I have the know-how, the energy and the acumen to do the job

On the eve of Thursday’s vote for Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman, The Hill invited rivals Rep. John Dingell and Rep. Henry Waxman to address their Democratic colleagues directly through the columns of the newspaper. Only Rep. Dingell decided to do so.

The historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, and the strengthened Democratic majority in Congress, presents a long-awaited opportunity to address two of the most urgent challenges facing this country:  climate change and healthcare reform.  I am prepared and eager to move forward on both matters and to help President-elect Obama enact his agenda.

My life’s work has been health care reform.  I have seen far too many people suffer because of a lack of coverage, botched coverage, or denied coverage.  I fought the American Medical Association in the 1960s to bring about Medicare and Medicaid.  I have proposed legislation that would provide universal health care coverage to all Americans in every term I have served in Congress.  Our attempts to achieve this dream have been blocked by Presidents hostile to our efforts, and business and industry leaders profiting from the current, broken system.

This year is different.  This is our best shot to reform a broken system before it is overrun by new retirees and before employer-provided coverage utterly collapses.  We have expanded Congressional majorities and now have a President who will lead on this issue.  We also have industries that have finally realized they will be more competitive and profitable without the burden of continually rising healthcare costs.  Nothing excites me more than having the opportunity to work with my dear friend Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.)  to pass a universal health care bill, and for the two of us to be standing behind President-elect Obama as he signs it into law.

Combating climate change is also one of the most complicated public policy issues before us, and I’m pleased that President-elect Obama has made it one of his top first-term priorities.  In the 110th Congress, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held two dozen hearings on global warming.  We established a comprehensive legislative record on this issue and united the Democratic caucus behind the basic assumption that we must solve the climate change crisis and do so quickly.  Now that the case for climate change has been made, the challenge that remains is how to turn our ideas into policies with enough political backing to get to the President’s desk.

Balancing the interests of extractors, manufacturers, consumers, labor and the environmental community — without breaking fragile coalitions — will be incredibly difficult.  In October, I released a draft climate change bill to begin this work.  I fully expect this draft will be debated and improved upon by the Members of the Committee and by the full House of Representatives as we seek to bring these fractious constituencies together.  We will be seeking great sacrifice from industry at a time when our economy is facing tremendous challenges.  In order to deliver legislative victory for President-elect Obama, we must bring working class voters and their employers into the climate change camp.  I believe that after spending my career representing these voters as my constituents, I can deliver their support and give the Obama Administration the legislative victory it seeks.

There is much work to be done.  I would not be seeking another term as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce if I did not believe I have the know-how, the energy, and acumen to do it.  I cannot do it alone, however, which is why in the coming year I will continue to use the diversity of our caucus to my advantage.  I will seek the advice and counsel of my colleagues from the left and the right, and from every region of this great country.