Posted on 06/06/2012 10:57:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Last night, the House approved of two amendments that will further stay the enforcement of the infamously intrusive incandescent light-bulb ban.
In a voice vote, the House approved an amendment to the Energy and Water spending bill for 2013 that would prevent the Department of Energy from spending money to enforce a 2007 law that sets bulb efficiency standards. The law bans the sale of 100 watt incandescent bulbs and will ban the sale of 75 watt traditional bulbs in July 2013.
This year, like last year, the amendment was sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), who said the federal government should not be in the business of requiring certain light bulbs to be used.
"We shouldn't be making these decisions for the American people," Burgess said on the House floor. Burgess added that his amendment was approved last year and signed into law by President Obama, after which the House quickly passed his amendment again.
I like that the House Republicans are sticking with the regulatory travesty that is the incandescent light bulb ban, the only problem being that just delaying enforcement of the ban, instead of actually repealing it, only creates more uncertainty for businesses. It’s the best they can do with the state of the legislative branch being what it is at the moment, but manufacturers have already started battening down the hatches in preparation of the ban and moving away from production of normal light bulbs. A mere short-term guarantee just isn’t going to do much for them. Bloomberg has more:
Even if the House language approved last night survives in the Democratic-led Senate, the impact for consumers probably will be limited because manufacturers such as Royal Philips Electronics NV (PHIA) and General Electric Co. (GE) (GE) have revamped manufacturing to comply with the law, making bulbs that use less electricity to generate the same amount of light. …
“The law couldn’t be enforced,” Burgess said of his amendment in an interview. “‘We don’t need no stinkin’ badges. We’re the energy police.’”
Blocking the Energy Department from enforcement might let unscrupulous foreign manufacturers push non-compliant products, including to bulk buyers such as builders. Those sales are difficult to track.
“Some in Congress are willing to put U.S. jobs at risk for political positioning,” said Joseph Higbee, a spokesman for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, a Rosslyn, Virginia-based group. “This is an example of a few politicizing light bulbs at the risk of American workers and the economy.”
Democrats are trying to spin this as if Republicans are ignoring the effect on American jobs. They contend that the delay will allow Americans to purchase traditional light bulbs from foreign manufacturers instead of the American manufacturers who make the new energy efficient light bulbs, but let’s just knock that notion on the head right now.
Buying American, just for the sake of buying American, does not help to create jobs — free trade and buying goods from wherever they are produced most cheaply and efficiently leads to good-for-all economic growth that creates actual, productive jobs. If Democrats really cared for American jobs and the health of the overall economy, maybe they should stop sticking up for a law that forces people to buy certain goods that they wouldn’t be choosing to buy in the free market. (Really, now — “unscrupulous” foreign manufacturers? They’re just meeting an existing demand, for crying out loud.)
When the lights go out in the Nanny State.
Long ago I stocked up on about a 10 year supply of regular lightbulbs-—they’re still stored here, just in case-—LOL!
Delay it?
KILL IT WITH FIRE!
Do you remember when Hugo Chavez sent the army around (into people’s homes) toforce the change to CFLs?
Don’t think the libs aren’t hoping for a chance to do the same thing here.
Let ‘em show up!
I’m old, and I’m armed.............LOL!
Didnt they already do this last year? Did they attach it to a go-no-place bill? I thought it was in the debt limit act.
I do not like this at all....I want REPEAL, not delay. They know what they’re doing here. Later it will be enforced and there will be little to no uprising against them because it will be all of a sudden and the fraudulant “Well we can’t undo it at this point” lie will be peddled out to explain it away. YES, you can dam well undo it...you dam well can REPEAL Obamacare and illegal executive orders and regulations that steal my liberty and more.
Nonetheless, the ban remains. Violating laws just because they won’t be enforced - by practice or by decree - is a very bad stage of civilization.
Too little too late.
The manufacturing has already shut down and left the country.
Me, too! I bought a case (100 bulbs) of 100W long life bulbs (guaranteed to work for 10 years before burning out). So I have enough to put one in the front porch and keep it shining in the sums a bitches eyes for a THOUSAND YEARS! lololololololololololololol!
BFD. The *manufacturing* of 100W bulbs is dead, so all this does is allow the merchants to sell what’s in the warehouse. When that runs out, then it won’t matter if there is a ban in place or not because the bulbs won’t exist.
All going according to Obama’s plan. It’s like when he “banned” deep-water oil exploration. Even though it was overturned in court (twice) and there was a contempt of court citation, the practical effects of the ban held and the deep-water rigs are gone, ban or no ban.
I agree with you, but I’ll take this too.
I cannot find a 100w light bulb in any store. It’s really annoying.
We freedom-loving geezers are government's worst nightmare.
btw, I have a stock as well. Oh no, they're coming after me as well!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
What’s up is down and what’s down is up in Legislator La La Land.
When CFL bulbs break inside someone’s home, mercury is released into that environment. Mercury is a known poison.
Yet incandescent bulbs are the items no longer manufactured, thanks to Fred Upton’s stupidity.
Ignorant, evil politicians.
>Yet incandescent bulbs are the items no longer manufactured<
Correction - Yet 100 watt incandescent bulbs are the items no longer manufactured.
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