ROLL CALL:
House Rejects Increase In Fuel Economy Standards On April 10, by a vote of 162 to 268, the House rejected an amendment to its energy bill (H.R. 6) that would have raised the government mandated Corporate Average Euel Economy (CAFE) standards that govern the fuel economy of the fleet of automobiles and light trucks sold bin the United States by a single manufacturer. Liberal Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R.-N.Y.) proposed the amendment, which would have required that the total amount of gas that cars and light trucks consume in the year 2010 will be 5% less than the total amount they would consume under the current standards. The amendment would have forced Detroit, through government mandates, to make more small cars for every large car they make—regardless of public demand for such cars. Automakers also argue that such a provision will lead to more deaths by putting smaller, less-safe cars on the road. This could cause more one-car accidents to be fatal, whereas the drivers might survive such collisions if they are driving larger cars or SUVs that are less fuel efficient. Rep. Mike Honda (D.-Calif.) led the charge on behalf of the amendment. Amazingly, he argued that because the free market is already pushing auto companies to increase their automobiles' fuel efficiency, the government should now force them to do so even further, even to the detriment of their business. "Ford, Toyota and GM all announced plans to introduce SUVs that travel over 35 miles per gallon over the next couple of years," he said. "Toyota has demonstrated with the Prius, which I drive, that hybrid technology works and consumers love it. Auto companies are showing that they have the technology to improve fuel economy without sacrificing safety." "What some of us are trying to do is to put the legislative vehicle into drive, to go forward into the future, instead of insisting on keeping the vehicle in reverse," said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D.-Calif.), who also backed Boehlert's regulations. "What is at stake are fuel-efficiency standards for how much gasoline we use in this country. If in fact we want to become less dependent on foreign oil, clean up our air, embrace the technologies that are already there on the shelf, then this amendment would absolutely slide through the House." Shortly after giving this speech, Eshoo belied her purported desire to become "less dependent on foreign oil" by voting not to open for use America's own sources of domestic oil (see rollcall at right). Meanwhile, others, including Democrats, had their "legislative vehicles" flying backwards as they complained about Boehlert's amendment. "Let me remind my colleagues that one job in seven in this country is an auto job, a supplier or a manufacturer," said Rep. John Dingell (D.-Mich.). "Look here, see where our people work and what this is going to do. There is no one in this country who is not dependent upon the automobile industry for a livelihood." Freshman Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R.-Mich.), who represents many Motor City-dependent constituents in the Detroit suburbs, was nearly flawless in laying out the conservative case against hiking CAFE standards. "If this amendment passes, my district's economic vitality will become ancient history," he said. "By arbitrarily altering market forces in an already struggling economic sector, a new hike in CAFE standards will endanger the already far-too-tenuous jobs of our autoworkers, manufacturers, parts suppliers, and car dealers, and the livelihood of all our citizens. . .We must not subordinate science to speculation and in the process subject our auto industry, America's economic engine, to governmentally mandated extinction." A "yes" vote was a vote for the Boehlert amendment, to impose strict new restrictions on auto manufacturers in the United States to force them to meet unrealistically high goals of reduced fuel consumption. A "no" vote was a vote against the amendment.
