Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Waxman's Top Ten on Obamacare, and the Truth

Rep. Waxman Releases Top Ten List of Republican Efforts to Undermine and Obstruct the Affordable Care Act


Los Angeles Office
5055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 310
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (310) 652-3095 / (323) 651-1040
Fax: (323) 655-0502
Manhattan Beach Office
1600 Rosecrans Avenue, 4th Floor
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone: (310) 321-7664
Fax: (323) 655-0502
Los Angeles Office
5055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 310
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (310) 652-3095 / (323) 651-1040
Fax: (323) 655-0502
Manhattan Beach Office
1600 Rosecrans Avenue, 4th Floor
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone: (310) 321-7664
Fax: (323) 655-0502
Aug 1, 2013 Issues: Health
WASHINGTON, DC— On the day before Republicans cast their 40th vote to repeal key protections against insurance company abuses in the Affordable Care Act, Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman released a memorandum prepared by Democratic Committee staff listing ten ways Republicans have undermined and obstructed implementation of the law.

The memo finds that Republican leaders at the state and federal levels have acted in an unprecedented fashion to undermine the Affordable Care Act.  Nonpartisan analysts have accused Republicans of trying to “sabotage” the law.

The Republicans in Congress and throughout the country should receive a standing ovation for standing up to the overt encroachment of the unaffordable Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is not protecting patients, is proving to be unaffordable, and shows no care for the best interests of patients, practitioners, or any other law-abiding with any abiding sense of common sense.

“The law has become the Republicans’ great white whale.  They will stop at nothing to kill it,” said Rep. Waxman.  “Republican leaders’ obstructionist policies will prevent millions of their poorest constituents from receiving health insurance coverage.”

For the record, a growing faction of voters and even Democrats have opposed and continue to oppose this blue whale of a law, 2,500 pages and growing, with tens of thousands of pages of regulations. Congressman Henry Waxman is notorious for not reading the bills which he votes on. He did not even know the contents of his own Cap and Trade bill.

Republican leaders have acted to undermine the Affordable Care Act by:

•Casting 40 votes to repeal the law, futile efforts that have done nothing but create uncertainty and confusion in the mind of the public about the law’s implementation.

Obamacare by itself has created nothing but confusion and uncertainty for voters, as well as doctors and hospitals. It was a Democratic Senator who deemed the law “a train wreck”.

•Refusing to expand Medicaid coverage in over 20 states, preventing millions of Americans from receiving health insurance coverage.

This decision reflects the respect and savvy which Republican governors and state lawmakers commands for their constituents. While federal level Democrats like Congressman Henry Waxman and his climate change caucus have pursued inane legislative nullities, Republicans at the local and federal level have advanced legislation which will lower taxes, cut spending, and undo the red tape of bureaucratic regulations strangling businesses, obstacles which Obamacare has only worsened.

•Refusing to establish state-based health insurance marketplaces, complicating HHS efforts to implement the law and “increas[ing] federal involvement in … state affairs.”

California attempted to establish insurance exchanges, and of the ten which considered enrolling, eight have already pulled out, with one more ready to leave, as well. Only one insurance company will remain. Whatever hopes of creating competition that Waxman envisioned with this law, the results are quite disappointing.

•Undermining enrollment in health insurance marketplaces via a multimillion-dollar campaign to “dissuade uninsured Americans from obtaining health coverage.”

How can anyone enroll in health care coverage when the President himself has signed off on delays by executive order? The President has behaved in the most unconstitutional manner to date, arbitrarily delaying the employer mandate until 2015, for example.

•Refusing to provide funding requested by the Obama Administration to implement the law.

Republicans and Democrats have opposed funding this terrible legislation, and the House of Representatives as a legislative body has every right to withholding funding. For the record, only under the Obama Administration has this country witnessed a federal government which creates trillion dollar a year deficits without any compunction or conscience about the profligate spending, and Obamacare has not only added to the debt, but has deprived billions from Medicare.

•Attacking efforts to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act.

The President attempted to educate the public about this law with one speech after another, and the  more that people learned about this law, the more that they hated it.

•Intimidating potential participants in public education efforts about the law.

Congressman Henry Waxman remains vague as usual about intimidation and discouragement. Frankly, he has no business castigating anyone about shutting out discussion on an issue. Just this  past week, he prevented constituents in his own district from attending one of his advertised functions in Torrance, CA.

•Insisting that the Affordable Care Act be defunded as a condition of preventing a government shutdown.

