For a week now, Democrats have shied away from making public statements of support for either Michigan Rep. John Dingell or California Rep. Henry A. Waxman, who’s trying to oust Dingell as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
But members of the Democrats’ Policy and Steering Committee forced the issue Wednesday, voting 25-22 to recommend that Waxman replace Dingell on the panel. That vote is the precursor to Thursday morning’s caucuswide vote in the Cannon House Office Building.
“I wish we did not have to make the choice between two extraordinary legislators,” said North Carolina Rep. G.K. Butterfield, an uncommitted member of the Energy and Commerce panel.
