rssWhite House Declines to Pressure Congress on Public Transit Funding
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 1:04 pm
- 1 Comment
You’d think that, granted the bully pulpit, the Obama administration’s secretary of transportation might actually use it when approached by Congress for advice on public transit funding.
But you’d be wrong.
Asked yesterday by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) if the House-passed climate change bill contains enough funding for public transit, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood appeared to have no opinion whatsoever. “We’ll be happy to consult with you on this,” LaHood told lawmakers on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “As soon as you know what direction you want to take we’ll be there with whatever technical assistance we can provide to ya.”
It’s a curious response, if only because LaHood’s opening statement was a five-minute plea for a greater emphasis on public transit as a key component of tackling climate change. Sure, Congress will have the final say on the bill, but that wasn’t what Carper was asking. He was asking for guidance so that lawmakers would know what direction they want to take. Instead, LaHood punted, applying no pressure on the lawmakers drafting the bill.
Carper, it turns out, had good reason for choosing his question: He’s the lead sponsor of a bill that would dedicate 10 percent of cap-and-trade allowances to fund public transportation, bike paths and other green-travel initiatives. By contrast, the climate change bill that passed the House last month includes only 1 percent for public transit.
The Senate’s climate change proposal is expected for release in September.
1 Comment
Comment posted July 16, 2009 @ 7:00 am
Even ten years ago, if I had suggested that the majority party’s proposed bill would be withheld from the minority party two hours from the vote — and then one copy was grudgingly provided, to be shared by all 435 Representatives , you would have looked at me like I was a crazy person…….
Well that’s exactly what happened when the U.S. Congress voted on and passed the infamous HR 2454 Cap and Trade/Carbon Emissions Bill. Final vote: 219 Yea, 212 Nay. A little after 3 am on that very same day a 300 page amendment was added to the original 900+ pages. This is the longest suicide note in history and will further hasten our downward economic spiral. The U.S. Senate looks to debate it this Fall where it will likely get nowhere. Friday’s vote may have been a gift to the POTUS for the upcoming UN meeting knowing there’s little chance of it getting thru the Senate. Before Friday’s vote I made my feelings known to our Democratic Congressman. I see he voted No but I’ve no idea what his real motivation was. Some that voted Yes received calls 20:1 urging a No vote and they still voted Yes.
This is about more than just higher electricity rates. It’s a massive redistribution of wealth, further limits our freedoms all under the guise of reducing an essential trace greenhouse gas, and does next to nil for energy independence. This Manmade Global Warming/Climate Change House Of Cards is tumbling down. Every week more and more new contrary evidence is seeing the light of day. The Mainstream Media won’t report it, but this vital information is getting out to those that want honest debate on this important issue.
Looking past the Senate this Fall we have the December Copenhagen UN meeting on a new Global Warming Treaty. Remember the Kyoto Treaty? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet. I shudder to think what the U.S. delegation would love to commit us to for years or decades forward. Lastly there’s the U.S. EPA waiting in the wings to regulate all things CO2. Recently a leaked string of internal EPA e-mails detailed suppression of evidence that undermines the CO2 argument. Many derided the career EPA employee as not being a climatologist. Well Mr. Carlin has a physics degree. Al Gore is no climatologist or scientist but he’s allowed to testify before Congress on this issue. Madness!
Remember Friday’s vote, because if this horror show is implemented on the American public it will blow up in our face as it has in every country this has been tried. At what cost in dollars and individual freedoms? Mark your calendar in RED, because that is the path we are heading toward. Contact your Senators and ask them if they’re prepared to defend a Yes vote for this misguided Bill. Let them know a NO Vote will ensure your support next election cycle.
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