You’d think that, 40 years in, a congressman might grow cynical about the prospects of government meddling. Not retiring Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.)!
Waxman’s potentially-final words to Congress were an optimistic ode to the virtues of government.
Waxman is leaving after 40 years in Congress, during which time his landmarks accomplishments include the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and Obamacare. He dedicated himself to causes like pushing for mandatory nutrition labeling, warning labels on cigarettes, food safety regulations, and expanding Medicaid.
“My message is government can make a difference,” Waxman said Tuesday, at what might be his last appearance as a congressman. “Government is important.”
“We need government,” he continued, according to The Hill. “We need government to act in the interest of the public.”
Waxman has recently been urging the Federal Communications Commission to adopt net neutrality rules.
“I’ve always felt that government can play a very important, positive role in the people’s lives,” Waxman told Politico earlier this year. “I learned that from my family; they were ardent Democrats. They were scarred by the Depression.”
