News Releases
Today Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman wrote to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton and Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus calling on them to abandon their unwarranted attack on the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and its analyst. The flaws in the coal ash legislation identified by the CRS report are the same flaws that the Environmental Protection Agency identified in its analysis of the bill.
Today Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette, and Energy and Power Subcommittee Ranking Member Bobby L. Rush wrote to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton to raise concerns about the allegations contained in a Republican staff report on the section 1603 Treasury grants program.
Today, Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman released the following statement clarifying his position on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline:
Today Democratic leaders of the committees with jurisdiction over health policy submitted comments on the proposed rule on nondiscriminatory wellness programs offered by group health plans issued by the Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services.
Following President Obama’s recent statement in his inaugural address that failing to respond to the threat of climate change would “betray our children and future generations,” Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse today announced the formation of a bicameral Task Force on Climate Change to address this important issue.
As their first order of business, Task Force Co-Chairs Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, joined by Rep. Ed Markey, sent a letter to President Obama applauding his recognition of climate change in his inaugural address, pledging to stand with him in the fight to address this issue, and urging him to develop a comprehensive climate change plan as expeditiously as possible.
The text of the letter is below and online here.
Today Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman sent a letter to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton regarding the legislative record of the Committee in the 112th Congress. According to an analysis prepared by the Democratic staff of the Committee, of the 30 bills negotiated by the Democrats and Republicans together, 18 became law. By contrast, only two of the 30 bills Republicans reported from the Committee without Democratic support became law in some form.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a report examining the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant (WTP), currently under construction at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The project has been plagued with chronic delays and significant cost overruns, raising questions about the Department of Energy’s management and oversight of one of the world’s largest nuclear waste cleanup projects. In response to these concerns, Democratic leaders of the Energy and Commerce Committee requested GAO review the plant’s progress and identify obstacles preventing the project’s completion.
Today, Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman issued the following statement on final rules released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect patient privacy and secure health information:
Today, Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman issued the following statement on new research from the Pembina Institute and Oil Change International, indicating that the Keystone XL pipeline will accelerate the reckless expansion of the tar sands industry and the climate impact of tar sands and the pipeline will be significantly worse than anticipated: