From a practical standpoint, Rep. Henry Waxman’s decision not to seek reelection probably has more of a rhetorical impact than a policy one: the California Democrat was unlikely to chair a committee in the next Congress given current expectations that Republicans will hold onto their majority, and he had suffered a number of high profile legislative defeats of late.
But from a psychological perspective, his absence will be profound: Waxman has played a major role in nearly every health debate of the last four decades, and those who have...