Energy panel head ousted

Washington —- Democrats steered the House toward more aggressively tackling global warming and other environmental problems Thursday, toppling veteran Michigan Rep. John Dingell, a staunch supporter of Detroit automakers, from an important energy panel in favor of California liberal Henry Waxman.

The switch could help President-elect Barack Obama on Capitol Hill with one of his favored issues: trying to curb global warming by limiting greenhouse gas emissions. But Waxman’s combative stance on climate change and other issues also could alienate Republicans and moderate Democrats, making it harder to get the bipartisan support Obama will need.

Waxman is an avid environmentalist and booster of health care programs —- and a home state ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He defeated Dingell on a vote of 137-122 in the Democratic Party caucus.

The Energy and Commerce panel is one of the most important House committees, with sweeping jurisdiction over energy, the environment, consumer protection, telecommunications and health care programs such as Medicaid and the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which helps fund Georgia’s PeachCare.

Dingell has been the top Democrat on the panel for 28 years and is an old-school supporter of Detroit’s carmakers and other big industries such as electric utilities. His bitter battles with Waxman over clean air issues date to the Reagan administration and recently were revived as Waxman complained that the committee has been too slow to address global warming.

He also has clashed with Pelosi. She did not publicly take sides in the new vote, but her support of Waxman was well known.

Waxman was the candidate of change in a year dominated by that theme. He likened the first years of the Obama administration to a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get things done in Washington.

“The argument we made was that we needed a change for the committee to have the leadership that will work with this administration and members in both the House and the Senate in order to get important issues passed in health care, environmental protection, in energy policy,” Waxman said after the vote.

Still, taking on global warming will be anything but a cakewalk. A controversial “cap and trade” mechanism in which permits are sold is tantamount to a huge tax on carbon dioxide emissions and will face resistance from coal state Democrats, moderates and Republicans.