At least two members will vie for the top...

At least two members will vie for the top Democrat spot on the House Commerce Committee, as some expected last week when ranking member Henry Waxman, D-Calif., announced plans to retire at the end of his term (CD Jan 31 p5). In order of seniority, the next Democrats on the committee are John Dingell, Mich.; Frank Pallone, N.J.; Bobby Rush, Ill.; and Anna Eshoo, Calif., ranking member of the Communications Subcommittee. Since Waxman’s retirement announcement, “I have received the encouragement of members of the Committee and the Caucus to seek this position,” Eshoo said in a statement Monday (http://1.usa.gov/1aWCMUm). “I do so with great enthusiasm because it is the ‘Committee of the Future’ and the most dynamic by its jurisdictions. It is key to shaping America’s future, just as my Silicon Valley congressional district is.” But Pallone, more senior than Eshoo on House Commerce, is also interested. After learning of Waxman’s retirement, “I began the process of calling my colleagues to let them know of my intentions,” Pallone also said in a statement Monday (http://1.usa.gov/1fp3O3B). He believes himself the committee Democrat with “the most effective voice” to lead the committee. “Having a leader with strong relationships on both sides of the aisle will be crucial to moving forward a meaningful agenda,” Pallone said. Dingell, a former House Commerce chairman and ranking member, still did not weigh in on his decision Monday. “I'm boarding a flight back to Washington now, but nothing has changed since my statement last week,” Dingell told us in a statement, saying he looks “forward to continuing to give this thoughtful consideration, speaking with my colleagues upon my return, and from there I will find the absolute best ways” to serve constituents.