There is speculation that ousted House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell will challenge Frank Pallone for the Health Subcommittee chairmanship, according to a report in The Hill. Pallone has played a key role in the campaign of helping Henry Waxman defeat Dingell by fifteen votes last Thursday. Pallone is prepared to mount a campaign to keep his post against a Dingell challenge, according to a source familiar with his thinking.
The full committee decides subcommittee chairmanships, which then must be approved by the Democratic Steering Committee. An early vote tally is difficult, since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not yet filled two oen seats on the panel. And because Democrats picked up at least 21 seats in the general election earlier this month, it's possible that the majority party could hold more than their current number of seats, 31.
Dingell, 82, has served in Congress since 1955.