REPUBLICANS FOR (29): Bartlett (MD), Bereuter, Bilirakis, Boehlert, Davis, Tom, Ehlers, Frelinghuysen, Gerlach, Gilchrest, Greenwood, Hefley, Johnson (CT), Johnson (IL), Kelly, King (NY), Kirk, LaHood, LaTourette, Leach, LoBiondo, McInnis, Platts, Ramstad, Reynolds, Saxton, Shays, Smith (NJ), Weldon (PA), Young (FL) DEMOCRATS FOR (132) : Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Andrews, Baird, Baldwin, Balance, Becerra, Berkley, Berman, Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Boyd, Brown (OH), Capps, Capuano, Cardin, Cardoza, Case, Clay, Cooper, Davis (CA), Davis (FL), Davis (IL), DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Dicks, Doggett, Dooley (CA), Emanuel, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Evans, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Ford, Frank (MA), Grijalva, Gutierrez, Harman, Hastings (FL), Hill, Hinchey, Hoeffel, Holt, Honda, Hooley (OR), Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Johnson, E. B., Kaptur, Kennedy (RI), Kind, Kleczka, Kucinich, Lampson, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), Lee, Lewis (GA), Lipinski, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Maloney, Markey, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum, McDermott, McGovern, McNulty, Meehan, Menendez, Michaud, Millender-McDonald, Miller, George, Miller (NC) ,Moran (VA), Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Oberstar, Obey, Olver, Owens, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne, Pelosi, Price (NC), Rangel, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ryan (OH), Sabo, Sanchez, Linda, Sanchez, Loretta, Schakowsky, Schiff, Serrano, Sherman, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Spratt, Stark, Tauscher, Taylor (MS), Thompson (CA), Tierney, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), Van Hollen, Velazquez, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman, Weiner, Wexler, Woolsey, Wu, Wynn INDEPENDENTS FOR (1): Sanders
REPUBLICANS AGAINST (197): Aderholt, Akin, Bachus, Baker, Ballenger, Barrett (SC), Barton (TX), Bass, Beauprez, Biggert, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Bonilla, Bonner, Bono, Boozman, Bradley (NH), Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Brown-Waite, V., Burgess, Burns, Burr, Burton (IN), Buyer, Calvert, Camp, Cannon, Cantor, Capito, Carter, Castle, Chabot, Chocola, Coble, Cole, Collins, Combest, Cox, Crane, Crenshaw, Cubin, Culberson, Cunningham, Davis, Jo Ann, Deal (GA), DeLay, DeMint, Diaz-Balart, L., Diaz-Balart, M., Doolittle, Dreier, Duncan, Dunn, Emerson, English, Everett, Feeney, Ferguson, Flake, Fletcher, Foley, Forbes, Fossella, Franks (AZ), Gallegly, Garrett (NJ), Gibbons, Gillmor, Gingrey, Goode, Goodlatte, Goss, Granger, Graves, Green (WI), Gutknecht, Harris, Hart, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Hayworth, Hensarling, Herger, Hobson, Hoekstra, Hostettler, Hulshof, Hunter, Hyde, Isakson, Issa, Istook, Janklow, Jenkins, Johnson, Sam, Jones (NC), Keller, Kennedy (MN), King (IA), Kingston, Kline, Knollenberg, Kolbe, Latham, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, Lucas (OK), Manzullo, McCotter, McCrery, McHugh, McKeon, Mica, Miller, Gary, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Moran (KS), Murphy, Musgrave, Myrick, Nethercutt, Ney, Northup, Norwood, Nunes ,Nussle, Osborne, Ose, Otter, Oxley, Pearce, Pence, Peterson (PA), Petri, Pickering, Pitts, Pombo, Porter, Portman, Pryce (OH), Putnam, Quinn, Radanovich, Regula, Rehberg, Renzi, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Rohrabacher, Ros-Lehtinen, Royce, Ryan (WI), Ryun (KS), Schrock, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Shadegg, Shaw, Sherwood, Shimkus, Shuster, Simmons, Simpson, Smith (MI), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Sullivan, Sweeney, Tancredo, Tauzin, Taylor (NC), Terry, Thomas, Thornberry, Tiahrt, Tiberi, Toomey, Turner (OH), Upton, Vitter, Walden (OR), Walsh, Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Whitfield, Wicker, Wilson (NM), Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (AK) DEMOCRATS AGAINST (71): Alexander, Baca, Bell, Berry, Bishop (GA), Boswell, Boucher, Brady (PA), Brown, Corrine, Carson (IN), Carson (OK), Clyburn, Conyers, Costello, Cramer, Crowley, Cummings, Davis (AL), Davis (TN), Deutsch, Dingell, Doyle, Edwards, Frost, Gonzalez, Gordon, Green (TX), Hall, Hinojosa, Holden, Hoyer, Jackson-Lee (TX), Jefferson, John, Jones (OH), Kanjorski, Kildee, Kilpatrick, Levin, Lucas (KY), Majette, Marshall, Matheson, McIntyre, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Mollohan, Moore, Murtha, Ortiz, Pastor, Peterson (MN), Pomeroy, Rahall, Reyes, Rodriguez, Ross, Ruppersberger, Rush, Sandlin, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Skelton, Stenholm, Strickland, Stupak, Tanner, Thompson (MS), Towns, Turner (TX), Visclosky
