The House less environmental than Bush

[EricMM 0]

Energy Bill Is Passed By House

Focus Is Production, Not Conservation

 

By Justin Blum

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, April 22, 2005; Page A04

 

The House yesterday approved a wide-ranging energy bill that would permit new drilling in Alaska and give producers billions of dollars of incentives.

 

The 1,000-page bill was approved by a vote of 249 to 183 after a spirited debate over a provision providing legal protections to a gasoline additive linked to drinking-water contamination. Much of the legislation focuses on conventional sources of energy and provides relatively little for conservation and alternative forms of energy.

 

The measure calls for opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development, and alters the Clean Air Act by giving localities whose polluted air comes from distant states more time to meet national air-quality standards. It would grant funding for research into oil and natural gas drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico -- at a cost as high as $2 billon.

 

At a time of surging energy costs, including gasoline prices well above $2 a gallon, supporters said the legislation eventually would help bring down prices. Opponents said it would not moderate consumer prices and instead would further inflate energy companies' soaring profits.

 

The House provided far more tax breaks to the oil and natural gas industry and less to alternative energy and efficiency than President Bush had proposed. Even so, the president believes the overall bill is "largely consistent" with what he is seeking, spokesman Scott McClellan said.

 

The House-passed bill is similar to legislation that was approved by a House-Senate conference committee in 2003. That measure died as the result of a Senate filibuster.

 

Senate leaders this year are trying to forge a bipartisan compromise. A Senate bill has not been introduced, but lawmakers said they expect to take up the matter soon.

 

...

 

Democrats forced a confrontation over shielding the gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether, or MTBE, from defective-product lawsuits, rekindling a dispute that contributed to the unraveling of the energy bill in 2003.

 

The additive, found to be leaking from underground storage tanks and contaminating groundwater in communities across the country, has prompted a number of lawsuits and cleanup bills that threaten producers with billions of dollars in penalties. Large oil companies and other producers of the additive have sought protection from Congress, saying the government had certified the additive as appropriate for use in meeting federal clean air standards.

 

Republican leaders originally refused to allow the full House to consider an amendment to strip the provision from the bill. But Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) succeeded in forcing a vote by citing rules allowing floor amendments to strip out provisions that would impose "unfunded mandates" on states and localities.

 

Capps cited a report from the Congressional Budget Office that the MTBE provision would create such a mandate because it could force governments to pay for cleanup.

 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the provision is a "disgraceful . . . giveaway" that was included at the behest of oil companies and was championed by Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

 

"Not surprisingly, Tom DeLay and House Republicans are happy to oblige," Pelosi said. She later added: "Republicans aren't even giving MTBE polluters a slap on the wrist. They are giving them a pat on the back."

 

DeLay did not speak on the floor, but other supporters of the measure said MTBE deserves protection because of the government's mandate to reduce air pollution.

 

The effort to strip the provision from the bill failed by a vote of 213 to 219.

 

Even the President has admitted that with soaring gasoline prices, the energy companies do not need such large tax breaks. His crappy energy policy had more conservation measures than the one the house has proposed. All this thing is (~80-90%) is tax cuts for energy companies. If anyone thinks that that is what is going to somehow lower energy prices in this country, they're fooling themselves. One could possibly raise CAFE standards and actually lower the demand of gasoline, but no, they're just giving more money to the lobby groups.

 

Give it a year people, if this thing passed. See how energy costs go. I can't believe that there are our political leaders on the house are so rediculous.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

'Bout damn time we started drilling up there. The deer love it, too...

[NoCalMike 0]

Bush also said former military bases should be converted into oil refineries. Greaaaaaaaaaat, you wanna see your property value tumble, as well as the local enviornment plunder. I am sure new communities all over the country can hardly wait for "shut in" days where people are advised to stuff towels in doorways to prevent the harmful emissions from getting into their houses.

 

So basically the plan is to just get more oil, not to encourage people to conserve or even pretend to care about looking into alternative sources of energy.....and the myth goes on that american citizens are somehow entitled to low gas prices at any and all costs, which still probably won't even happen if drilling takes place in Alaska.

 

On a less important sidenote: I am still wondering why gas prices haven't dropped somewhat, considering all I have heard on the news the last two weeks is that gas crude oil prices have gone down more then two dollars, yet gas has remained at $2.58 here for regular unleaded.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Bush also said former military bases should be converted into oil refineries. Greaaaaaaaaaat, you wanna see your property value tumble, as well as the local enviornment plunder. I am sure new communities all over the country can hardly wait for "shut in" days where people are advised to stuff towels in doorways to prevent the harmful emissions from getting into their houses.

