Republican Repeal Fails: Americans Stuck with High-Tech Lightbulbs

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Erik Hayden 912 Views Jul 13, 2011

In case you missed this amidst the more sensational phone hacking news: yesterday, Republicans failed to grant Americans the freedom to buy inefficient light bulbs. At issue was the repeal of a  law already on the books that requires light bulbs to meet certain efficiency standards. What kept the bill from advancing to the Senate was that the legislation needed a two thirds majority to ensure passage. As Politico reported, it didn't get there due in part to a little prodding from Pelosi:

A majority of members--233--supported the repeal, including five Democrats. Ten Republicans joined 183 Democrats opposing the measure. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi personally whipped Democratic Caucus members to vote against the bill, a Democratic aide told POLITICO.

Republicans who supported a repeal of the energy efficiency legislation (and had framed the vote as a matter of government overreach) were none to pleased at the result.  Joe Barton, the GOP House member who proposed the bill, was quoted by The New York Times as grumbling: "The federal government has crept so deep into our lives that federal agencies now determine what kind of light bulbs the American people are allowed to purchase."
 

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