The federal government is heading toward default every day that Congress spends money which it does not have. From the debt ceiling dance in 2011 to the fiscal cliff fallout in 2012, Republicans have demanded serious cuts and entitlement reforms to maintain a solvent government while abiding by the promises of previous legislative terms.

•Threatening to deny basic, Affordable Care Act-related constituent service requests from citizens who request help with understanding or signing up for health insurance benefits under the law.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that premiums are rising because of Obamacare. Market forces are doing a much better job advertizing against Waxman's legislation than anything that Republicans could do. More Americans are rejecting the insurance exchanges to begin with.

•Misinforming citizens about the impact of health care reform on insurance premiums, leading many to believe that premiums will skyrocket by failing to provide accurate assessments of the true costs in 2014.

The assessments have been true and valid, but Waxman refuses to accept that his legislation is unacceptable. For all of his protests about Republicans and Obamacare opponents, his raging about the law's benefits have all backfired, with Republicans in the wings ready to take down any Democrats who supported this terrible law.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Waxman Does Townhall Meetings (Not!)

Talk to Me! (Shut Up!)
Congressman Henry Waxman visited South Torrance last night (August 19).

Supporters in large arrays attended the function at Arjay Plaza on the corner of Hawthorne and Lomita Blvd. The forum was also advertized in the Daily Breeze.

Even though the ad gives the impression that the function was a town hall meeting for South Bay residents, a few constituents were not allowed to attend.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=538429822872909&set=a.464669930248899.93551.350558538326706&type=1

Sandra Goetz shared her displeasure with me and on Facebook that she and a few others were not allowed to enter the function. Why? Because they did not have a "D" after their name on their voter registration card.

She wrote:

We tried to get into the Waxman meeting last night in Torrance.  We were told that we could not go in unless it said democrat on our voter registration card.

This was from Jimmy Gow, their leader.  We held a sign asking when Waxman would hold a town hall.


Congressman Henry Waxman has claimed time and again that he is bipartisan, wants to work with the other side on issues. However, time and again he evinces a steady resistance to anyone attending his public functions who disagrees with his policies, or even those who are interested in holding him accountable for his record, and especially those who would prefer to see someone else representing them in Congress.

I have experienced his public rejection of voters' First Amendment Rights. He shut me down in an open forum in Redondo Beach, and he apparently did the same thing to a voter in Venice.

http://venice.patch.com/groups/arthur-christopher-schapers-blog/p/bp--henry-waxman-afraid-of-an-open-forum-1173b9bc

Yet on August 19, the Torrance Democratic Club announced his arrival in a flyer, with no mention that the meeting was for Democrats only.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Torrance-Democratic-Club/350558538326706#!/photo.php?fbid=533333116715913&set=a.464669930248899.93551.350558538326706&type=1&theater

What is Waxman afraid of? Why is he displeased with allowing voters to disagree with issues?

By the way, Congressman Waxman does not seem to consider the interests of South Bay voters pertinent or even important, since he has fewer staff in the Manhattan Beach office. When I called the South Bay office, I was automatically transferred to his Los Angeles office. What gives?

Now for the real kicker. The secretary at the Los Angeles office told me that the August 19 meeting was OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

What?!

There is no excuse for a public official picking and choosing his audience and excluding certain people just because of their voter registration. There is no excuse for a representative to claim that he wants to speak with voters and visit with constituents, yet when members of the public arrive, they get turned away.

If Waxman is working in Congress for his district, then he has the responsibility to represent all of us and present himself to all of us.

Then again, for decades Waxman had been picking his own constituents with the help of political-machine comrade (and now retired) Howard Berman and Howard's brother Michael. As long as Sacramento politicians decided the boundaries for Congressional and state legislative districts, then Waxman could choose his voters, rather than the voters choosing their representatives.

The Citizens Redistricting Commission changed all of that. However, Waxman criticized this reform in the same open forum (which was not open to me), and he shared that every state should have adopted the reforms of citizens' drawing district boundaries, not just California

As if!

Call Congressman Henry Waxman’s office, and tell him to practice some truth in advertising and stop rejecting constituents who want to visit and speak with him! Demand that he hold a real town hall meeting, one which everyone can attend.
And find out why his Manhattan Beach office is understaffed: the South Bay (and the 33rd Congressional District) deserves better!

