In a 235-181 vote, the House approved the Energy Independence and Security Act today.

The bill would raise the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) level for cars and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, require utilities to generate 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources, and increase funding for biofuels like “cellulosic” ethanol. The White House has threatened to veto the bill.
Veto away assclown. your miserable political party is going down the tubes anyhoo.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:08 pm“Congressional Democrats have hammered out a complicated deal that could result in a 40 percent boost in fuel efficiency standards by 2020.”
Of course he’s going to veto it, because, you know, oil is going to last forever.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:08 pmYeah. God forbid Chimpy would approve of ANYTHING that might really help America.
He should choke on his veto.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:10 pmSince, god forbid we ever have energy independence….
December 6th, 2007 at 4:11 pmI’m sure all the good German Republicans in the Senate will fall in and march in lockstep behind der fuhrher.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:12 pm35 mpg by 2020?
Aren’t we going to have jet packs by then?
December 6th, 2007 at 4:12 pm.
What?
Is the House passing bills that aren’t VETO PROOF?
Do they have the votes in the Senate?
.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:12 pmVeto away, dry drunk frat boy. That will lose a couple more seats in the house for your side.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:13 pm.
And the AUTO CORPORATIONS take on the issue is…
Keep it under forty?
Did ANY AUTO CORPORATIONS lobby this down, if so how much? To WHOM?
.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:15 pmI think Bush would veto a raise for himself just to make the Dems look like they aren’t doing anything.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:16 pmMost of us are already doing what we can to get 30+ miles to a gallon, like car maintenance. Now to expect corporations to give up the dividends and profits to clean their pollution….never happen.
If it doesn’t get killed in the Senate by a non-two-thirds majority it will be vetoed by the president and blamed on the do nothing Democratic Congress.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:17 pmOf course he’ll veto it. It’s not like anything he’s done over the last 7 years has actually helped America as a whole.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:17 pmActually Detroit needs to set these standards themselves, or continue to wonder why Toyota, and Honda, who produce numerous vehicles that already get over 35 MPG are overtaking them.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:19 pmEnergy independence means less bucks in the private offshore accounts of Bush, Cheney, and his corporate cronies.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:20 pmIf it doesn’t get killed in the Senate by a non-two-thirds majority it will be vetoed by the president and blamed on the do nothing Democratic Congress.
Comment by Clumberfeet — December 6, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
——
FYI, you don’t need a 2/3rds majority to pass the Senate, just 60 votes for cloture (close debate, bring it up for a vote).
Fillibusters would be less retarded if they actually required a damn fillibuster.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:20 pmIf he vetoes it, he will look like one total asshat to the american people. Soon they’ll start throwing rotten tomatoes at him during his press conferences.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:21 pmThe CAFE settings in the legislation are still too low to do any good. When will we get leadership that knows how to lead by setting the bar and challenging America to rise to the occasion?
December 6th, 2007 at 4:23 pmNothing will change in America until we remove the corporate lobbying dollar from the greedy pockets of congress.
If Duhtroit would get off it’s collective corporate ass and start making new cars that meet these standards then maybe they won’t go out of business.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:23 pmAll I can say is that I surely hope that the Bush Cabal had better have good security when they leave office. I believe that they are the most dispised individuals in this country at this point. They’re certainly the most disrespected people at their own hand as a result of their actions. They don’t deserve one iota of respect or reverence. The more they lie to the people; the more the people dispise them.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:23 pmFirst the US:
The United States Energy Association (the WEC
Member Committee for the USA) reports that,
according to the EIA, central station photovoltaic
capacity was 11 000 kW at the end of 2005 and
that, on the basis of the stock of equipment in
place, there was an estimated 485 000 kW of
dispersed PV capacity in operation.
Then Germany:
Germany has the highest level of installed PV
December 6th, 2007 at 4:23 pmcapacity amongst the European members of the
IEA-PVPS. At end-2005 its capacity stood at
1 429 MWp, 25 times that of the next biggest
country (Spain). Out of the installed PV total, 29
MWp was off-grid and 1 400 MWp gridconnected.
leftcoast: You know this is a “token measure” which means very little. Real standards would be much greater than what they are proposing.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:24 pmThe White House has threatened to veto the bill.
Now Bush is just being an a$$hole.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:24 pmim shocked and yawned! the whitehouse to veto a kind of a good thing.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:25 pmWell whoop–dee-f’in-doo! 35mpg by 2020? Didn’t they have diesel Rabbits that got 55mpg back in 1978? That’ll get us some energy independence. We should be just about out of oil at that point anyway.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:25 pmOf course Bush will veto the bill; it cuts into Big Oil’s and the Utilities’ profits. Naturally, the vote was pretty much along party lines. Here’s the roll call:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1140.xml
God forbid Bush signs something that’s positive that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:26 pmOnly reason I’d say veto it is if they were going to shorten the timespan. 35mpg in the next 5 years mofos. While we’re at it, lets bump the 15% up to 20%. If those changes aren’t to be made, don’t veto this bill you assclown.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:28 pmIf Bush would veto the insurance bill for kids would he veto this bill. Oh thats right he did !