REPUBLICANS (10) DEMOCRATS (9) ROLL CALL:
House Keeps ANWR Drilling In Energy Bill On April 10, by a vote of 197 to 228, the House rejected an amendment to its energy bill (H.R. 6) that would have removed the section allowing oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The amendment, sponsored by liberal Rep. Ed Markey (D.-Mass), would have, critics insisted, harmed the economy and extended America's foreign oil dependency by preventing oil exploration in ANWR, even though exploration would affect only a tiny portion of the desolate tundra that makes up ANWR. Ultimately, conservatives teamed up with oil-state Democrats to defeat the amendment. Meanwhile, liberal Republicans and Democrats under the sway of environmental extremists took the minority side and supported the amendment. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D.-Ill.) supported the amendment, giving as her rationale the opinion of an extremist group that an impossible increase in fuel efficiency standards will eliminate the need for use of America's domestic oil (See House CAFE rollcall at left). "According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), by simply increasing average fuel efficiency on cars, SUVs, and light trucks from 24 to 39 miles per gallon over the next decade, we would save 51 billion barrels of oil." Rep. Rick Renzi (R.-Ariz.) argued against the amendment and in favor of opening ANWR on the grounds that in addition to providing badly needed energy, it will help the local Eskimo population, who stand to benefit financially from the leasing of the land. "This weekend I was fortunate to visit the Eskimo village of Kaktovik," he said. "There are plenty of people that have never been to that Eskimo village who want to see the Eskimos in their igloos. They want them returned to the Ice Age. What the people want, the only people who live there, is they want safe, reasonable oil development. They want to see us and help us draw out those energy resources that are beneath their feet. We have taken the time to give them back their land, but we do not give them the opportunity to go after the resources that they need to sustain their economy." To date, these Eskimos have been unable to exploit their own land because of federal regulations. Rep. Jay Inslee (D.-Wash.), on the other hand, compared the desolate wasteland of ANWR to a famous Italian Renaissance painting. "I think Americans think about the Arctic a little bit like they think about the Mona Lisa," he said. "It is beautiful, they will probably never get to see it in person, but they would not want to put a mustache on it, albeit just a small mustache. Americans do not believe a mustache belongs on the Mona Lisa, and an oil production facility does not belong in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge." In the face of such "logic," it was surprising that the Markey amendment's detractors won the day by a vote that was not very close. A "yes" vote was a vote for the Markey amendment, to block the use of America's oil and gas resources to appease the demands of various fringe environmental groups. A "no" vote was a vote against the amendment.