Henry Waxman’s Los Angeles Office

5055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 310
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (310) 652-3095 / (323) 651-1040
Fax: (323) 655-0502

Saturday, August 17, 2013

RLn Covers Waxman -- Finally

 
Finally, Random Lengths News did a story on Congressman Henry Waxman. Most Harbor-area residents and even some Palos Verdes homeowners have not learned that Waxman now represents them, along with West Los Angeles and Agoura Hills. The new 33rd Congressional District is quite a spread, but the Citizens Redistricting Commission felt compelled to lump residents of the same economic and social classes together, joining the South Bay and the Westside by “the ribbon of shame” along Dockweiler Beach. Writing letters as always, Waxman shared his concerns about potential terrorist threats with the Rancho LGP facility in San Pedro.

Yes, Waxman went after Big Tobacco in 1995. He also spent months investigating steroid abuse in baseball as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, yet he had no knowledge of the basic laws regulating steroid use – all of this you can see in the Documentary “Bigger, Faster, Stronger”.

Congressman Henry Waxman declared in open committee “We’re not broke!” even though this nation faces a sixteen trillion dollar national debt. He has decried the two Bush wars not paid for (Iraq and Afghanistan), yet Waxman voted for both of them. There are thousands of homeless veterans in Los Angeles County, yet Waxman has done nothing to renovate the Brentwood VA, and even allowed private leases on the property.

He pushed Cap and Trade, but did not know what was in his own bill. The legislation would have killed one million jobs along with setting up a carbon market Ponzi scheme which would enrich the rich and impoverish those still struggling to get by. He even admitted in a recent budget committee hearing that he did not know that General Motors went bankrupt. Did you know, RLn editors, that retired teachers and police officers lost millions of dollars from their pension funds in order to bailout GM workers? Whatever happened to “An injury to one is an injury to all?”

Like most conservatives, I support properly financed public transit projects. Waxman killed the Subway to the Sea for decades, which would have permitted Los Angeles to construct a metro line beneath Wilshire Blvd. and provide a faster commute from Downtown to Santa Monica.

Congressman Henry Waxman is hardly the progressive which progressives claim to champion. I wish that Random Lengths News would “Know the hell out of the lie” (per Charles Bukowski) about Henry Waxman and his historic three plus decade tenure in Congress.

Please visit "Waxman Watch" (waxmanwatch.blogspot.com) for more information.

Hard Times in Santa Monica Bay With Henry Waxman

The Argonaut ran a column featuring Amy Heckerling’s 1980’s flick “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, which defined a generation.  Sadly, not this one, and not in the Santa Monica Bay.

I cannot think of a better title to describe conditions in the 33rd Congressional district than “Hard Times in Santa Monica”, where Southern Californians still struggle to find work, pay their bills, and provide for their future. I imagine a darker comedy, headlined by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles/South Bay). Businesses are fleeing the heavily-taxed and regulated anti-business climate in the area. Instead of “Hey, bud, let’s party!” Santa Monica Bay residents are wondering why their health care premiums are rising up, why they may be losing Saturday mail service, why there are so many homeless veterans still on the street, and why President Obama has been monitoring our phone calls and reading our emails.

How can anyone party when there’s no Subway to the Sea to avoid the time-wasting commute on Wilshire? LA Weekly reported that Waxman has gotten into turf wars with Congresswoman Maxine Waters about the expansion of LAX. ”I have lost all respect for the man,” Waters admitted. Resident in Mar Vista, Venice, and El Segundo should share the same disappointment.

Like the overbearing teacher Mr. Hand, Waxman has extended government encroachment into our lives, ignoring our nation’s diminishing entitlements, instead chasing after climate change. The Ballona Wetlands has not received due attention. The Clean Water Act remains unamended. Two historic Venice and Santa Monica post offices are closing, partly because the Congressman cosponsored legislation which required the postal service to fund health care for employees seventy-five years in advance (Obamacare for the Post man).


The real party will start when Waxman is no longer in office. Then Hard Times will end in Santa Monica Bay.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Issa vs. Waxman -- the Saga (of Sorts)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/26/henry-waxman-darrell-issa-solyndra_n_981482.html

Congressman Darrel Issa (R-Vista) serves as the current Oversight Committee Chairman.

Instead of wasting time going after steroid abuse in baseball, instead of investigating lead in toys, and instead of partisan witch-hunts which place him before the camera and serve the interests of trial attorneys, Issa has pursued waste in the Post office, the IRS abuses of conservative groups, the flagrant lapses of security which doomed Benghazi to terrorist attacks, and also the infamous gun-running operation Fast and Furious.

