Kissing Koch Ass, Republicans Officially Deny Global Warming

Wednesday conservatives went after the EPA on behalf of the Koch Bros and other major polluters. There were 4 anti-EPA amendments that failed, one from Max Baucus, one from Debbie Stabbenow, one from Jay Rockefeller and one from Miss McConnell (co-sponsored by flat earth crackpot James Inhofe).

Baucus' flat out sought to prohibit the regulation of greenhouse gases from "certain sources" (agriculture). It wasn't taken seriously by anyone and only got 7 votes; just a silly time waster. Debbie Stabbenow was up next with another nonsense bill that went nowhere-- and also got 7 unserious votes playing to home-state sensitivities. Her bill ostensibly would have suspended, for 2 years, any Environmental Protection Agency enforcement of greenhouse gas regulations, to exempt American agriculture from greenhouse gas regulations, and to increase the number of companies eligible to participate in the successful Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit Program. zzzzzzzzzzz

The fight against the environment got serious when coal shill Jay Rockefeller presented his amendment, also calling for a two year suspension of any EPA action "with respect to carbon dioxide or methane pursuant to certain proceedings, other than with respect to motor vehicle emissions." He got 12 votes, like the preceding two, only Democrats. All the serious pollution lovers were waiting for Miss McConnell's toxic amendment, which came last and would have prohibited the EPA from "promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas to address climate change." That got 50 votes. The only Republican who voted against McConnell was Collins. Snowe is too scared of teabaggers in the upcoming primary. The Democrats who went over to the Dark Side were all the usual suspects: Mary Landrieu, Joe Manchin, Ben Nelson, and Mark Pryor.

The House of course approved an insane bill from Fred Upton every bit as unhinged and backward as McConnell's-- just what the Kochs expect from their bought-and-paid-for Congress. The debate started out with the Republicans officially denying that global warming is occurring and humans are a major cause... and it went downhill from there. Wednesday Henry Waxman offered an amendment to Upton's bill that Congress recognized global warming. Every single Republican except Dave Reichert (WA) voted no; they were joined by conservaDems Nick Rahall (WV), Collin Peterson (MN) and, of course, Dan Boren (OK). It failed 184-240. Let's face it, after that, the vote on Upton's actual bill was anticlimactic (as well as anti-climate), although similarly sensible amendments by Ed Markey, Jared Polis, Sheila Jackson Lee, Mike Doyle, Bobby Rush, and Chris Murphy were all rejected, some with markedly more Blue Dogs crossing the aisle to vote with the GOP. Waxman's amendment, which was co-sponsored by Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) simply stated:

Congress accepts the scientific findings of the Environmental Protection Agency that climate changes is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for public health and welfare.

I guess everyone's down on the record now. Boren already was on the record. When Gerry Connolly (D-VA) offered a tongue in cheek amendment suggested they change the named of Upton's bill to the "Koch Brothers Appreciation Act," Boren, the Democrat who has voted more frequently with the GOP than anyone else in his party-- and more frequently than 2 dozen Republicans!-- preened that "I’m proud of the work Koch Industries brings to my district and its record of environmental stewardship." Needless to say, on the final vote on the anti-EPA bill yesterday Boren was one of the 19 conservative Democrats voting with the GOP. The others were Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA), John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA), Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA), Leonard Boswell (Blue Dog-IA), Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY), Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA), Jerry Costello (IL), Mark Critz (PA), Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX), Joe Donnelly (Blue Dog-IN), Tim Holden (Blue Dog-PA), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog-NC), Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN), Nick Rahall (WV), Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR), Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR), and Terri Sewell (AL).

Earlier the Democrats had offered a motion to recommit that would have put the well-being of children and seniors first: by giving the EPA authority to protect vulnerable children and seniors, including kids with asthma and lung diseases, from the ill effects of air pollution. Although the underlying Republican legislation threatens Americans’ health by undermining our ability to decrease harmful pollution, undercut fuel efficiency standards that save us money at the gas pump, and increase our country’s dependence on foreign oil, it failed 175-251 all the Republicans + 14 of the above conservative Democrats voting no.