ACES Up Her Sleeve (how Waxman-Markey rammed through)

American Spectator ^ | June 29, 2009 | Jeremy Lott & William Yeatman

[reaganaut1]

Well before Barack Obama brought hope to the White House, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi was adamant that something new and different and wonderful had arrived. In 2006, the incoming Speaker pledged that hers would be the "most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history."

At the time, we were skeptical -- to say the least. Our refusal to accept her rhetoric was roundly vindicated last week. That was when Madam-Speaker used every dirty trick at her disposal to coldly ram a 1,500 page global warming bill through the House of Representatives.

The Speaker chose to stifle the usual observances of deliberative democracy because open, honest debate would have attracted unwelcome scrutiny to her massive new energy tax.

Pelosi's legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, would raise the price of hydrocarbon energy sources like coal and oil thought to cause global warming, but which power 85 percent -- 85 percent! -- of the economic production in America.

A large energy tax during a deep recession is a political cyanide pill that 44 of Pelosi's Democratic colleagues refused to swallow. That almost doomed the bill and in fact would have killed it outright Friday night if eight Republicans hadn't voted with the majority of Democrats. (The final vote was 219 to 212.)

Likely there would have been many more Democratic "no" votes if Madame-Speaker and Energy & Commerce chairman Henry Waxman didn't find creative ways to shorten or skip every step of that "How a Bill Becomes a Law" song.

When fighting between the Energy & Commerce and Agriculture committees over the bill grew too intense, the farm lobby was bought off as were a lot of other Democrats. In exchange for votes, Pelosi and Waxman wrote countless paybacks, favors, and concessions into the legislation [without serious debate].

[SunkenCiv]

In 2006, the incoming Speaker pledged that hers would be the "most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history."

[KTM rider]

OW, thats funneee

I can see it now. the ACORN inspector will write you up for not having Smart Meters, Shower Conservative Timers, and Obama Bulbs, then there is the issue of the Environmentally Correct landscaping.

So this is where we get the "new Green jobs" Obama promised

[lentulusgracchus]

My rat congress idiot is ambivalent that he voted for a bill neither he nor his staff ever read.

"Ambivalent"? You mean "phlegmatic"? Or how about "insouciant"? "Indifferent," perhaps?

[kevinm13]

This horrible crap and tax bill needs to be stopped by the Senate. The 8 Republican turncoats need to be 1) re-educated and 2) defeated in 2010. Nazi Pelosi needs to be held accountable for rules violations, procedural BS and lies, lies and statistics.