Issa has also investigated the federal subsidies to green tech companies, including Solyndra.

And he had some terse words for Congressman Henry Waxman, demanding to know whether the Westside legislator had any connections or financial interest in the company.

Waxman denied any corrupt connections with the industry, yet his weak regret "I'm sorry Solyndra happened" was a slap in the face to the voters and taxpayers in this country.

Darrel Issa -- leading the fight, from which Waxman took flight.

Media Bias on Waxman -- Easy Reader News


Easy Reader News
is an unapologetically liberal apologetic publication in the South Bay. One of their cover pieces last year highlighted former El Segundo resident Rosanne Barr's abortive run for President as a Green, then a Peace and Freedom candidate.

As if a third-party run by a third-rate comedienne is even newsworthy, let alone noteworthy.

Easy Reader News
is a liberal organ, one which regularly printed editorial cartoons by E. Wunder, whose leftist policies are unmistakably obvious. The liberal bias in South Bay media needs to be exposed.
Here is the first of a series of conservative indictments.

 

I had submitted a few times to their "Letters to the Editor" Section. The ER editors printed some of my pieces about decriminalizing marijuana, or about the Post Office Blues which were forcing Redondo Beach postal workers to work into late night hours. They even published my extended praise for Hermosa Beach City Council leaders, including current Mayor Kit Bobko, for brokering an extended deal with E and B Natural Resources about oil drilling and future revenue streams, which would allow the city of Hermosa Beach to avoid costly litigation fees and potential bankruptcy.

 

Then I read a letter in the late August, 2012 edition of ER, in which Hermosa Beach resident Julian Deveroux commented that Hermosa Beach is turning into "Little Santa Monica" because of the progressive bans on smoking and plastic bags, and the devolving deviant behavior beneath the Hermosa Beach pier.

Sadly, I could think of another reason why "Little Santa Monica" would be an apt title for this wealthy Beach City: Santa Monica-based Congressman Henry Waxman, whose hegemony of tax-and-spend nanny-state liberalism is now infiltrating South of Dockweiler to the Beach Cities, as the district as joined with part of Waxman’s former 30th district courtesy of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The unsightly oversight chairman even paid an undisclosed visit to Councilmember Michael Keegan’s Hermosa Beach home August 29, 2012, which ER reported in the same issue as Deveroux's letter. "Why were the voters in the area not informed sooner about Waxman's visit?" I wondered. What is Waxman hiding?

 

I had commented in another letter about this telling comparison between Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica, but ER refused to run the piece.

I cannot think of a more unqualified candidate to represent the Beach Cities, including my home in West Torrance, than the same Congressman who bullied baseball players in 2009, yet had no standing knowledge of the standard steroid laws in this country when questioned by a constituent. He went after Tobacco executives in 1994, yet he did nothing during the Congressional Post Office scandal, which brought down House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Illinois). And what about the "Congressional check-kiting scandal" which broke at the same time, which brought down the entire Democratic majority! Where’s was the imperious oversight Chairman doing then?

In open committee, he has declared that he did not know what was in his own Cap and Trade legislation, he brazenly assumed that "We’re not broke", even though this nation is now facing a $16 trillion national debt, to which his signature legislation "ObamaCare" will add significantly.

In the August, 2012 article, Hermosa Beach Democratic Club President Diane Wallace claimed: "We need people from both parties who are willing to work with other. . .One of the things (Waxman) reflected on is how he has been so successful in Congress because he has a good working relationship with Republicans." He shoved Cap and Trade, including a last-minute three hundred page, amendment, without input from Republicans. ObamaCare received no insight from Republicans. Both bills passed with opposition from Democrats as well as Republicans on the slimmest of majorities. This man even threatened to throw one Republican out of committee because he demanded respect for normal order.

In the same August article, Waxman commented: "If there’s ever a chance that anybody’s going to try to close that air force base [in El Segundo], they’re going to have to do it over my dead body."

After picking his district and voters for over thirty years, Waxman so readily assumed that he’s going to swing into another term in office.

He did win the election, but by a mere five votes compared to his 60% plus average in the previous three decades.



ER
reported a different result, treating Waxman's independent challenger Bill Bloomfield as

a "long-shot". Bloomfield funded the major electoral reforms in this state, both of which Waxman opposed. Bloomfield's campaign shook up Waxman enough for him to launch commercials and advertising for the first time in his thirty-eight year tenure. If Romney had not depressed the voter turnout, Bloomfield would likely be in Congress today. Waxman chalked up his tenure to accomplishing individual favors for constituents, yet he has not amended the Clean Water Act, and he ignores LA County's homeless veterans.



