Republicans Don't Want Regulations... Not Even On Nuclear Safety

Wednesday we mentioned the GOP's attempt to disable to American federal regulatory system and how the whole dysfunctional effort got bogged down in some crazy typo. Yesterday they were back again and, presumably, someone had proof-read the bill. When the House Rules Committee presented it again, only 3 Democrats went along with the GOP effort to bring it up again-- slimy corporate whores and future lobbyists Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT) and Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC). Two Republicans had second thoughts and crossed the aisle in the opposite direction, Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and the most currently most vulnerable Republican in Congress, Buck McKeon (R-CA). The procedural resolution passed 235-183.

Frelinghuysen and McKeon were back on the reservation by the time Cantor called for a final vote on the bill itself. But two other ultra-vulnerable Republicans, Charlie Bass (R-NH) and Bob Dold (R-IL) switched their votes from Wednesday and now decided they didn't want to destroy the national regulatory system-- although nothing was changed in the bill except the typo.

13 anti-consumer, anti-worker. anti-family corporate whores among the Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with the GOP on this. The ones I've bolded are on the DCCC priority spend list and please be aware that if you contribute any money whatsoever to the DCCC some will be spent on these galoots:

John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA)
Dan Boren (Blue Dog/New Dem-OK)
Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY)
Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
Jerry Costello (IL)
Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
Larry Kissell (Blue Dog-NC)
Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT)
Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog/New Dem-NC)
Bill Owens (New Dem-NY)
Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
Nick Rahall (WV)
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR)

Wednesday we looked at one of the amendments scheduled to be voted on. This one, by Jerry Nadler, sought to exempt nuclear plants, since if they were to go unregulated, there could be a catastrophe of unprecedented consequences. That came up for a vote yesterday too-- and it failed 176-243. Nine Republicans realized the insanity of their party's position and scurried across the aisle to get on the record opposing Boehner and Cantor on this one. On the other hand, 16 Democratic corporate whores voted with the GOP to leave the safety of nuclear facilities to luck. Most of the 13 who voted with the GOP on the overall bill were joined by Blue Dogs Heath Shuler (NC) Tim Holden (PA), and Jason Altmire (PA) and by sleazy corporate shills Steve Israel (NY), Lipinksi, Jr (IL) and Gene Green (TX). Remember, Nadler amendment was meant to ensure that Americans who live in close proximity to nuclear reactors-- like Steve Israel's constituents-- are protected in the event of a catastrophic meltdown. "In the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in Japan, it is critical to ensure the safe operation of all nuclear reactors." Here's what Nadler had to say-- on the floor of the House-- about why he singled our nuclear safety for an exemption:

"[T]he underlying bill would block any and all major efforts to protect public health, safety, the environment, and so on, until the unemployment rate falls below the arbitrary figure of six percent. This blanket and arbitrary ban on potentially critical rules only would serve to help put profits ahead of people. This bill also would put profits ahead of the environment by mandating construction projects go ahead after a certain period, regardless of the environmental impact. And, the bill would impose needless costs on the government and make protecting public health and welfare that much more difficult by putting impediments to agreeing to consent decrees and settlements.

“What all of this means is that for the most potentially dangerous industries, like nuclear power, the safety of the American public would be put at serious risk by this bill. My amendment would attempt to make this Frankenstein bill slightly less of a horror show by exempting the issue of nuclear power plant safety from these sections of the bill-– Titles I, III, and V.
 
“The dangers of nuclear power are well known. One accident-- which could be caused by the power of nature, the negligence of man, or the evil of terrorism-- could doom millions of people. Because of the almost unimaginable disaster that could happen at a nuclear power plant, regulations to prevent accidents or meltdowns in advance are critically important. The underlying bill would make it harder for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to adopt such rules or policies, thereby putting millions of lives at risk. 

“Nuclear safety is of particular concern to me and the people I represent. Millions of my constituents live near an old nuclear power plant, Indian Point. It sits near two fault lines and, according to the NRC, is the most likely nuclear power plant in the country to experience core damage due to an earthquake. Hampering the ability of the NRC to require safety measures, like preventing a meltdown in the event of an earthquake, could be devastating. My amendment would free the NRC from the burdens of this bill and allow it to help keep us safe."

As the vote was finishing on this yesterday, I just happened to be on the phone with Jim Graves, the Democrat seeking to replace Michele Bachmann in Minnesota's 6th district. We'll be hearing more from Jim next week, but since his background is from the private sector and since he's a successful entrepreneur, I did ask him how he would have voted on this bill. He said he would have opposed it because it wasn't even trying to solve any real problems, just make political points and sound bytes. By Bachmann's own definition Jim is "job creator." He doesn't just talk about small business, he's started quite a few of them himself and he has employed thousands of people throughout his congressional district and across Minnesota. But, unlike Bachmann, he knows that actual job creators are hard working middle class Americans-- and they are the one's suffering most in difficult economic times brought on by a political Establishment too concerned with Wall Street and not concerned enough with Main Street. In reality, the small business person doesn't worry as much about taxes as they do about making sure that costumers are coming in the front door and buying the products and services they sell. Like most Democrats, Jim understands that in order to revive our economy, we need to make sure that ordinary working families have money to spend on those products and services. Jim also understand the role, the value and importance collective bargaining and organized labor play in building and maintaining a vibrant middle class that can afford to purchase things. "It's an essential part of our country's heritage." He refuses to believe that unions and employers have mutually exclusive goals. He told me he knows that from first hand experience as an employer who, at the end of the day, has mutual inclusive goals with his employees and their union. "We want the same thing, success... businesses do best when their employees can work with dignity, respect and good livable wages-- when everyone mutually benefits." Jim was spontaneously endorsed by the union his workers belong to as soon as he announced he was running for Congress.

This morning Darcy Burner reminded us, once again, how good government isn't the enemy of our country. It's a servant of the people, a way to protect us from our real enemies, foreign and domestic. "Government isn't some abstract concept," she wrote, "it's made up of real people who work hard and help us face the challenges that we all worry about. Every time Republicans argue for cutting government to some mythically smaller size, what they are saying is they want less money for:

- Providing our active military and veterans with the income the need to survive and the health care they were promised when they volunteered to protect us,

- The retirement that our seniors earned and paid into for years,

- Regulating the Wall Street bankers who got rich gambling away our homes,

- Making sure that our education system can compete on a global scale,

- Protecting our environment and natural resources from Lake Washington to Mt. Baker so future generations can continue to enjoy them,

- The Food and Drug Administration's ability to make sure that we have safe and healthy food and prescription drugs.

"What we need is for our government to work for working Americans again-- not multimillionaires and corporations. In Congress, I’ll be a champion for fixing our broken Congress, bringing our troops and money back home, and will protect Social Security and Medicare."

We need people like Darcy Burner in government. Please consider helping her win her primary in Washington state against a self-funding corporate shill and tool of the special interests. You can contribute here.