Not only has the energy bill been rendered almost worthless—and with some really bad provisions—but the NYT article at the end points up another terrible disaster in the making!! The Democrats caved in big time as with Iraq.
Jeanne http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/washington/14energy.html?_r=2&ref=washington&oref=slogin&oref=slogin“ “Separately, Congress reached a tentative agreement on a major energy package that it plans to enact outside the energy bill, according to a Senate Democratic staff member. The agreement, to be included in a broad government spending bill, would authorize the Energy Department to guarantee loans for various energy projects, making financing far easier. The agreement would guarantee loans of up to $25 billion for new nuclear plants and $2 billion for a uranium enrichment plant, something those industries had been avidly seeking. It would also provide guarantees of up to $10 billion for renewable energy projects, $10 billion for plants to turn coal into liquid vehicle fuel and $2 billion to turn coal into natural gas. “ Excerpt: By John Broder, The New York Times, December 14, 2007. "Pared-down energy legislation cleared the Senate on Thursday by a wide margin after the oil industry and utilities succeeded in stripping out provisions that would have cost them billions of dollars. The legislation still contains a landmark increase in fuel-economy standards for vehicles and a huge boost for alternative fuels. But a $13 billion tax increase on oil companies and a requirement that utilities nationwide produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources were [omitted in order] to secure Republican votes... [Both] easily passed the House last week. But industry lobbyists focused their attention on Republican members of the Senate and on the White House, which repeatedly threatened to veto the bill if the offending sections were not removed. Earlier in the week, Senate leaders agreed to drop the renewable electricity section. And on Thursday, after a failed effort to cut off debate on the bill, [Democratic leader] Harry Reid of Nevada said he would reluctantly remove the tax provisions as well, clearing the way for passage... 'When the Republican leadership and the polluter lobby have blocked important legislation, Senate Democrats have been all too willing to move in their direction,' [Brent] Blackwelder [of Friends of the Earth Action] said in a statement. 'The result is that the two most positive provisions of the energy bill... are being removed, while detrimental provisions, such as a radical five-fold increase in unsustainable biofuel use, remain.' Separately, Congress reached a tentative agreement... to be included in a broad government spending bill... to authorize the Energy Department to guarantee loans... of up to $25 billion for new nuclear plants and $2 billion for a uranium enrichment plant, something those industries had been avidly seeking. It would also provide guarantees of up to $10 billion for renewable energy projects, $10 billion for plants to turn coal into liquid vehicle fuel and $2 billion to turn coal into natural gas." [Editor's note: Senator McCain, Where Were You When We Needed You? By one vote, Senate Democrats failed to beat back a Republican filibuster yesterday on the energy bill. The vote was 59-40; sixty votes would have ended debate and ensured passage of a stronger bill. Presidential contender and Arizona Senator John McCain, who trumpets his stand on climate issues, could have turned the vote around. Democratic leaders had already jettisoned the renewable electricity mandate and changed several tax provisions to garner more votes, but still fell short and so had to dump all of the tax provisions which would have repealed favorable tax advantages for oil and coal interests.] ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
