Posted on 01/14/2014 3:37:16 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Republicans won several energy and environment concessions in the $1.012 trillion fiscal 2014 spending bill House and Senate lawmakers unveiled late Monday, though attempts to handicap a slew of Environmental Protection Agency regulations did not make it into the final version.
The package will maintain spending levels for a review of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site, end funding for the federal light bulb standard and soften policies that restrict public financing for construction of coal-fired power plants abroad.
The overall deal would fund the government through Sept. 30, preventing another government shutdown. Since current funding expires Wednesday, lawmakers are expected to push through a stopgap measure to keep the government open until both chambers can vote on the spending plan.
The EPA would get $8.2 billion, a drop of $143 million compared with enacted fiscal 2013 levels. DOE energy programs would get $10.2 billon, a bump of $620 million. The Interior Department, which oversees national parks and energy development on federal land, would get $1.1 billion, amounting to a $44 million increase.
Within DOE, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy would have $1.9 billion to spend, falling short of the $2.78 billion President Obama requested in his fiscal 2014 budget proposal but still $102 million above fiscal 2013 levels. And fossil energy research spending would hit $562 million, a $28 million increase above fiscal 2013 levels and $141 million more than Obama's recommendation.
House Appropriations Republicans said the bill would maintain prior-year funding levels for the Yucca review before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which they said would enable "Yucca Mountain to maintain its viability for future use and to finish its third safety evaluation report."
Yucca, the controversial proposed long-term nuclear waste storage site in Nevada, is in administrative limbo because the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it doesn't have the money to complete its safety review. In August, a federal court ordered the regulator to restart consideration of the site, which Republicans support, to adhere to a 1982 federal law.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission did not immediately return a request for comment.
Republicans scored victories in blocking regulation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions — shed of the technical vernacular, cow flatulence — and in weakening policies adopted by the Export-Import Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation that made it harder to use public dollars to finance coal-fired power plant construction overseas.
Also gone — funding for the DOE's light bulb standard, which had effectively banned the production and import of most incandescent bulbs.
The policy raised the ire of Republicans in recent years, who said it amounted to regulatory overreach by taking the bulbs out of the market place. Still, prices for those more energy efficient varieties have dropped as most manufacturers have retooled to bulbs aligned with the federal standards that former President George W. Bush signed into law in 2007 as part of a bipartisan energy bill.
The deal doesn't, however, include a proposal by House Republicans to prohibit the agency's proposed greenhouse gas regulations on electric utilities. The GOP was unlikely to succeed on that shot at those rules on power plant emissions for new and existing facilities, a cornerstone of Obama's second-term climate agenda.
Democrats counted that as a win, as they called it one of the "egregious policy riders" proposed by House Republicans that didn't make it into the final bill. Democrats also kept off a provision that would have handcuffed Clean Water Act protections.
Democrats also secured spending boosts for some coveted programs, including the high-risk, high-reward energy research program the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy — which rose to $280 million, up $15.5 million — and environmental cleanup activities, which increased by $111 million to $5.8 billion.
Oh come on. End Bush’s prized legislative victory? Lightbulbs? :-)
“The deal doesn’t, however, include a proposal by House Republicans to prohibit the agency’s proposed greenhouse gas regulations on electric utilities. The GOP was unlikely to succeed on that shot at those rules on power plant emissions for new and existing facilities, a cornerstone of Obama’s second-term climate agenda.
Democrats counted that as a win, as they called it one of the “egregious policy riders” proposed by House Republicans that didn’t make it into the final bill.”
So, tell me again Bonehead how we are doing with our control of the Congress? Wow, we got the lightbulbs put back in alas we don’t make them here anymore.
And just when I thought lightbulbs were going to be the next Bitcoin.
I’m more concerned about the EPA program that gives them the right to confiscate my backyard because of the puddles formed when it rains.
“And just when I thought lightbulbs were going to be the next Bitcoin.”
