Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) has won over a key ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in his fight to hold onto his chairmanship.
Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) will co-chair Dingell’s whip team.
Also aiding Dingell in his battle to keep Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) from taking his spot -- Pelosi’s and Waxman’s fellow Californian, Rep. Ellen Tauscher.
But the “whip team” Dingell released Friday is missing the name of Dingell’s fellow chairman from Michigan, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, and Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.).
Waxman, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is challenging Dingell for the Energy and Commerce post. Many see the hand of the powerful speaker in Waxman’s challenge but Pelosi aides have denied it. There has been tension between Pelosi and Dingell over how aggressively to pursue fuel efficiency standards and climate change regulation. Dingell’s district is home to many top automakers.
The chairmanship’s race between the two men is being perceived as Midwestern blue-collar manufacturing states versus California liberals, who strongly support climate regulation.
And Dingell’s whip team is a showcase of more centrist members even as it lacks some of his home-state colleagues.
Edwards received serious consideration from Barack Obama for vice president after Pelosi strongly recommended him.
Tauscher is chairman of the New Democrats and a prominent California member.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) is also a co-chair of Dingell’s team, but he is the only other Democratic member from Michigan on the list.
Fellow Michigan Democratic Reps. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Sander Levin and John Conyers, a fellow chairman who presides over the Judiciary Committee, are not among Dingell’s whips.
Spokespeople for the three members, reached Friday, declined to comment.
Later, Levin chief of staff Hilarie Chambers said her boss is supporting Dingell and working to build support for him.
“My boss has been making calls for Mr. Dingell and the entire delegation supports Mr. Dingell,” she said.
Conyers and Kilpatrick feuded earlier this year with Dingell and Stupak over a proposal to allow Indian casinos in Michigan that might have competed with an existing non-Indian casino in Detroit. Conyers won when the House voted down the proposal.
A Dingell spokeswoman stressed that just because a member
isn't on the whip list doesn't mean he or she opposes Dingell and that Dingell
has many more supporters who don't want to go public.
“Chairman Dingell has the support of the Michigan Delegation, but we are not releasing the names of all supporters,” said spokeswoman Jodi Seth.
Dingell’s list includes 13 of the 31 Democratic members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Among those is Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), who is also the senior member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee after Waxman.
It also includes the top leaders of the Blue Dog Coalition, Reps. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), Mike Ross (D-Ark.) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.). The Blue Dogs put out a statement Friday expressing support for “moderate voices” in leadership, which was viewed as support for Dingell.
Tanner is also a chief deputy whip and therefore a member of the Steering and Policy Committee, which has a powerful voice in selecting committee chairs. Other Steering and Policy Committee members on Dingell’s list include Reps. Kristen E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Charlie Melancon (D-La.)
Waxman has not released the names of his “whip team,” although Blue Dog Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) is whipping for him, along with Steering and Policy Co-chairman George Miller (D-Calif.).
