
(I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
To: Vesparado
63
posted on
02/01/2014 8:29:47 AM PST
by
Jack Hydrazine
(Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; me = independent conservative)
To: Vesparado
64
posted on
02/01/2014 8:30:24 AM PST
by
Jack Hydrazine
(Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; me = independent conservative)
To: Jack Hydrazine
65
posted on
02/01/2014 8:31:15 AM PST
by
Jack Hydrazine
(Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; me = independent conservative)
To: SeekAndFind
Nostralidus: I think after 40 years my constituents deserve representation.
66
posted on
02/01/2014 8:32:50 AM PST
by
depressed in 06
(America conceived in liberty, dies in slavery.)
To: SeekAndFind
He’s leaving because he finally sucked all the air out of the room.
67
posted on
02/01/2014 8:34:23 AM PST
by
exit82
("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
To: SeekAndFind
I knew what Waxman was going to say before I even read it.
68
posted on
02/01/2014 8:37:25 AM PST
by
VeniVidiVici
(Play the 'Knockout Game' with someone owning a 9mm and you get what you deserve)
To: SeekAndFind
Good reddens to a liberal piece of crap. He’s leaving because he thinks he has done enough damage to America and he’s proud of it.
69
posted on
02/01/2014 8:40:08 AM PST
by
jmaroneps37
(Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
To: SeekAndFind
The REAL reason Waxman is retiring is simply because he has maxed out on how much he can get from his Congressional retirement plan (80% of 174,000 = $139,200).
Since he’s limited to no more than 80% of his salary and Congress (for political reasons) is not raising their current $174,000 annual salary he likely figures he’s better off not staying in Congress and simply collecting his $139,200 annual pension (which WILL get annual COLAs) anyhow. He can then also get additional income peddling his influence and/or being a paid lobbyist.
To: SeekAndFind
I think Waxman is a mental case. Good riddance. Too bad he didn’t take his buddies with him.
71
posted on
02/01/2014 8:47:48 AM PST
by
ZULU
(Magua is sitting in the Oval Office. Ted Cruz/Phil Robertson in 2016.)
To: nascarnation
By some miracle the Dems spent their whole two years with triple control of govt on Obamacare and forgot to pass Cap N Tax. And amnesty.
To: House Atreides
You may be correct, but I’d guess that pension is pretty small stuff compared to the dough he makes in other ways.
However as you say, he’ll immediately be in demand at lobbying outfits, hedge funds, etc.
73
posted on
02/01/2014 8:50:11 AM PST
by
nascarnation
(I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
To: VRW Conspirator
and card check
Nancy really did a shabby job didn’t she...
74
posted on
02/01/2014 8:50:48 AM PST
by
nascarnation
(I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
To: SeekAndFind
75
posted on
02/01/2014 8:51:25 AM PST
by
LyinLibs
(If victims of islam were more "islamophobic," maybe they'd still be alive.)
To: Mastador1
I live in CA. JUST REPORTED NEWS FLASH Anthem Blue Cross
to raise healthcare rates 60% to start in April!!!! A very unhappy
public is going to emerge just in time for the election!!
76
posted on
02/01/2014 8:52:29 AM PST
by
Kit cat
(OBummer must go)
To: SeekAndFind
The crap is going to hit the fan and I’m outta’ here.
77
posted on
02/01/2014 8:52:52 AM PST
by
50sDad
(A Liberal prevents me from telling you anything here.)
To: Gaffer
” I am leaving to spend more time with my ill gotten gains.”
78
posted on
02/01/2014 8:53:36 AM PST
by
samadams2000
(Someone important make......The Call!)
To: Gaffer
Has already stolen all the cheese!
To: Kit cat
I also live in California but am not optimistic, there are too many idiots that believe whatever the demons say and vote for them repeatedly despite the evidence. Just look at them putting moonbeam back in as governor despite his abysmal record in every public office he has held, and then there is pelosi, boxer, feinstein, sanchez, waxman, etc. Also there are too many illegals voting demon so as to keep their freebies and sanctuary state. No, I lost my optimism a long time ago for this state.
80
posted on
02/01/2014 8:59:03 AM PST
by
Mastador1
(I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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