 

But that's not how ER sees it. The unabashed bias of Beach Cities reporting needs to be challenged, because media bias alone accounts for some of the challenge which Republicans and conservatives face in local as well as state-wide California races.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Brent Roske: "Congressman Henry Waxman, Will You Marry Me?"


Yesterday (August 12), I received an email from Hollywood Web producer Brent Roske. He informed me that he wanted me to cover him for his race to represent the 33rd Congressional District, which stretches from Agoura Hills all the way down the Santa Monica Bay to Palos Verdes, but also includes West Torrance, where I live, a newly-drawn district (or gerrymander, depending on your feelings about being joined to constituencies by the thin strand of Dockweiler Beach) recently won by Westside fixture Congressman Henry Waxman.
I have been covering Waxman for a long time. When I learned that he was campaigning to represent me, I did everything that I could short of run against him myself to stop him. I knocked on doors for Bloomfield and made phone calls. I even spoke with constituents in Palos Verdes, Torrance, Redondo Beach, and Santa Monica to get the word out.
Roske officially declared his intent to run on August 9 in Malibu, another section of the new 33rd, but a long-time section of Waxman’s outreach. Then again, the Congressman had not visited the Malibu coast in four years until 2012, with the likelihood of an independent from Manhattan Beach taking his seat.

I also started a blog “Waxman Watch” (waxmanwatch.blogspot.com) to cover the campaign and record Waxman’s previous gaffes and policies, many of which remain inimical to the best interests of the state of California, his constituents, the country, and above all the Constitution. I was surprised when someone else mentioned my blog.  South Bay Beach Cities publication The Beach Reporter highlighted my attendance at a January, 2013 town hall meeting in Hermosa Beach, one sponsored by the Beach Cities Democratic Club, which hosted Congressman Waxman after his election victory. A few members mentioned me to the club President, who tried to get me to sign in as a member of the Press, which I refused to do, since I am a private citizen reporting on a public figure.
(http://tbrnews.com/news/hermosa_beach/waxman-holds-town-hall-in-hermosa-beach/article_4facf85c-6bd7-11e2-94b8-0019bb2963f4.html)
Roske shot me an email, along with two articles about his intentions to run. Interesting. At least someone’s out there willing to put up a fight.
Or is he?
I asked him some questions about key issues relating to Santa Monica Bay residents. Does he support the Subway to the Sea? What are his thoughts about Obamacare? His views on marriage and abortion? How about all of those homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area, who still do not have a home at the Brentwood VA, where they belong?
No answer, yet.
I looked over a Variety.com piece which announced Roske’s intent to run.
(http://variety.com/2013/more/news/web-producer-to-challenge-henry-waxman-for-congressional-seat-1200561145/)
I was not pleased with what I read.
He is running as an independent, placing emphasis on entertainment industry issues like runaway production.”
The entertainment industry is important, I get that. He wants to run as an independent. Bloomfield did exactly that, and still voters did not trust him. One resident in Manhattan Beach, a transplant from Beverly Hills, shared his reservations, even though he was still upset about Waxman’s blocking the Subway to the Sea. Another voter in Venice told me that every politician has someone backing him. “Independent” alone does not guarantee trust.
Then I read:
“Waxman isn’t a bad guy but he was elected the year I was born. He’s had enough time, and he should be running in Maryland which is where he lives,” Roske said.

Are you kidding me? Roske is French-kissing the Congressman the same way that Romney practically French-kissed President Obama during their third debate in the 2012 election. If Roske thinks he’s a good guy, then why run? Why should I vote for him?
Waxman lives in Maryland. So does US Senator Ed Markey, yet he won the special election to replace John Kerry by ten points, notwithstanding. Maryland as a home address is not enough to unseat an incumbent. Give me a break!

He’s proposing that if he wins, he will “share” the position with Waxman for the first year, a type of mentorship. Waxman told Roll Call last month, “I appreciate his kind words about my work in Congress. I also appreciate Mr. Roske’s novel proposal and will think about it some more, but I suspect there would be workability issues.”
Congressman Henry Waxman’s “workability” issues include his uncouth behavior with colleagues. But then there’s Roske’s basic views:
My politics are pretty basic: keep your hands off my God, my body, my income and my personal life. (http://roskeforcongress.com/)
Waxman’s tenure has been inimical to all of these precepts, from mandating health insurance purchases to taxing carbon credits, to ignore homeless veterans, to voting for wars. Why does Roske claim that Waxman is a good guy?
Yet if the web producer likes Waxman so much, why not forget the campaign and pop the big question:
“Henry Waxman, will you marry me?
Prop 8 was just invalidated, and a polygamous hook-up will probably not ruffle Waxman too much, since Roske does not plan on running against Waxman’s record, but actually praises it!
While Roske plans for a wedding, I’m still waiting for a real challenger to Waxman in 2014.

