Yahoo! News - House Approves Broad Energy Bill
PLENTY of money for the oil companies! For the poor, the sick, the hungry...eh, not so much.

WASHINGTON - The House approved a far-ranging energy bill Thursday that would open an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling and shield makers of a controversial gasoline additive from environmental lawsuits — both issues likely to meet strong opposition in the Senate.

The bill also would funnel more than $12 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to energy companies. Opponents of the legislation said it would do little to foster less energy use. A proposal to require higher fuel economy for cars was rejected.

The administration embraced the legislation, although a White House analysis expressed reservations about the size of the incentives to the oil and gas industries, especially a $2 billion subsidy for developing oil and gas in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (Probably thought it wasn't enough.-ed.)

After two days of debate and amendments, the legislation was approved 249-183 with 41 Democrats joining the GOP majority.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said the size of the Democratic support was a sign that this year's legislation might fare better in the Senate than the bill two years ago that died there.

As with the bankruptcy bill before, the Pubs hide under the claim, "Lookee here! The Democrats support it, too! So it's alright!" Damn those Democrats, whoever they are.

To foster less energy use, the House bill calls for extending daylight-saving time by two months and offering tax breaks for homeowners to install more energy efficient windows and insulation. The bill's supporters also said that provisions requiring refiners to use more corn-based ethanol in gasoline and allowing oil drilling in the Alaska refuge would reduce U.S. reliance on imports.

Most Democrats denounced the bill as a giveaway to energy industries.

It is "clearly designed to help energy companies make more money, not help the American people save money," said Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. She called it "anti-consumer, anti-taxpayer, anti-environment" and said it fails to address major concerns of people across the country: high gasoline and other energy costs.

The MTBE gas additive issue brought the most dramatic moment as the House closed in on its final vote Thursday.

House Republican leaders had tried to prevent a floor vote on the issue. Democrats said GOP leaders wanted to shield not only MTBE manufacturers from lawsuits, but also lawmakers from having to vote on a matter involving drinking water contamination in communities in their districts.

So let's recap. Billions upon billions of dollars for the oil and energy companies. Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Poison in the groundwater A-OK. Fuel efficiency standards, nah, don't need 'em. Consumer relief, here's a couple more hours of daylight for a few months and some duct tape for your windows. That will solve our energy problem.

Hanging my head in shame this morning. Energy problems? Throw billions at the energy companies! Bankruptcy and credit problems? Throw billions at the credit card companies! Health care problems? Throw billions at the pharmaceutical companies! Social Security problems? Throw billions at Wall Street! Have we noticed the pattern here yet? Hello? Anyone?

Why is it every problem that we have is solved by giving money to mega-corporations?

Here's a big FU to all the Democrats who are going along with this.