Henry Waxman to retire from Congress after 40 years

Congressman Waxman made special mention of his work to advance US-Israel Relations & took “pride” in his grandchildren serving in the Israeli military…

Jewish Journal, 1/30/14 – Rep. Henry Waxman (D – Beverly Hills), who was first elected to Congress in 1974, announced on Thursday morning that he would not seek reelection this fall and would retire from Congress at the end of the year.

In a statement, Waxman expressed gratitude at having had the chance to spend four decades in Congress, working to advance legislation protecting the environment, securing essential rights for gays and women, and strengthening the ties between the United States and Israel.

Waxman’s legislative accomplishments have included passing laws making pharmaceutical products more affordable for Americans, improving air and water quality in American cities, and expanding health coverage to all Americans.

Waxman made special mention of his work to advance the U.S.-Israel relationship, recalling the times he and his wife visited Israel to greet President Sadat of Egypt and to witness the arrival of the airlift carrying Ethiopian immigrants. Waxman’s daughter lives in Israel; the Congressman said he took “pride” in his grandchildren’s serving Israel as members of the Israel Defense Forces.

Even as he touted those accomplishments, however, Waxman made clear that he has his frustrations with the way Congress works today.

“I abhor the extremism of the Tea Party Republicans,” Waxman said in the statement. “I am embarrassed that the greatest legislative body in the world too often operates in a partisan intellectual vacuum, denying science, refusing to listen to experts, and ignoring facts.”

Those criticisms notwithstanding, Waxman said he wouldn’t trade any part of his four-decade career.

“I will always be grateful for this honor and privilege,” he said in the statement..

Posted by Philip Giraldi on Jan 30 2014 . Filed under Commentary & Analysis, Israel Lobby, Israeli/Jewish Press . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 . Both comments and pings are currently closed.