Oh, goodie goodie gumdrops. I can't wait to see the fiasco that erupts if they want to use Yerba Buena as a refinery site. The folks on Treasure Island will flip so high that I'll be able to see them from here.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I am still wondering why gas prices haven't dropped somewhat...

Why should you care? It's not like american citizens are somehow entitled to low gas prices at any and all costs. If anything, you should be hoping for prices to rise to the point where less fuel will be consumed and we can all play under clear skies...

[Vyce 0]

Though the energy bill sickens me, I'm not putting all the blame on the politicians. The American public has more than their fair share of the blame to shoulder with their flat out refusal to stop buying goddamn SUV gas guzzlers or demanding that our government seriously pursue alternative energy sources, or hell, pressure the government to do something as simple (relatively) as force car companies to make more fuel efficient automobiles.

 

People will bitch and moan about the price of gas, they'll bitch at Bush and question why he isn't fixing the problem, and meanwhile they'll still drive the same fucking tanks instead of something like a hybrid car, and they'll still pay the 2.50 or higher per gallon of gas. Don't just bitch, fucking DO something about it.

 

But until we have to pay something really outrageous like 5 bucks per gallon, people will just take it.

[Special K 0]

The people who are actually hurt at the gas pump by the prices can't afford a new, feul efficient car.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

How does one get "hurt" at the gas pump? Does the nozzle suddenly come to life and attack someone of they make below the poverty line?...

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I love my 35 miles per gallon...25-30 in city.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I drop the better half at work in the morning when I go to work and pick her up in the afternoon on the way home from work -- we save about 300 miles per week doing that in her '04 Chevy Cav. So when do I get my I'm-A-Treehugger pin?...

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I drop the better half at work in the morning when I go to work and pick her up in the afternoon on the way home from work -- we save about 300 miles per week doing that in her '04 Chevy Cav. So when do I get my I'm-A-Treehugger pin?...

You don't get it at all unless you have your WWF sticker in the back window...

[Vyce 0]

The people who are actually hurt at the gas pump by the prices can't afford a new, feul efficient car.

That's not my point. They should have never bought the gas guzzlers to begin with.

[NoCalMike 0]

If I just drive to work and back during the weekdays, I still have enough gas left on the weekends to run errands, thus only having to fill the tank once a week. In June I am moving in with my girlfriend and we work approx a mile apart from each other which means we can carpool. So my situation looks to be taken care of for awhile.

[NoCalMike 0]

Though the energy bill sickens me, I'm not putting all the blame on the politicians. The American public has more than their fair share of the blame to shoulder with their flat out refusal to stop buying goddamn SUV gas guzzlers or demanding that our government seriously pursue alternative energy sources, or hell, pressure the government to do something as simple (relatively) as force car companies to make more fuel efficient automobiles.

 

People will bitch and moan about the price of gas, they'll bitch at Bush and question why he isn't fixing the problem, and meanwhile they'll still drive the same fucking tanks instead of something like a hybrid car, and they'll still pay the 2.50 or higher per gallon of gas. Don't just bitch, fucking DO something about it.

 

But until we have to pay something really outrageous like 5 bucks per gallon, people will just take it.

100% agree, what's more ironic is that these are the same people who gladly pay almost $2.00 everyday for bottled water and/or over $3.00 for a damn cup of coffee from Starbucks. It's not like all these people weren't warned, I mean even when gas was moderately priced, some of these "fuck-you" mobiles still cost approx $50 to fill up from an empty tank.

 

I just wonder how long this will continue until our government's answer changes from "well I guess we will just have to find some more oil somewhere" to "OK maybe oil isn't the long term solution we should be seeking"

[The Czech Republic 0]

Sure, we can buy all the huge-ass SUVs we want, but man, we don't NEED to. Of course, there's a time and place for large vehicles. There are situations where a VW Jetta isn't gonna cut it. But the people who buy SUVs with no real pressing need for shuttling anything more than bratty kids to and from soccer games are the people who need to cut back.

[Ted the Poster 0]

Which is why I advocate protection after marriage. Fewer brats = less SUVs and minivans.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

You'll still have them, just without those DVD players in the back seats to shut them up...

[Slayer 0]

"Fuck you" vehicles is right... seems like 75% of the vehicles that pass me on the highway (where I am typically already 5-10 mph overlimit) are either SUVs or big pickup trucks. Of course those trucks are rarely ever hauling any actual cargo... makes me think that big pickup trucks are the new vehicular status symbol when it comes to the projection of your phallic self-worth

[genius33 0]

bush is so like hitler its scary

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Did Hitler drive a SUV?...

[The Czech Republic 0]

Oh my god...

Pipe down.