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The Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, would have rescinded efficiency standards for incandescent bulbs included in a 2007 energy bill.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 ...
Really? I was thinking of switching from my years-old collection of heavy-duty merrylights. I guess I'll spend the money stockpiling (more) real light bulbs while I can.
Are we really sure this ban wasn't sponsored by the bulb manufacturers to drive up sales? I'm a hoarder, he's a hoarder, she's a hoarder, wouldn't you like to be a hoarder too?
Bought about 30 bulbs yesterday and today. Giant Food has a sale on 4-packs at $1.12. Will probably go back several times this week.
That would be the New Deal Commerce Clause. The same bastardized clause that allows federal control over education, health care and the environment. It is the clause most loved by Drug War Whores everywhere, the original Commerce Clause and Tenth Amendment be damned.
We tend to forget that Republicans are politicians. Members of the political class are the sworn enemies of our lives, liberty and property. Politicians live to lie and inflict harm. They cannot help it it is their nature.
W's rejection of the Founder's vision of the Executive's role in checks and balances is another constitutional stain on his administration.
(P.S. He apparently had no qualms about signing this one)
Could that happen? I have relatives in Texas...they can be my incandescent connection.
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