In Midst Of Federal Budget Crisis...House Republicans Focus On Light Bulbs?

House Republicans will be able to choose from a wider variety of light bulbs to light their offices.  That is, if the government has enough money to pay it's electric bill after August 2nd.  While refusing to even have discussions with House Democrats regarding the raising of the debt limit and the imposing budget apocalypse, Republican Congressmen voted to overturn parts of 2007's Energy Independence and Security Act, which set standards for more efficient light bulb use.

"The House on Friday morning moved to block federal light bulb efficiency standards without even a roll call vote.

An amendment from Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) defunding the Energy Department's standards for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient starting next year was approved rather anticlimactically by voice vote.[...]

Daniel Weiss of the Center for American Progress Action Fund immediately blasted Friday's move. "The House sent a clear signal on Tuesday that it opposes modern efficiency standards for light bulbs despite support from the lighting industry," he said. "[The fact that] the voice vote saved time and effort to get to the known outcome is the only energy efficient aspect of this vote against saving families money by cutting energy use."

 House Republicans have been using this issue as a call to rally against "the government's intrusion into our personal lives".   A number of  them have even gone so far as to say that the 'Obama Administration is trying to tell us what light bulbs we can use in our own homes'.  Here's the great part about this whole thing.... Ready for it?


The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, that's right, 2007, was signed by George W. Bush.  The phase out of incandescent bulbs was part of a Republican initiative called the "20 in 10", meaning to try to reduce the nation's fuel consumption by 20% in 10 years.  When Bush signed the bill on December 19, 2007, he said himself:

“The bill also includes revisions to improve energy efficiency in lighting and appliances. It adopts elements of the executive order I signed requiring federal agencies to lead by example in efficiency and renewable energy use.”

The Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. would save approximately $6 billion in energy costs in 2015 alone, the first year after the less efficient bulbs are phased out.

House GOP members failed to pass the measure earlier this week by a two thirds majority vote, so it was placed as an addendum to a spending bill yesterday and passed with a simple majority.

What I find ironic about this story is that Republicans don't want the government telling you what kind of light bulbs you can buy at Home Depot, but they're perfectly happy telling us who we can and can't marry.  Maybe there is a verse in the book of Leviticus that says that CFLs are an abomination to the Lord.