TAUZIN STEPS DOWN AS CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE.

Amid rampant speculation that he is about to take a highly paid job as a lobbyist, Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-LA) resigned last week as chairman of the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), chairman of the energy and air quality subcommittee, said he would seek the chairmanship and has Tauzin's endorsement.

Tauzin had announced earlier he would not seek a 13th term.

"Leaving will not be easy, but I believe this year is the right time for me and my family," he said in a resignation letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL). "My recent time spent at Bethesda Naval Hospital has reminded me of how precious time and life are and how dear family and friends are."

Tauzin, 60, was hospitalized twice recently, once for treatment of a bleeding ulcer.

He reportedly has been offered a top lobbying job by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America after rejecting an offer from the Motion Picture Association of America. He said he won't deal with health issues in his remaining months on the committee.

A personable and humorous Cajun, Tauzin was involved in a power struggle with Rep. Michael Oxley (R-OH) after he switched parties to become a Republican in 1995.

House leadership juggled first subcommittee chairmanships on the Commerce Committee and then committee chairmanships to keep them both propitiated.

After passage of the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Oxley moved over to head the newly expanded and renamed Financial Services Committee. He succeeded House Banking Chairman James Leach (R-IA), who took over another committee.

Commerce lost much of its oversight over securities and insurance issues in the move but kept jurisdiction over health, energy and telecommunications issues, and Tauzin had a key role in last year's Medicare expansion.

That has led to criticism of his negotiating for a post with pharmaceutical manufacturers, who benefited from provisions in the bill expanding seniors' access to prescription drugs while prohibiting the government from negotiating directly on drug prices.

"There is no better example of how the lines have been blurred between Congress writing legislation and legislation being dictated to by special interests," Rep. John F. Tierney (D-MA) said on the House floor Feb. 3.

Now, I understand, Mr. Speaker, that there is nothing wrong with Chairman Tauzin deciding to retire and inquiring about future job opportunities. But one has to seriously question whether discussions between him and representatives of PhRMA just months after PhRMA received a cash windfall with the prescription drug legislation are appropriate."

Tierney said he hoped Tauzin hadn't been negotiating with PhRMA last summer while working on the Medicare bill.

"However, the bottom line is that he was the main person in the House of Representatives responsible for this bill," he said.

"And for him to now leave Congress and go seek a job with that very trade association that was benefiting from the bill, I think, is a serious ethical question and something that has to be looked into."