Cross-posted from ThinkProgress Green.
By a voice vote, the House just passed a “lightbulb ban” amendment to the 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Act (HR 2354). The amendment, offered by climate denier Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), prohibits spending to enforce the incandescent lighting efficiency standards in the 2007 energy law signed by President George W. Bush:
An amendment numbered 70 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit the use of funds to be used to implement or enforce section 430.32(x) of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations or to implement or enforce the standards established by the tables contained in section 325(i)(1)(B) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act with respect to BPAR incandescent reflector lamps, BR incandescent reflector lamps, and ER incandescent reflector lamps.
These standards have already spurred the lighting industry to create innovative new incandescent bulbs that are dramatically more efficient than the century-old design the Tea Party is bent on defending. This amendment will hurt jobs, hurt manufacturing, and hurt the environment — helping only coal-powered electricity producers who depend on wasteful use of energy.
The House will also vote on the following assaults on clean energy investment:
- Rep. Sandy Adams’ (R-Fla.) amendment to prohibit websites that teach children about energy efficiency;
- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s (R-Calif.) amendment to prohibit the Department of Energy from granting loan guarantees to support carbon capture and sequestration practices and technologies, including agricultural and forestry practices that store and sequester carbon (Energy Policy Act of 2005 Sec. 1703(b)(5));
- Rep. Andy Harris’ (R-Md.) amendment to prohibit spending on international program activities (except for Israel) at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the Department of Energy;
- Rep. Todd Young’s (R-Ind.) amendment to kill implementation of the Weatherization Assistance Program (Recovery Act of 2009 Sec. 407);
- Rep. Jeff Flake’s (R-Ariz.) amendment to kill funding for Advanced Research Projects Agency — Energy;
- Rep. Paul Broun’s (R-Ga.) amendment to kill funding for the Advanced Technology Vehicles program of the Department of Energy (Energy Policy Act of 2005 Sec. 505);
- Rep. Paul Broun’s (R-Ga.) amendment to kill funding for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account under the Department of Energy.
Yesterday, the House adopted by voice vote Rep. Bill Flores’ (R-Texas) amendment to nullify Section 526, which prevents the federal government from buying high-carbon fuels like tar-sands oil or coal-to-liquids.
In short, the House of Representatives is run by radical extremists with an Oil Above All agenda, willing to destroy any chance of a prosperous and healthy future for the United States of America just to serve their fossil-fuel paymasters.