I purchased several cases online at Lowes. The ban may be over but the price and availability will probably falter. That’s because the government is so capricious. We no longer have laws. We have a mass of competing agendas. Companies require stability to act rationally.
-— Oh come on. End Bush’s prized legislative victory? Lightbulbs? :-) -—
I just don’t see that happening. I’m sure congressmen can still get their hands on incandescents.
I’ve heard (if it’s on the internet, it must be true) that the last batches were of inferior quality and won’t last as long.
I’m afraid that may be true. I’ve already burned out the first new bulb I put in.
A friend has numerous rental units. Several people have moved out recently and took all the light bulbs. (These are low end rentals. Although, now $800/month is low end.)
I'm exceptionally happy with them (thus far, it's only been a few weeks). They come on instantly (bought the "instant on" kind, they really work) and I think that they're a little brighter than the old incandescents. What I really like, though, is that I'll not need to climb around on the big ladder several times a year to swap out bulbs....I replaced the hard-to-get-to bulbs, first.
Pricey though, but I did the math and they'll pay for themselves in two years. Since the manufacturer has a 10 year warranty, and they'll theoretically last for 20, I'm covered. I figure that I'll use up the incandescents that I have, and gradually switch over to LEDs.
In reading your posts, at $20 a pop I don't think that I'd want to put them in rental units. :-) BUT there are LEDs that are just a part of the fixture. When they run out...20 years later...you just replace the entire light fixture. Makes sense to me.
that old dim witted drunk Bush is not representative of Republicans nor was he able to dictate laws as congress passes laws and as I recall almost all democrats in congress were for banning lightbulbs and are the ones pushing for a global warming regime
you see the thousands of crimes Obama and democrats have created just since they took congress in 2006 (including obamacare ) .
for all of the years that Republicans had a SIMPLE majority in congress 1994 to 2006 they blocked Amnesty, hillary care (same thing as Obamacare), a global warming regime, higher taxes, gun control and a million other things democrats would have done if they had a super majority in congress. and as soon as democrats had a super majority in 2006 they immediately passed Obamacare.
Yes I realize there are a lot of RINOS but there is a difference. even now they have still blocked Amnesty and gun control. you all really believe your democrat heros would not have passed amnesty and gun control if they had the House too? they would in a second. i’m not saying the GOP is good but that the democrats are worse. but ever heard life isn't fair. these are politicians not heros not beholden to you. that a party blocked all these evil measures when the other the democrat party would have passed all these and more shows a difference
yes the Republicans need to improve. yes the RINOS need to be voted out. etc. yes the GOP needs to be reformed etc. but to constantly bash the only oppossition to THE enemy the democrat party helps the democrat party
who are the media?
who controls the news media , Hollywood, the government schools, academia, the unions, the universities , the government bureaucracies, the government employees, the presidency, the Senate etc etc? it's the democrat party
the democrat party is the enemy of freedom and the enemy of the American people . Who are the media? democrats that's who
Utter bullcrap. What company would import soft-white 40, 60, or 100W bulbs when the light-bulb ban law is still in the US Code? This just takes away money for enforcement, but that doesn’t matter. No company is willing to risk its future from a SWAT-style raid, as Gibson guitars experienced (twice).
when will the EPA do swat like raids on our homes for the global warming hoax? they want to check if we have any of those lightbulbs they say are causing global warming. amazing that all democrat voters trust government and believe in global warming
global warming is a hoax to enslave us. banning bulbs just one example of control
I talked to a manager at walmart. and he told me yes the government is phasing out lightbulbs. I went on a global warming rant on him lol telling him the government banned lightbulbs for the global warming hoax!
Correct. This is no concession at all.
WHAT???? After I bought 30 years worth? (I won’t live another 30 years but wanted to leave some in my will) HOLY COW... :)
No to worry. It will not survive the Senate’s version. You are still a criminal. Bob
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