REPUBLICANS FOR (29): Bartlett (MD), Bass, Boehlert, Bradley (NH), Castle, Davis, Tom, Dunn, Ehlers, Ferguson, Frelinghuysen, Gerlach, Gilchrest, Greenwood, Johnson (CT), Johnson (IL), Kelly, Kennedy (MN), Kirk, Leach, LoBiondo, Petri, Ramstad, Saxton, Sensenbrenner, Shays, Simmons, Smith (NJ), Sweeney, Walsh DEMOCRATS FOR (167): Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Andrews, Baird, Baldwin, Balance, Becerra, Bell, Berkley, Berman, Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Boswell, Boucher, Brown, Corrine, Brown (OH), Capps, Capuano, Cardin, Carson (IN), Case, Conyers, Cooper, Costello, Crowley, Cummings, Davis (AL), Davis (CA), Davis (FL), Davis (IL), DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Deutsch, Dicks, Dingell, Doggett, Doyle, Emanuel, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Evans, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Ford, Frank (MA), Frost, Gonzalez, Gordon, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Harman, Hastings (FL), Hill, Hinchey, Hoeffel, Holden, Holt, Honda, Hooley (OR), Hoyer, Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Jackson-Lee (TX), Johnson, E. B., Jones (OH), Kaptur, Kennedy (RI), Kildee, Kilpatrick, Kind, Kleczka, Kucinich, Lampson, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), Lee, Levin,Lewis (GA), Lipinski, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Majette, Maloney, Markey, Marshall, Matheson, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum, McDermott, McGovern, McIntyre, McNulty, Meehan, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Menendez, Michaud, Millender-McDonald, Miller, George, Miller (NC), Moore, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Oberstar, Obey, Olver, Owens, Pallone, Pascrell, Pastor, Payne, Pelosi, Pomeroy, Price (NC), Rahall, Rangel, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, Ryan (OH), Sabo, Sanchez, Linda, Sanchez, Loretta, Schakowsky, Schiff, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Serrano, Sherman, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Spratt, Stark, Strickland, Stupak, Tauscher, Thompson (CA), Tierney, Towns, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), Van Hollen, Velazquez, Visclosky, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman, Weiner, Wexler, Woolsey, Wu, Wynn INDEPENDENTS FOR (1): Sanders
REPUBLICANS AGAINST (194): Aderholt, Akin, Bachus, Baker, Ballenger, Barrett (SC), Barton (TX), Beauprez, Bereuter, Biggert, Bilirakis, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Bonilla, Bonner, Bono, Boozman, Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Brown-Waite, V., Burgess, Burns, Burr, Burton (IN), Buyer, Calvert, Camp, Cannon, Cantor, Capito, Carter, Chabot, Chocola, Coble, Cole, Collins, Cox, Crane, Crenshaw, Cubin, Culberson, Cunningham, Davis, Jo Ann, Deal (GA), DeLay, DeMint, Diaz-Balart, L., Diaz-Balart, M., Doolittle, Dreier, Duncan, Emerson, English, Everett, Feeney, Flake, Fletcher, Foley, Forbes, Fossella, Franks (AZ), Gallegly, Garrett (NJ), Gibbons, Gillmor, Gingrey, Goode, Goodlatte, Goss, Granger, Graves, Green (WI), Gutknecht, Harris, Hart, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Hayworth, Hefley, Hensarling, Herger, Hobson, Hoekstra, Hostettler, Hulshof, Hunter, Hyde, Isakson, Issa, Istook, Janklow, Jenkins, Johnson, Sam, Jones (NC), Keller, King (IA), King (NY), Kingston, Kline, Knollenberg, Kolbe, LaHood, Latham, LaTourette, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, Lucas (OK), Manzullo, McCotter, McCrery, McHugh, McInnis, McKeon, Mica, Miller, Gary, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Moran (KS), Murphy, Musgrave, Myrick, Nethercutt, Ney, Northup, Norwood, Nunes, Nussle, Osborne, Ose, Otter, Oxley, Pearce, Pence, Peterson (PA), Pickering, Pitts, Platts, Pombo, Porter, Portman, Pryce (OH), Putnam, Quinn, Radanovich, Regula, Rehberg, Renzi, Reynolds, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Rohrabacher, Ros-Lehtinen, Royce, Ryan (WI), Ryun (KS), Schrock, Sessions, Shadegg, Shaw, Sherwood, Shimkus, Shuster, Simpson, Smith (MI), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Sullivan, Tancredo, Tauzin, Taylor (NC), Terry, Thomas, Thornberry, Tiahrt, Tiberi, Toomey, Turner (OH), Upton, Vitter, Walden (OR), Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Whitfield, Wicker, Wilson (NM), Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (FL) DEMOCRATS AGAINST (34): Alexander, Baca, Berry, Bishop (GA), Boyd, Brady (PA), Cardoza, Carson (OK), Clyburn, Cramer, Davis (TN), Dooley (CA), Edwards, Green (TX), Hall, Hinojosa, Jefferson, John, Kanjorski, Lucas (KY), Mollohan, Murtha, Ortiz, Peterson (MN), Reyes, Rodriguez, Ross, Sandlin, Skelton, Stenholm, Tanner, Taylor (MS), Thompson (MS), Turner (TX)
REPUBLICANS (5): Combest, Houghton, Paul, Weldon (PA), Young (AK) DEMOCRATS (4): Clay, Gephardt, McCarthy (MO), Moran (VA)