Someone Will Challenge Waxman (?)

From the moment that I learned that Congressman Henry Waxman was seeking the 33rd Congressional district seat, I wanted to do what I could to stop him. The power-broker who killed the Subway to the Sea, the leader for the (Un)Affordable Care Act, the Oversight Committee Chairman who pursued steroid abuse in baseball (yet knew nothing of the basic laws regulating the substance) was not going to have an easy election to represent me in Congress.

When I saw his fumbling on the documentary “Bigger, Faster, Stronger”, I resolved that he needed to leave office. An encumbered incumbent all-too-comfy with his seat in the House of Representatives, who took his constituents for granted enough that he could brazenly claim as chairman of the House Energy Committee that he did not know the contents of his Cap and Trade Bill: he needed to go.

I helped out with the Bloomfield campaign as much as I could. I made phone calls and passed out pamphlets, anything to prevent another two years of Waxman. There were a lot of things that I liked about Bill: he pushed for tort reform, he stood up to public sector unions, he donated to charities, and he helped push Prop 32, which would have prevented unions from using their members’ compulsory dues to fund political causes.

I did not like his liberal stance on issues, like Cap and Trade, but I was willing to hold my nose rather than throw up altogether over Henry Waxman.

Bloomfield ran a strong campaign, despite perceived inconsistencies on key issues, and his lack of aggressive campaigning.

He was a Republican who became an independent, a move which showed some integrity, but a majority of voters did not support him. Waxman won, but by a mere five points, the lowest in his Congressional career.
In 2013, Waxman and his party are facing an unprecedented tide of recrimination. Obamacare will be in full swing, yet at the same time Obama has been delaying its implementation. So have the voters throughout the country. Those governors who supported the Medicare exchanges are finding that few people are investing in them, while insurance companies are leaving entire states or going out of the health insurance business entirely.

Someone will challenge, Waxman, but who?

Waxman Preps for 2014

Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles, South Bay) is prepping for 2014. Waxman has more to worry about not just because of Congress’ sagging approval ratings, but the rising opposition to his signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. Here are some quotes from his letter e-blasted last week:

“With the 2014 election just ahead of us, I wanted to share with you why I intend to seek reelection next year, and why this next election is so important to our Democratic values.

What Democratic values is the Westside Congressman referring to? Would it be the growth of the welfare state at the expense of the general welfare? He must be alluding to a penchant of state-sponsored encroachment into private industries like the auto makers and health care. The GM bailouts bailed on the retired teachers and police officers of Indiana, whose pension funds were robbed to pay off union supporters. Obamacare has turned into a careless train wreck forcing employers to cut hours and pushing insurance carriers out of the healthcare business altogether.

“I am leading a coalition in the House of Representatives that is focused on reducing the risk posed by climate change.  

Climate change is a hyped-up amalgam of pseudo-science. From the thirty thousand PhDs and college instructors (and growing) who dispute the severity of rising temperatures, to the unprecedented cold snaps this year, the argument about climate change is merely a change of argument to distract voters from pressing issues, issues which Waxman has only made worse.

“I feel the same way about my efforts to make sure the landmark health reform law is implemented in the best possible way. . .

The law is impacting families, alright, negatively. Small businesses are still filing lawsuits to enjoin the employer mandate. The House of Representatives, in respect to the will of the voters, have voted repeatedly to repeal the misguided, distorted, gargantuan legislation.  Waxman claims to have a grasp on the details of the issues. Ha! He did not know the basic laws regulating steroid abuse in baseball. He has instigated no serious investigations into the wasted misuse of the Brentwood VA,  where private firms are operating on land designed exclusively for the care of our veterans, thousands of whom wander the streets sick and homeless.

He did not know the key components of his own Cap and Trade Bill, about which then ranking Chairman Fred Upton (R-Texas) propositioned him. He attempted to shove a three hundred page amendment on the same bill at the last minute. During a terse Congressional Budget Committee hearing, Waxman declared that he did not even know that General Motors went bankrupt.


