Roskam Votes to Obstruct Progress on Energy Efficiency, Global Warming

Peter Roskam sided again today with corporate interests and with George Bush and voted no on a major Democratic initiative to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve the fuel efficiency of the cars we drive, and begin to address the problem of global climate change which is threatening our very existence.

Roskam and most of his Republican colleagues voted against the Energy Independence and Security Act because it provided for the repeal of a tax break with which the Republicans had gifted Big Oil back in 2005 when they were in the majority. Roskam’s vote was yet another “rubber stamp” of George Bush’s policies (Bush has threatened to veto the bll if it is approved in the Senate) and the latest example of Roskam’s pattern of consitently favoring corporate interests over the welfare of his constituency.

The bill, which passed in the House despite Roskam’s vote, would if enacted into law:

• Raise overall automotive fuel efficiency standards to 35 mpg for cars, trucks, and SUVs by the year 2020, a 40% increase over present rates
• Require electric utilities to generate at least 15% of their power output from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy, also by 2020
• Require the increased use of biofuels such as ethanol
• Provide tax breaks for energy efficiency and for the use of renewable fuels
• Offset the cost of those tax breaks by repealing previous tax breaks given to big oil companies by the Bush Administration and the previous Republican Congress
• Provide assistance to small businesses in conserving energy
• Train workers for jobs, such as retrofitting of buildings, that promote greater energy efficiency
• Begin to address the threat of global warming by increasing efficiency in our use of fossil fuels

An analysis of the proposed renewable energy standards for utilities prepared by the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that the standards could save U.S. consumers as much as $18 billion in energy costs each year, in addition to the $24 billion in savings from improved automobile fuel economy.

The Republicans still hope to stop the bill in the Senate, perhaps using a filibuster. If not, Bush will likely veto the bill, then try to blame the Democrats for not getting any thing done. This is their game plan, obstruct then accuse. But these guys are in the pocket of the oil companies and I think most Americans will be smart enough to recognize it.