Waxman's retirement leaves opening for new voice on healthcare

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), a health policy giant who played a leading role in drafting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will retire at the end of this congressional session. His departure leaves pundits wondering which congressional Democrat will next emerge as the party's leading voice on healthcare.

Waxman will have served 40 years in Congress by the time he retires. In his previous role as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he shepherded House consideration of the ACA in 2009. Over the years, he also was involved in legislation involving Medicaid expansion, tobacco regulation and children's health.

In addition to the ACA, other highlights of Waxman's congressional career include several bills he wrote in the 1980s and '90s to expand Medicaid eligibility for children and pregnant women. The Ryan White CARE Act provides medical care and other essential services to people living with HIV/AIDS, and the Waxman-Hatch Act streamlined the generic drug regulatory approval process. Generic drugs now account for 80% of prescriptions filled in the U.S.

In a comment from his office, Waxman noted that he “abhors the extremism of the Tea Party Republicans,” but added that he is “not leaving out of frustration with Congress.” He insists that there are opportunities to make real progress, but feels his time has come to move on.

The departure raises serious questions about who will succeed him as the champion of health policy issues. Waxman's retirement announcement follows that of Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), who also played key roles in the passage of the ACA.

Follow Virgil Dickson on Twitter: @MHVDickson