U.S. House passes cap-and-trade global warming bill, moves to Senate
June 27, 2009 at 12:37 am by Thomas Wheatley in NewsThe U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Waxman-Markey bill, a piece of legislation aimed at curbing global warming through energy-efficiency standards, clean energy technologies and a cap-and-trade system.
And despite the bill’s good intentions, not everyone’s exactly thrilled with what it contains.
From the New York Times:
…the legislation, a patchwork of compromises, falls far short of what many European governments and environmentalists have said is needed to avert the worst effects of global warming. And it pitted liberal Democrats from the East and West Coasts against more conservative Democrats from areas dependent on coal for electricity and on heavy manufacturing for jobs.
While some environmentalists enthusiastically supported the legislation, others, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, opposed it. Industry officials were split, with the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers opposing the bill and some of the nation’s biggest corporations, including Dow Chemical and Ford, backing it.
The final vote was 219-212. Here’s the roll call. Note that 44 Democrats voted against the legislation and eight Republicans voted for it — Joe Romm of ClimateProgress says that’s a sign the bill will face a tough fight next in the Senate, which is expected to consider the legislation after the July 4 holiday.
Georgia’s Congressional delegation was largely split on party lines. U.S. Reps. John Barrow, D-Augusta, and Jim Marshall, D-Macon, were the lone Democrats to vote against the legislation.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Huge numbers of people in this country don’t believe in global warming. It’s cute to make fun of us/me (as will inevitably happen in this liberal arena) but it’s a very, very popular belief.
Furthermore, this belief is backed up by hundreds upon hundreds of studies that show that a) globing warming isn’t happening or b) not a product of human activity.
Sooooooo – I mention these facts to show that there is, contrary to popular-liberal belief, that there is wide debate on the subject.
Should the federal government heavily tax something that is widely in scientific dispute? I say no. Apparently, Thomas, other say yes.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:54 am
The Northwest passage is melting open again, for the 3rd time in history and the 3rd year in a row. Yet some still deny climate is changing.
Take your pick of NW Passage cruises this summer. East to West or West to East.
http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/images/daily_images/N_daily_concentration_hires.png
June 27th, 2009 at 9:44 am
First, the bill is not ONLY about global warming; it is a TOTAL energy bill! We must wean ourselves off imported oil, too expensive, requires a expensive military to protect the resource in the middle-east.
Peak oil is here, the recession (caused by $140 plus oil price) is a reprieve for now.
This new industry of solar energy will provide the next wave of jobs.
Time is short and we may have already waited too long!
June 27th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Just another hoax with global warming to be able to tax you sheeple. When will you wake up from your sleep?
Man could not do anything to this planet, it’s been here for billions of years and will be here for billions more after we are all dead and gone. Only fools follow with blind faith and no questions of truth.
Telling the truth in a world lies is revolutionary.
Thomas Jefferson and others warned us all, at least those that would listen, that these criminal bankers would take everything you have and leave you homeless on your own continent. Issue your own currency and all these money spending ideas will go to the wayside. Then and only then can you build this country back up again from it’s inevitable demise, at the rate we’re going.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Why would we not be able to hurt the planet? Is it made of magic?
June 27th, 2009 at 10:34 am
WRONG, Thomas! Jim Marshall D GA 8 voted NO on the bill alongside of Barrow. (Per NYT rollcall)
Two Dems in name only? Or some special local motivation? Or the usual bought and paid for by Southern Company and Big Oil thing. Atlanta Libs raised money for these two boys – was it worth it? Do they ever vote progressively? (That’s not rhetorical – I don’t know how they vote on stimulus, health reform and other Obama priorities.)
June 27th, 2009 at 10:44 am
haha – wrote that when I was drunk. Sooo painful reading comments that I don’t remember.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Indeed he did, cityzen. Posting midnight updates about climate bills is not a good idea. If I recall, Barrow and Marshall voted for the stimulus.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I like your theory Jeremy
June 27th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Thomas, you’re a good guy and are forgiven for the occasional slip-up!
June 27th, 2009 at 11:56 am
No intelligent person thinks the climate does not change because it has changed since the Earth began.
The thing we debate is whether we are altering it in some horribly irreparable manner.
We absolutely do not cause climate change.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
There are many people who were set to get rich if this bill passed including Nancy P. I think the average person is getting screwed.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Jeremy, you have a good question (why would we not be able to hurt the planet?) but your own question to your question (is it made of magic?) is not very well thought out.
The answer to your question is, God made this earth and God would not create something for us to use if it destroys the world that he created. God created everything on and in this earth for us to use for our benefit not to destroy his world.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Subjected to Obama’s lies, manipulation, intimidation and bribes, the House passed Obama’s jobs killing, economy killing bill! Corruption and coercion have reached levels previously seen only in Marxist dictatorships like those of Cuba or Venezuela.
Obama’s Cap and trade is another giant step towards Marxism — and the corruption, poverty, enslavement, destruction and despair that Marxism entails.
Obama is working much faster than Hugo Chavez at destroying the economy and imposing Marxism. No wonder the Russians are gloating:
From Pravda: “…the American descent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people…” http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-american_capitalism-0
We are NOT hapless sheeple! We must do whatever is necessary to defend ourselves and our children from the Marxist dictatorship that’s being set up in Washington.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
The central Banksters win yet again.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Ron H. – not only is your comment bad science, it’s bad theology. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m going to throw out the wild guess that you’re a conservative Christian. I, too, am an evangelical Christian. And when I look at the Bible and human history, I see a constant record of humanity mis-using the gifts God has given us, often with destructive consequences.
Take sex, for instance. A wonderful thing, to be sure. But we do it irresponsibly and have a lot of out-of-wedlock or fatherless kids and the breakdown of the family. Or take our intelligence, capable of marvelous things, but also used to create some of the most horrific weapons imaginable (i.e. chemical and nuclear).
Same with climate change. God gave us natural resources, we mis-use them, and we create potentially catastrophic climate change. You think God’s going to shield us from the consequences of our actions?
June 28th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
-George_ you couldnt be more right. the Founders would be disappointed even though they half expected this to happen.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Obama claimed that the average American would not bear the brunt of this historic tax-increase: he stated that instead ““It is paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous carbon emissions.”
Just compare this outrageous falsehood to Ronald Reagans’ famous quote:
“The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us.
Business doesn’t pay taxes, and who better than business to make this message known? Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business.”
And after the way the rammed this through the House with little debate, without legislators even reading it… and while quarantining the GOP from any meaningful input whatsoever, any foolhardy individuals who still believe Obama’s threadbare “bipartisanship” spiel ought to have their head examined.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
June 28th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
RR – you are correct. Get ready to be re-”educated” by some of the regulars on this site
June 29th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Benjy- correct me if i’m wrong. But when I look at my Bible it puts this whole we will destroy the globe thing to bed!! According to the book of revealations God has his own global warming theory! Fireballs from heaven, read about it, he created it he’ll destroy if he wants too. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be responsible with his creation. But I believe he cares more for human life then a polar bear.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I’m not a Christian, and even I know it’s not the “book of revelations.”
June 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am
nitpicking over an “s”? really?
slow day, huh?
June 29th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Also making a point not to argue when, to some folks here, the facts don’t really matter.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
ah, got it then.
I was looking forward to watching a little theological debate on this site.
Now THAT would be entertaining.