Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is seeking to replace John Dingell (D-Mich) as the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, according to a report on TheHill.com.
The story cited "supporters" of Representative Dingell.
If this struggle for power were to take place, it would have a significant effect on the new Congress, the Democratic party and future climate change legislation to be review by this influential committee.
Waxman is a more liberal member of the party, who represents a pacific coast constituency that wants strong environmental regulation. Dingell is a blue-collar Midwestern Democrat with strong ties to manufacturing and industry. With the economy on the verge of crisis and the need for a concerted front to address renewable energy and climate change, the Energy and Commerce Committee will be at the center of perhaps the most significant legislation in coming years.
Dingell played an influential role in protecting the auto industry, as the House, under Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), moved to tighten fuel economy standards last year.
Waxman, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Dingell have a long history of feuding over acid rain, according to the Hill report.
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