From John Boehners page: House GOP: "The American People Have a Right to Know" About Speaker Pelosi's "Biggest Job-Killing Bill" Posted by Jessica R. Towhey on June 27, 2009

The American people deserve to know what's in the legislation their representatives in Congress are voting on.

That was the fundamental principle behind Rep. Boehner's hour-long speech on the floor of the House last night, in which he read portions of a 300-plus page amendment Democrats added in the dark of night to Speaker Pelosi's already 1,200-page national

The legislation is going to raise electricity prices, increase gasoline prices, and ship American jobs overseas to countries like China and India. It also will be a bureaucratic nightmare overseen by a confusing web of government agencies that will take and redistribute trillions of dollars from family budgets and workers' payrolls. Following is just a sampling of the national media's coverage of Boehner's unprecedented speech - and the House GOP's stand against the Democrats' costly, jobs-killing national energy tax:

Buffalo News: "Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader, used an extraordinary one-hour speech shortly before the final vote to warn of unintended consequences in what he said was a 'defining bill.' He called it a 'bureaucratic nightmare' that would cost jobs, depress real estate prices and put the government into parts of the economy where it now has no role."

Associated Press: "'But when you file a 300-page amendment at 3:09 a.m., the American people have a right to know what's in this bill,' [Boehner] intoned."

Reuters: "House Republican leader John Boehner called the measure 'the biggest job-killing bill that has ever been on the floor of the House of Representatives.'"

Washington Post: "And then came the fili-Boehner. House tradition allows the speaker, the majority leader and the minority leader to ignore the usual time limits on floor speeches. So, at the end of four hours of debate, Boehner opened a binder containing the 300-page amendment. 'Don't you think the American people expect us to understand what's in this bill before we vote on it?' Boehner said, to cheers from Republicans. He read numerous passages - highlighting items such as credits for Fannie Mae-financed efficiency measures and plans for grants to study consumer behavior on energy use - and offered critiques."

Politico: "'This is the biggest job killing bill that's ever been on the floor of the House of Representatives. Right here, this bill,' said House Minority Leader John Boehner. 'And I don't think that's what the American people want.' Donning reading glasses, Boehner then delayed the roll call vote by reading page-by-page through a 300-page managers' amendment Democrats added at around 3 a.m. on Friday. Boehner seemed to relish the hour-long stunt, picking out the bill's most obscure language and then pontificating about what it might - or might not - mean. Republicans laughed along with him and roared with applause when he was done."

San Francisco Chronicle: "Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio [used] his privileges as a leader to spend more than an hour ridiculing page after page of the bill and delaying the final vote until well into the evening."

Wall Street Journal: "House Minority Leader John Boehner lambasted the Democratic bill for more than an hour Friday evening before the final vote. He mocked provisions covering everything from energy-efficient loan standards for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the definition of 'renewable biomass' to the establishment of 'green' banking centers. "Is there anything we're not regulating in this bill?' he said."

Dow Jones: "Republicans warn it could cripple the economy. 'This is a tax on anyone who drives a car, buys an American-made product, or flips on a light switch,' said Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. 'It will drive up energy costs and send millions of American jobs to countries like China and India, and place a real heavy burden on rural Americans.'"

Fox News: "Filibusters are not allowed in the House. They're a province of the Senate. But House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) may have figured out a way to get around that prohibition Friday as the House inched closer to voting on a controversial energy and climate change bill. Overnight, House Democrats tacked onto the bill a 300-page amendment. So when Boehner took his time to speak against the package at the end of the debate, the Ohio Republican then decided to peel through major portions of the bill and read them aloud before his House colleagues. 'Is there anything we aren't regulating in this bill?' Boehner asked, leafing through the pages. He wondered if the community group ACORN qualified for certain grants. He asked why an energy and climate bill was 'trying to solve the problems with Fannie (Mae) and Freddie (Mac).'"

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Waxman-Markey Made Very Simple
written by ceolas, June 28, 2009

The issues are emission reduction and future energy supply.

Given the unproven emission reduction effects on global temperature - and the expense of emission reduction - the key is to engage in activities valuable in themselves, which also keep on track with emission reduction targets at minimal business disruption and expense.

Sufficient first phase 2020 emission reduction, typically quoted at 15-20% reduction, is achieved by acting on electricity generation (coal, gas) and transport (mainly automobiles) alone, since these 2 sectors account for nearly 80% of fuel combustion emissions, and fuel combustion in turn accounted for 94% of CO2 emissions in 2007 (EPA data).

The focus on electricity and transport gives several advantages - apart from lowering CO2 emissions:

1. Local environmental benefit from less pollution of sulphur and all else that's in the emissions, regardless of the less certain or immediate global benefit from CO2 reduction - and that is one reason why the focus on carbon trading is wrong, compared with the focus on reducing fuel combustion emissions.
2. Electricity supply alternatives which together with improved grid distribution gives better competition and keeps down electricity bills for consumers.
3. Transport alternatives (using electricity, hydrogen and other energy sources), which also reduces the dependency on oil imports.


No Trade Problems
Unlike with Cap and Trade, that involves cement, steel and other industries having to face imports from unregulated countries, the here suggested electricity and transport changes are not just more limited, but also largely local.


Funding and Impact
Equity and long term loan finance can be used: Long term industrial loans from financial institutions, particularly if federal/state guaranteed, give low yearly interest repayments and lessen the effect on electricity bills or transport cost.
The impact on the businesses is further lessened by the stability and predictability surrounding the funding.
Since only electricity and transport are involved, other business continues as usual and consumers and society in general are spared expense and disruption.
This is even more obvious from having no energy efficiency regulation either - see below.

Compare with
today's all-encompa*sing Cap and Trade (emission trading) suggestions, with unpredictability, expense, and needless disruption from normal business practice on one hand, or unnecessary profiteering from free allowance handouts with little actual emission reduction on the other hand - together with extensive regulation on what people can or can't buy and use.


In 2020, from then available evidence, either
1. There is increasing consensus that global warming can't be stopped anyway, and that further specific reduction attempts have no value: In that case little has been lost, since the described changes in electricity and transport industry carry their own benefit, or
2. Consensus remains that CO2 emission reduction should continue, in which case America is on track, and may continue with more specific emission reduction efforts for the years 2030 and 2050 that extend electricity and transport measures and can involve other industries, if necessary.

Understanding Cap and Trade, and why it is bad for America: http://ceolas.net/#cce5x
A New Electric America: http://ceolas.net/#cc10x onwards

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A giant step towards Marxism
written by Antonio33, June 29, 2009

Lies, manipulation, intimidation and bribes were used to force the House to pa*s Obama’s economy killing bill! House members were not given time even to read the 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 pa*sive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people…” http://english.pravda.ru/opini...pitalism-0

We must do whatever is necessary to support those ready to defend us and push out all those selling us out to Obama and his accomplices.

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Do members of congress ever fully read legislation?
written by DMac, July 02, 2009

Note that Boehner says that "the American people have a right to know". He doesn't say HE wanted to read the entire bill. He only thinks that we should be able to do so. I agree. Although, I've never read a bill consisting of hundreds of pages. Sorry, but I don't want to do that.

In other words, Boehner is full of it.

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Proud American
written by Hardnox, July 04, 2009

The only chance that the American people have left is the Senate. With enough pressure from us the Senate will kill this ma*sive tax bill and save this country from economic doom.

Global Warming has evolved into a cult following and this legislation is not based on "saving the planet" but on how wealth is taxed and redistributed.

Our founders are rolling in their graves now. God help us.

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