Higher taxes and energy costs; Clean Energy and Security Act passed

The House of Representatives passed HR2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, popularly called Waxman-Markey or Cap and Trade. The vote was close. The vote was recorded at 7:17 p.m. on Friday.

Red State got it exactly right with a headline, ‘The Quisling Republicans.’ Eight GOPers voted for a bill that will penalize the American people by taxing them and raising costs on the gas we all exhale every time we breathe. The benefits to the planet will be minimal. The federal government will reap tax revenue and speculators will reap record profits. One day everyone will figure out they’re trading absolutely nothing for money and the bottom will once again rise to the top.

The US House of Representatives abandoned the welfare of the nation by passing a bill most of them did not even read. Once again I question the legality of legislation many who voted for it did not read. This action is an arrogant insult to the American people.

Click to read more ...

Sunlight Foundation crits Energy Bill as Dems target another industry

The EPA, with assistance from the Supreme Court, has classified carbon dioxide as a pollutant. Science Daily featured an article about the impact of carbon dioxide on plants. "There's been a great deal of controversy about how plant respiration responds to elevated CO2," said U. of I. plant biology professor Andrew Leakey, who led the study. "Some summary studies suggest it will go down by 18 percent, some suggest it won't change, and some suggest it will increase as much as 11 percent."The Democratic-controlled government is at a pivotal point with the Climate Bill, H.R. 2454, and the Sunlight Foundation is pointing criticism at legislators for rushing a bill few have probably even read. The administration has already taken over lending and auto manufacturing. Soon healthcare will likely be in the hands of the government. And now energy will be manipulated, dictated and overseen by government.

Noting the bill expanded to 1,201 pages (from 946) over the weekend, a press advisory issued by Sunlight said, “This legislative maneuvering reminds us of the failure of Congress to make bills properly available before consideration.” The Foundation website has an analysis of what can only be described as an insane process for passing a bill that will impact every aspect of our lives. For instance, the bill available on THOMAS, the venue for public disclosure, apparently isn’t the full bill.

Click to read more ...