(Host) Congressman Peter Welch says the election of California Representative Henry Waxman as the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce is very good news for the state of Vermont.
The House Democratic caucus voted yesterday afternoon to replace the panel’s current chairman, Michigan Representative John Dingell with Representative Waxman.
Welch says he actively worked on Waxman’s behalf because the California Congressman has such an impressive record of supporting strong climate change legislation:
(Welch) "It’s good for Vermont I do believe it you know we have to have a 21st century energy policy we’ve got to make much more [progress on health acre and we have to deal with global warming and Henry Waxman has a long and vigorous history of advocacy on those and he’s an excellent chairman and legislator."
(Host) Welch says Waxman’s election also indicates that the new Congress will be willing to address some critical energy issues in January:
(Welch) "What this signals is that the goal of president elect Obama to have vigorous hard work focused attention on those issues that’s going to happen in the Energy and Commerce Committee."
(Host) Welch says newly elected Democratic members of the House were allowed to vote on this leadership issue and he says these new members provided Waxman with the support he needed to win the election.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert