Henry Waxman has always been regarded by his colleagues as humble, but a bit theatrical. He is the first to call a news conference to bring attention to his issues or threaten to use the congressional subpoena power.
Given his district, that shouldn’t be a surprise. The swath of suburban Los Angeles he represents includes Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Malibu — one of the wealthiest and most influential constituencies in America. It’s where the beautiful people are.
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His 30th Congressional District is where the stars live in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. It’s where one can keep up with the Kardashians in Calabasas. No matter where you are in Waxman’s district, there is star power, plastic surgery, expensive cars and opulence of every kind.
Waxman’s visage is not what one would consider as representative of the area — standing at 5 foot 5, bald since the day he arrived to Congress and with a taut mustache. He would be furious to know that mean-spirited news reporters have referred to him as “the rat” and sometimes “the weasel” to describe his appearance.
Still, Hill fashion mavens agree that Waxman does wear some of the best suits in the chamber. He is by far the strongest voice for the Hollywood liberal elite, yet although he has been its champion and invited many times, he has never attended the Academy Awards.
And he has taken some hard hits to his character in representing La La Land. In 1985, he blocked federal funding for a project to build a Red Line subway station in the Fairfax District.
His bill banning the funding was supported by his constituents and came in response to a subway explosion at the Ross Dress for Less department store caused by the igniting of naturally venting methane gas.
But because of the wealth of his district and the fact that the Red Line would connect to poorer sections of town, Waxman’s actions were called racist. Considering he was raised in Watts, that was quite a slap.
His new role as a congressional power broker brings with it a newfound fame to Waxman.
He is present at all of the major news conferences with the president, and his new book, “The Waxman Report: How Congress Really Works,” is scheduled to hit stores in July. For the first time in 34 years, Waxman’s star is shining just as brightly as those stars he represents.
