Addressing issues in Congress such as health care and the budget crisis, Congressman Henry A. Waxman will speak tonight in the Faculty Center at the 24th annual Bollens-Ries-Hoffenberg Lecture, held by the UCLA Department of Political Science and the School of Public Affairs.
A graduate of UCLA and the UCLA School of Law, Waxman will deliver his lecture titled “How Congress Is Helping to Meet the Challenges of Our Times” and participate in a question and answer session afterwards.
“Waxman is a leading figure and a central policy maker in dealing with the big issues in Congress,” said Edmond Keller, chairman of the political science department. “He’s speaking on issues that affect the whole country, issues that we hear about every day.”
Waxman represents California’s 30th congressional district, which includes Westwood and other areas of Los Angeles.
As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Waxman commands an immense respect in Congress and is at the center of the economic and health care debates, said Bill Parent, associate dean of special initiatives at the School of Public Affairs.
The lecture is part of an annual series that honors John C. Bollens, John C. Ries and Marvin Hoffenberg, former distinguished professors of the political science department who strove to build a bridge between the social sciences and public service, said Mary Ries, John Ries’ daughter.
“They were all interested in putting the theoretical, what you would learn in class, into practicality, into the real world,” she said.
“They helped their students make connections, so a lot of their former students got their starts in local government because of Jack, my dad and Marv.”
Bollens, Ries and Hoffenberg ultimately stand out because they inspired students to reach beyond the intellectual and seek out solutions to public service problems, Parent said.
“When you hear former students talk about these professors, you realize that you’re touching something very special in UCLA history,” Parent said.
“It’s this legacy of extraordinary professors that’s always worth preserving.”
The event will be covered by C-SPAN, Keller said.