Henry Waxman

Henry Waxman
Born	Henry Arnold Waxman 9/12/1939
Birthplace	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lobbyist, lecturer
Known for	Clean Air Act of 1990, Affordable Care Act of 2010, tobacco industry investigations, generic drug legislation
Education	University of California, Los Angeles (BA, JD)
Spouse(s)	Janet Kessler
Children	2
Awards	Good Government Award (Project on Government Oversight), Baldy Award (Bill Maher)

Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939) is an American politician, lobbyist, and lecturer who represented portions of western Los Angeles in the United States House of Representatives for forty years, from 1975 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Waxman built one of the most consequential legislative records in modern congressional history, authoring or co-authoring landmark laws in the fields of public health, environmental protection, consumer safety, and pharmaceutical regulation. Standing five feet five inches tall, Waxman earned a reputation in Washington as a tenacious legislator who wielded committee chairmanships and oversight authority with unusual effectiveness. Over the course of his career, Waxman was instrumental in the passage of such measures as the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act of 1990, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. After retiring from Congress in January 2015, he founded Waxman Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying and public policy firm, and took on academic positions at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Early Life

Henry Arnold Waxman was born on September 12, 1939, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in the city that would define his political career, developing an early familiarity with the diverse communities of the Los Angeles basin. Waxman's upbringing in Los Angeles grounded him in the urban and suburban issues—air quality, public health, transportation—that would become central to his legislative work in both Sacramento and Washington.

Education

Waxman attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts degree and his Juris Doctor degree. His education at UCLA provided the legal and policy foundations for his subsequent career in public service. Decades after graduating, Waxman would return to UCLA as a Regent Lecturer, teaching and participating in public conversations about politics and governance.

Career

California State Assembly (1969–1974)

Waxman began his political career in the California State Assembly, where he represented the 61st district from January 6, 1969, to November 30, 1974. He succeeded Lester McMillan in the seat and was succeeded by Bud Collier upon his departure for Congress. His tenure in Sacramento gave Waxman experience in state-level legislative process and coalition-building, skills he would employ extensively at the federal level.

United States House of Representatives (1975–2015)

Waxman was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1974, part of the wave of Democrats swept into office in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. He succeeded John Rousselot as the representative for California's 24th congressional district. Over the following four decades, his district was renumbered multiple times due to redistricting following the 1990, 2000, and 2010 censuses—becoming the 29th district from 1993 to 2003, the 30th district from 2003 to 2013, and the 33rd district from 2013 to 2015. Throughout these changes, his constituency encompassed much of the western part of the city of Los Angeles, including West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills.

Waxman served in the House continuously until January 3, 2015, a span of forty years. He announced his retirement on January 30, 2014, and was succeeded by Ted Lieu.

Health Policy Legislation

Waxman's legislative legacy is most closely associated with public health policy. Over the course of his career, he authored or played a central role in an extraordinary number of health-related laws. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, "no member of Congress has done more to improve the health of our nation" during the period of Waxman's service.

Among the earliest of these measures was the Infant Formula Act of 1980, which established safety and nutritional standards for commercially manufactured infant formula. In 1983, Waxman was instrumental in the passage of the Orphan Drug Act, which created financial incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare diseases that might otherwise be unprofitable to research and bring to market.

The following year, Waxman co-authored the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act after its co-sponsors, Waxman and Senator Orrin Hatch. This legislation established the modern framework for the approval of generic drugs in the United States by creating an abbreviated pathway through the Food and Drug Administration. The law is credited with dramatically expanding access to affordable prescription medications. The Association for Accessible Medicines described Waxman's legislative record as covering "an array" of accomplishments across multiple policy domains.

In 1990, Waxman was a principal author of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, which created the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS. The act was named for Ryan White, the Indiana teenager who became a national symbol of the AIDS crisis. That same year, Waxman helped pass the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, which required standardized nutrition labels on food products.

The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, another piece of legislation in which Waxman played a significant role, reformed the regulation of pesticides in food. In 1997, he was involved in the creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which extended health coverage to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance.

Waxman's health policy work reached its apex with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, often referred to as the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare." As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Waxman played a central role in shepherding the legislation through his committee and onto the House floor. The law represented the most significant overhaul of the American health care system in decades.

Tobacco Industry Oversight

One of Waxman's most prominent roles in Congress was his sustained investigation and oversight of the tobacco industry. As chairman and ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, Waxman held a series of hearings in the early 1990s that brought unprecedented public scrutiny to the practices of major tobacco companies.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids credited Waxman with showing "America the true face of the tobacco industry." His investigations focused on internal industry documents, marketing practices targeting youth, and the manipulation of nicotine content in cigarettes. These hearings contributed to a shift in public opinion and policy regarding tobacco regulation.

Waxman's work in this area culminated in the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which granted the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco products for the first time. The legislation included restrictions on tobacco advertising, required larger health warnings on cigarette packages, and banned certain flavored cigarettes.