December 6th, 2007 at 4:28 pmpatooty,
December 6th, 2007 at 4:29 pmAmerica has no STANDards. All we do in America is tokenism. Congress makes statements; the people write letters; but no one STANDS.
TP, you need to change this graphic. You make it look like the bill passed 370 to 62. As far as I can see, only 14 Republicans voted for it while all but 7 Democrats did.
The party of lock-step is still stepping.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:34 pmDid America really expect anything different with a Texas Oil man?
December 6th, 2007 at 4:37 pmZimzone- that’s FAILED “Texas Oil Man”.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:43 pmTOO LITTLE TOO LATE
yet the chamber of commerce righties will still rend their garments and declare it will bring civilization to a grinding halt.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:43 pmComment by tombaker — December 6, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
I’ve got some ashes they can put on their heads, and extra sackcloth shirts for all!
December 6th, 2007 at 4:53 pmWhite house wants to veto this bill hey?? Well I’ll tell you what my fellow Deomcrats, we nedd to throw out all the repub-lick-ans as possible in “08″
December 6th, 2007 at 4:53 pmPressure is mounting on the US to take a leading role in efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. As world climate change experts continute to discuss a new emissions reduction treaty in Bali, a Senate committee approved a plan to cut emissions in the US.
The World from Berlin: ‘George W. Bush Is Isolated on Climate Protection’
Bali Conference: US Seeks Alliance with China and India to Block Climate Protection
December 6th, 2007 at 4:58 pmThis is weak tea. You can get 45mpg with a Honda Civic manual transmission. You don’t even need a hybrid. If we had leaders with a vision they’d of mandated 50% electric cars by 2020. What this law calls for, in my mind, is a set-back.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:14 pmI’m impressed that Pelosi got this through the House. For those who say this is too little, I say it is the most we’ve managed in 30+ years. Good work.
Now lets see what Reid can manage in the Senate.
Are there 10 Senate Republicans that are willing to back an energy bill that doesn’t give everthing to the fossil fuel interests and stick America with the bill?
Oh yeah Ted Stevens will kick and scream that this bill will raise energy prices…hello? energy prices are ALREADY going through the roof! What he really objects to are the measures that have us using less energy in the future.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:49 pm2Mil ~ Spot on. Not a peep about any R&D for hydrogen fuel either.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:11 pmWhat a bunt, when we were looking for a triple, or home run…
I know Bush is going to veto this bill and so does everyone else. But I’m upset at Pelosi for putting in the oil tax break clause, which would end tax breaks for oil companies. Not because I like oil companies, in fact I hate them, but rather because with that clause everyone knows it isn’t going to get passed. Pelosi made sure the bill doesn’t pass so it’ll become a political issue for the democrats. Instead of finding a compromise that would effectively work towards environmentacally friendly country. She decided to take the route of political division and sacrificed the environment for democrat advancement. I’m a lifelong democrat but stuff like this just boils the blood.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:44 pmMy energy plan would be:
50% Electric Cars by 2020
1 million windmills by 2010
5 million by 2012
10 million by 2020
Tax breaks and subsidies for homeowners who install solar panels.
30% of national energy from solar by 2020.
50% by 2030.
Geo-thermal energy investment.
In total 50% of America’s total energy will be clean and renewable by 2030.
And in the process create 10 million new jobs! It CAN be done with the right leadership.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:36 pmEnergy independence?! Hahahaha, we can’t even be energy-efficient, let alone independent. Moreover, the smarter people have already learned that biofuels will only CAUSE EVEN MORE HUNGER on this already depraved planet so what’s the effin point?! Gaining some peace of mind for reducing emissions while at the same time starving more poor than ever? God, I love American ‘ethics’, somehow we always seem to pick the exact worst of all possibilities…. Let’s have Iran nuke us already, both us and the planet would no longer be in peril.
December 7th, 2007 at 5:30 amDon’t get too excited. The Senate usually strips out the most controversial elements of any bill, so this will be somewhat watered down before it gets to Pres. Bush.
My hope is that the Senate addresses some of Bush’s concerns with the House bill, namely:
States that do not have ready sources of renewable energy are being held to the same standard as those states that do, so hopefully there will either be state-by-state allowances, or federal funding to help those states that don’t.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:52 am