U.S. House panel backs Waxman as energy chairman

By Thomas Ferraro and Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A champion in the fight against global warming narrowly beat a defender of the U.S. auto industry on Wednesday in a preliminary battle to head the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

On a secret-ballot vote of 25-22, the House Democratic Steering Committee recommended that Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California head the energy panel in the new 111th Congress set to convene on January 6.

It remained unclear, however, if the 255-member House Democratic conference on Thursday would accept this recommendation or stick with Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan as chairman.

"Too close to call," said a Democratic leadership aide.

"There's going to be blood on the floor," another aide said, predicting a contentious closed-door voting session.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has remained publicly neutral, but is seen as being close to Waxman, a fellow California liberal.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has broad jurisdiction over a host of matters -- from consumer protection and regulation of energy resources to global warming, conservation, health and auto emissions.

The battle for the chairmanship has been billed as a clash of the veteran titans: the congressman from Motown versus the congressman from Beverly Hills.