Posted on 07/13/2011 8:21:13 AM PDT by yoe
The House of Representatives voted to preserve a scheduled phase out of incandescent light bulbs Monday evening.
The Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, would have rescinded efficiency standards for incandescent bulbs included in a 2007 energy bill.
233 members voted yes and 193 cast nay votes. But the House required a supermajority to approve this particular package. In this case, it would have needed 285 yea votes to pass.
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) voted present.
The measure gained support after the 2010 elections, as tea party Republicans seized on the prohibition as an example of government overreach.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, says that the increased efficiency standards have the government picking winners and losers in the lighting market.
"To take off the market something that's cheap, effective, and average use costs two or three cents a week to use seems to me to be overkill by the federal government," Barton said of the move away from incandescent bulbs. Supporters of the bill also claim that the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs designed to replace incandescent bulbs are too expensive and don't work as well as their 19th century competitor."Here's the bottom line, those of us at a certain age, under a compact florescent bulb, we don't look as good as an incandescent bulb," said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, "The American people should be able to choose what type of light bulb they use in their home. They should not be constrained to all the romance of a Soviet stairwell when they go home in the evening."
(Excerpt) Read more at politics.blogs.foxnews.com ...
Looks like adding sixty-some members of the Republican Party to the House didn’t matter much, after all...
You are lucky you weren't charged with terrorism or making a chemical attack and also lucky that you weren't required to pay for a full hazmat turnout by the local FD. You know they were itching to do so but didn't as it would expose the underlying problem with CFL bulbs.
I want them to put this throught he proper channels and vote again on this so they don’t need 2/3’s.People like me literally get sick from flouresant lighting and if this is the law my life will not be very enjoyable being sick to my stomach all of the time.Wonder if I can sure the feds for doing this to me?
How about a flashmob CFL attack on the steps of the capitol? Imagine...thousands of smashed CFLs right in front of them.
He drove back and forth in front of the house several times but evidently never reported the incident to anyone who cared enough to pursue it. I am in a conservative area and most of the public officials would just say ignore that old curmudgeon.
The Stupid Party (aka the Republican Party) fails to come through for its supporters and the nation again. They had enough votes to rescind the awful legislation but could not because of the Pelosi imposed, ridiculous "2/3 rule" from the last Congress. The Speaker must think he's working in the Senate or something. This is just another nail in GOP's coffin. I'm waiting anxiously for a genuine conservative third party to arrive on the scene. Goodbye GOP.
Same here, unless Texas goes ahead with manufacturing bulbs in our state for sale in state.
Thanks for posting. Thread BUMP!
One would probably be charged with deploying a WMD.
More like a probability. They had nowhere near the votes to pass it as a super-majority, and it's unlikely that they did not realize that. This was just electioneering to pretend that they tried.
The fluorescent CFL lightbulb is a mercury hazard, it is made mostly in China, and it must be labeled hazardous waste when broken. They also cost 5 to 10 times more than a regular light bulb, and although they claim to last almost forever, most homeowners know that they don’t.
So, again the democrats have killed American jobs with their tree-hugging, who cares about real people, fake environmental attitudes. This time it’s in the light bulb industry started by American, Thomas Edison. And the replacement CFL bulbs? They are made in China.
Oh my. I'm actually frightened after reading that...
Someone explain to me why an act in the HOR... which doesn’t have Senate rules... needs a supermajority?
That is not normal. I can usually spot LED Christmas lights because they are brighter than incandescent ones. Actually too bright, IMO.
What the F gives these A-holes the right to tell me what kind of light bulb I have to buy?
I wish we could fire our entire government and start over.
No kidding. We should ALL be frightened.
Or toilet, for that matter. The nanny state totalitarians (of both parties) need to be deposed post-haste.
You obviously can’t read. Barton is in favor of restoring light bulb choice. This is a poorly excerpted post and a misleading headline. It was a procedural vote.
“What the F gives these A-holes the right to tell me what kind of light bulb I have to buy?”
What gives them the right? You did. Now suck it up buttercup!
;-)
This might be the straw that broke the camel’s back, but this type of infringement on our lives has been going on a long time. Heck, they control every aspect of your life, to include your physical being.
It is my understanding that the failure to pass this bill can be dumped squarely into Boehner’s lap. It apparently could have gone through committee first and then go for a vote which would have required only a simple majority in order to pass. The way he chose to bring the bill to a vote required 2/3 majority. If true, he should be taken out and tarred and feathered.
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