“I am dismayed that partisanship in Washington. . .When President Obama was elected. . . 

“When President Obama was elected” – the current President is the source of the hyperpartisanship in Washington. Obama (and Waxman) has one agenda: an aggressive, Progressive expansion of the state, which will endanger the United States’ standing in the world as well as the preeminence of the United States Constitution. If Republicans and conservative Democrats are willing to stop the Obama-juggernaut, then the voters are willing supports. An unprecedented 53% of voters want Obamacare repealed. They share concerns about the decline of American prominence in the world, and at home. An unprecedented five terrorist attacks have occurred on American soil under the Obama Administration, as well.

“Virtually every measure I have sponsored and worked to enact has been the result of a bipartisan effort. . . 

Waxman is reliving glory days of the past. Instead of celebrating that no one will smell cigarette smoke on an airplane, when will he provide tents and immediate care for homeless veterans in Los Angeles?

“In fact, the only major law that I have worked on that lacked Republican support was the Affordable Care Act, which will bring immense benefits to the nation, Los Angeles and my district.” 


Waxman apparently does not read the Los Angeles Times (then again, who does?) There is nothing beneficial about a 2,500 page law and the tens of thousands of pages of regulations following which will micromanage doctors, ration care, and restrict access with higher costs and greater regulatory burdens, A retired teacher in my district had four doctors in one month because each professional chose retirement over reading and writhing through the reams of Obamacare regulations.

The unions which supported Obama are now demanding waivers from the same health care law. Part-time employment has become the norm for hourly workers, as their employers cannot afford.
Waxman’s record on bipartisanship in the last five years is minimal and disgraceful. His health care law passed with a bare majority, and a significant minority of Democrats opposed the law, along with every Republican in Congress. He claimed that Democrats could lose seats in order to pass the legislation, as well. His hyperpartisanship has actually hurt his own party as much as any comity in Washington.

“Thank you and I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.”

Congressman Henry Waxman will see me on the campaign trail, all right.

Please visit “Waxman Watch” (waxmanwatch.blogspot.com) for more information.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Congressman Henry Waxman's Letter of Intent for 2014

Congressman Henry Waxman is already prepping for his 2014 election campaign. His frequent references to bipartisanship reflect the shifting political realities which he faces following the California Redistricting Commission Reforms plus Prop 11 open primaries. Another Democrat can run against him, as well as an established Independent or a libertarian-leaning Republican.

The sixth-year itch will decimate Democratic numbers in Congress, as they have in previous elections with a second-term president. Waxman has more to worry about with the next election year not just because of Congress’ sagging approval ratings, but the rising opposition to his signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act.

Dear Friends,

“With the 2014 election just ahead of us, I wanted to share with you why I intend to seek reelection next year, and why this next election is so important to our Democratic values.  I have devoted my career to public service because I have always believed it is a great calling.  I want to continue my service because I am in the middle of several efforts that I believe matter a great deal to our country.” 

What Democratic values is the Westside Congressman referring to? Would it be the growth of the welfare state at the expense of the general welfare of all citizens? He must be alluding to a penchant of state-sponsored encroachment into private industries like the auto makers and health care. The GM bailouts bailed on the retired teachers and police officers of Indiana, whose pension funds were robbed to pay off union supporters. Obamacare has turned into a careless train wreck forcing employers to cut hours and pushing insurance carriers out of the healthcare business altogether.

Democratic values which mislead voters about solvent entitlement programs, yet neglect to provide a plan for shoring up the steep losses, are values that voters do not need to endorse.

“I am leading a coalition in the House of Representatives that is focused on reducing the risk posed by climate change.  I've been deeply involved in this issue for many years and recognize it won't be resolved by 2014.  But given the devastating consequences climate change has for our country and our planet, I intend to continue this fight”.

Climate change is a hyped-up amalgam of pseudo-science, From the thirty thousand PhDs and college instructors (and growing) who dispute the severity of rising temperatures, to the unprecedented cold snaps this year, the argument about climate change is merely a change of argument to distract voters from pressing issues, issues which Waxman has only made worse.

“I feel the same way about my efforts to make sure the landmark health reform law is implemented in the best possible way because the decisions over the coming years will impact millions of American families.”

The law is impacting families, alright, negatively. Small businesses are still filing lawsuits to enjoin the employer mandate. The House of Representatives, in respect to the will of the voters, have voted repeatedly to repeal the misguided, distorted, gargantuan legislation.