Environmental Legislation

Waxman was a co-author of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, one of the most significant environmental laws enacted in the United States. The amendments strengthened federal standards for air pollutants, established new programs to address acid rain and ozone depletion, and expanded the regulatory authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. Given that Waxman represented a district in Los Angeles—a city long plagued by smog and air quality problems—clean air legislation held particular significance for his constituents.

After his retirement from Congress, Waxman continued his involvement in environmental advocacy as chairman of Mighty Earth, an environmental organization. In 2021, he was recognized by comedian and television host Bill Maher with the inaugural "Baldy Award" for his environmental and public health work.

Committee Chairmanships

Waxman held two significant committee chairmanships during his tenure in the House. From January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2009, he served as chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, succeeding Tom Davis and preceding Edolphus Towns in the position. In this role, Waxman conducted investigations into a wide range of government activities and private-sector practices.

From January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2011, Waxman served as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the oldest and most powerful committees in Congress. He succeeded John Dingell, who had held the chairmanship for decades, after a contested intra-party election. During his tenure as chairman, Waxman oversaw the committee's work on health care reform and climate change legislation. He was succeeded as chairman by Fred Upton when Republicans regained the House majority in 2011.

Solyndra Investigation

During the 112th Congress, Waxman was involved in congressional proceedings related to the failure of Solyndra, the solar panel manufacturer that had received a $535 million federal loan guarantee before declaring bankruptcy in 2011. As the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Waxman defended the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program and pushed back against Republican-led investigations, urging colleagues to "get your facts straight" regarding the circumstances of the Solyndra loan.

Los Angeles Red Line Controversy

One of the more controversial episodes in Waxman's career involved his role in blocking the extension of the Red Line subway in Los Angeles. In 1985, Waxman was instrumental in securing a federal ban on funding for the Red Line subway so that it would not extend into his affluent Westside district. The ban, which remained in place for years, prevented the construction of a subway line through Beverly Hills and other communities in Waxman's constituency. Critics argued that the ban deprived one of the most congested corridors in Los Angeles of a mass transit option and reflected opposition from wealthy homeowners who did not want a subway in their neighborhoods.

Other Legislative Accomplishments

Beyond health, environmental, and tobacco policy, Waxman was involved in a range of other legislative efforts. He played a role in the passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, which reformed the governance and finances of the United States Postal Service. Throughout his career, Waxman was known for his investigative work through oversight committees, examining topics including government contracting, pharmaceutical industry practices, and executive branch transparency.

Post-Congressional Career

After retiring from Congress in January 2015, Waxman founded Waxman Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying and public policy consulting firm. The firm advises clients on health care, environmental, and technology policy matters.

In June 2015, Waxman was named Centennial Policy Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he was tasked with leading a monthly seminar series beginning in July of that year. He also serves as a Regent Lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Waxman also became chairman of Mighty Earth, an environmental advocacy organization focused on issues including deforestation, corporate agricultural practices, and climate change.

Personal Life

Henry Waxman is married to Janet Kessler. The couple has two children. He has maintained his residence in the Los Angeles area throughout his career.

Recognition

Waxman's legislative record earned him recognition from numerous organizations and publications. The Project on Government Oversight honored him with its Good Government Award for his work on government transparency and accountability.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement issued upon Waxman's retirement announcement, credited him with doing more than any other member of Congress during his tenure to improve the public health of the nation, citing in particular his decades-long campaign to hold the tobacco industry accountable.

In 2021, Bill Maher recognized Waxman with the inaugural "Baldy Award," quoting that "50 percent of the social" progress in public health and environmental protection could be attributed to Waxman's work.

NPR, in reporting on Waxman's retirement in 2014, described his legacy as "one of the" most significant in terms of health legislation among members of Congress in the modern era.

A former staff member writing for the Milbank Memorial Fund described working for Waxman as working for "the giant of health policy."

Legacy

Waxman's forty-year career in the House of Representatives produced a legislative body of work that reshaped American public health, environmental, and consumer protection law. The Hatch-Waxman Act fundamentally altered the pharmaceutical industry by enabling the modern generic drug market, making medications more affordable and accessible to millions of Americans. The Association for Accessible Medicines has continued to acknowledge Waxman's contributions to generic drug policy years after his retirement.

His environmental work, particularly the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, contributed to measurable improvements in air quality across the United States. His oversight of the tobacco industry helped establish the legal and regulatory framework that eventually brought cigarette marketing and manufacturing under federal regulation through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Waxman's approach to legislating—characterized by meticulous preparation, mastery of procedural tools, and willingness to pursue lengthy investigative processes—has been studied and discussed as a model of effective congressional governance. His career spanned an era of significant change in the structure and culture of Congress, and his ability to produce bipartisan legislation on health and environmental issues during periods of divided government distinguished his record from that of many contemporaries.

Through his post-congressional work at Waxman Strategies, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, and Mighty Earth, Waxman has continued to participate in public policy discussions on health care, environmental protection, and government accountability.