Congressional Republicans
That about says it all, those two words of the title of this post. Congressional Republicans will do just about anything, abuse any power, burn any bridge if it will gain them any more control. They’ll do all this and then turn around and call the Democrats bloody bastards for doing even a tenth as much, and they won’t even blink at the outright hypocrisy. This was expressed in all its sordid splendor the other day when a vote was called on an energy bill that was little more than yet another sop to energy companies, while making it seem like the Congressional Republicans were doing something to fix the problem, instead of actually being the problem.
You have got to look at the clip from start to finish to see what I mean. Just hearing that the Republicans extended the vote from five to more than forty minutes because the initial count did not go their way; they held the vote open only long enough until they could do last-minute arm-twisting, claiming that they wanted to give everybody “a chance to vote,” when in fact they were waiting until the shifting numbers came into their favor and then slammed the door shut. Every time the Democrats tried to object, the Republicans shut the door in their faces, not allowing them to speak to the dishonest tactics being used to pass a bill that was so contrary to the interests of most Americans that even their own people needed to be cajoled into getting a slim majority. This in addition to the usual dishonest Republican oppressive, immoral tactics like introducing the bill and pushing a vote before any House member has even the least amount of time to read a fraction of what they are voting on.
It’s as if the Republicans don’t even care anymore, that they believe that since they have power now, they have to squeeze every last drop of influence out of it before the Democrats take over and they can return to… I was about to write, “blaming the Democrats for everything,” but realized that even though the Republicans hold all the power, they are still blaming the Democrats for everything.
Just watch the video. C-SPAN was never so compelling.
I like this bill. It does many things to help us with the energy crunch.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:3:./temp/~c109QN3mAP::
Would you mind pointing out exactly which parts you approve of?
HR 3893 — Gasoline for America’s Security Act of 2005
I like the following things, since they reduce our dependence on foriegn oil:
Sets forth a statutory framework in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to: (1) increase refinery capacity for gasoline, heating oil, diesel fuel, and jet fuel; (2) reduce environmental and other regulations affecting refineries under the Clean Air Act; and (3) coordinate permitting requirements and other regulations affecting refineries at the federal, state, and local levels.
Sets guidelines for federal-state regulatory coordination, including financial, technical and legal assistance, to facilitate refinery siting, construction, expansion, or operation.
Instructs the President to designate sites on federal lands for siting a refinery, including closed military installations and those closed pursuant to a base closure law.
Designates the Department of Energy as the lead agency for coordinating all applicable federal refinery authorizations and related environmental reviews.
Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a federal refinery authorization schedule.
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal guidelines governing federal-state regulatory coordination and assistance for refinery revitalization.
Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts with non-federal entities that the Secretary determines to be the first non-federal entities to enter into firm contracts after enactment of this Act to construct new refineries in the United States or refurbish and return to commercial operation existing but nonoperating refineries.
Establishes in the Treasury the Standby Refinery Support Account to implement refinery revitalization.
Authorizes the President to take specified steps necessary for refinery construction and operation and for the manufacture of petroleum products for the U.S. Armed Forces.
Instructs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) reform expeditiously the New Source Review programs under the Clean Air Act; and (2) use maximum legal flexibility to enable energy industry facilities promptly to undertake projects to maintain such facilities in the least-costly manner.
Amends Clean Air Act requirements governing air pollution prevention to authorize the President, in order to alleviate an extreme and unusual fuel or fuel additive supply emergency resulting from a natural disaster, to waive temporarily: (1) any control or prohibition respecting the use of a fuel or fuel additive; and (2) preempt any related or equivalent control or prohibition respecting the use of a fuel or fuel additive prescribed by a state or local entity.
Sets forth guidelines to extend the attainment date for certain downwind areas.
Provides for discounted sales of royalty-in-kind oil to qualified small refineries.
Instructs the Administrator to recommend to Congress how to streamline certain paperwork requirements under the Clean Air Act and corresponding requirements under state laws, particularly with regard to states whose requirements are more stringent than the federal ones.
Requires Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization to site, construct, expand, or operate a crude oil or refined petroleum product pipeline facility in interstate commerce.
Directs the Federal Trade Commission to investigate nationwide gasoline prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including any evidence of price-gouging by subject companies.
Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to drawdown and sell petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to fill it to its maximum authorized level.
Establishes the SPR Expansion Fund in the Treasury to accomplish such purpose.
it sounds like they now have a way to pass an energy bill and get around clean air etc…
im a bit worried about this clause as well…\
Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to drawdown and sell petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to fill it to its maximum authorized level.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve
On November 13, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that the SPR would be filled, saying, “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is an important element of our Nation’s energy security. To maximize long-term protection against oil supply disruptions, I am directing…the Secretary of Energy to fill the SPR up to its 700 million barrel [111,000,000 m³] capacity.” The highest prior level was reached in 1994 with 592 million barrels (94 million m³). At the time of President Bush’s directive, the SPR contained about 545 million barrels (87 million m³). By redirecting a certain amount of imported crude oil to the reserve, some think this effectively raised oil prices by 28 cents per US gallon (7 ¢/L). Since the directive in 2001, the capacity of the SPR increased by 27 million barrels (4.3 million m³) due to natural corrosion of the salt caverns in which the reserves are stored.
On August 17, 2005, the SPR reached its goal of 700 million barrels (111,000,000 m³), or about 96% of its now-increased 727 million barrel capacity. Approximately 60% of the crude oil in the reserve is the less desirable sour (high sulfur content) variety. The oil delivered to the reserve is “royalty-in-kind” oil—royalties owed to the U.S. government by operators who acquire leases on the federally-owned Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. These royalties were previously collected as cash, but in 1998 the government began testing the effectiveness of collecting royalties “in kind” – or in other words, acquiring the crude oil itself. This mechanism was adopted when refilling the SPR began, and once refilling is completed, future royalties will be paid into the Federal treasury.
the storm (Katrina) hit 2 weeks later…
always an agenda…
9/11homepage