“ My role as the senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee gives me a strong platform to influence those choices, and to shape a federal budget that not only promotes economic growth, but protects our seniors and the most vulnerable in our society.  These challenges -- and others -- won't be resolved by the end of this congressional term, but I want to see them through.  And I believe my experience, my knowledge of the details of the issues, and my ability to work with my colleagues will enable me to make significant contributions to reaching the best policies possible.”

Congressman Waxman claims to have a grasp on the details of the issues. Ha! He did not know the basic laws regulating steroid abuse in baseball. He has instigated no serious investigations into the wasted misuse of the Brentwood VA,  where private firms are operating on land designed exclusively for the care of our veterans, thousands of whom wander the streets sick and homeless.

He did not know the key components of his own Cap and Trade Bill, about which then ranking Chairman Fred Upton (R-Texas) propositioned him. He attempted to shove a three hundred page amendment on the same bill at the last minute.

During a terse Congressional Budget Committee hearing, Waxman declared that he did not even know that General Motors went bankrupt.


“I am dismayed that partisanship in Washington has grown to become an end in itself and that our country and institutions are weaker for it.  When President Obama was elected, the situation deteriorated further and congressional Republicans said their number one priority was to make him a one-term president.  Even in this corrosive environment, however, I continue to look for opportunities to craft bipartisan solutions and to get significant legislation enacted.” 

“When President Obama was elected” – the current President is the source of the hyperpartisanship in Washington. He has one agenda: an aggressive, Progressive expansion of the state, which will endanger the United States’ standing in the world as well as the preeminence of the United States Constitution. If Republicans and conservative Democrats are willing to stop the Obama-juggernaut, then the voters are willing supports. An unprecedented 53% of voters want Obamacare repealed. They share concerns about the decline of American prominence in the world, and at home. An unprecedented five terrorist attacks have occurred on American soil under the Obama Administration, as well.

“Virtually every measure I have sponsored and worked to enact has been the result of a bipartisan effort with strong Republican partnerships. Most of my greatest legislative achievements have passed by large bipartisan votes, and sometimes unanimously, in the House and Senate.  These include the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Orphan Drug Act, the Waxman-Hatch Generic Drug Act, the 1986 and 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the Ryan White CARE Act, the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act, and the Food Quality Protection Act.” 

Congressman Waxman is reliving glory days of the past. Instead of celebrating that no one will smell cigarette smoke on an airplane, when will he provide tents and immediate care for homeless veterans in Los Angeles?

“In fact, the only major law that I have worked on that lacked Republican support was the Affordable Care Act, which will bring immense benefits to the nation, Los Angeles and my district.” 


Congressman Henry Waxman does not read the Los Angeles Times, or the financial reports of California insurance companies. I have not read so blatant a lie as “the Affordable Care Ct. . .will bring immense benefits to the nation.” There is nothing beneficial about a 2,500 page law and the tens of thousands of pages of regulations following which will micromanage doctors, ration care, and restrict access with higher costs and greater regulatory burdens, A retired teacher in my district had four doctors in one month because each professional chose retirement over reading and writhing through the reams of Obamacare regulations.

The unions which supported Obama are now demanding waivers from the same health care law. Part-time employment has become the norm for hourly workers, as their employers cannot afford.

“But while I look for opportunities for bipartisanship -- and have the record to prove it -- I am also known for exposing waste, fraud, and abuse and fighting hard when Republicans try to undermine our essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  As I mentioned above, I am now leading the fight to stop climate change and protect our spectacular beaches, which also requires speaking out forcefully against the science-denying policies of House Republicans.  I bring to both my negotiations and my battles the convictions of a lifelong Democrat. I am especially grateful that my efforts have been endorsed in previous years by the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, the National Organization for Women, and labor and business groups alike.”   

Waxman’s record on bipartisanship in the last five years is minimal and disgraceful. His health care law passed with a bare majority, and a significant minority of Democrats opposed the law, along with every Republican in Congress. He claimed that Democrats could lose seats in order to pass the legislation, as well. His hyperpartisanship has actually hurt his own party as much as any comity in Washington.

“I am honored that I to have had your support in the past and it is my hope you will support my campaign in 2014.  I cannot do this without you, so please consider making a contribution to my campaign. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.”

Congressman Henry Waxman will see me on the campaign trail, all right. I will be watching, and so will voters, Please visit “Waxman Watch” (waxmanwatch.blogspot.com) for more information.

“Regards,

“Henry A. Waxman”