Archive for the ‘Fred Upton’ Category

Oppose Fred Upton as chair of Energy and Commerce Committee
As Congress reconvenes and the House GOP eyes its new majority, they first take on some important internal elections to name powerful Committee Chairs. One race is a particular threat. Fred Upton is considered a front-runner to become chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he would dictate the GOP’s legislative policy regarding energy issues such as cap-and-trade, oil drilling, and so-called “green” initiatives.
The bad news? On these issues, Fred Upton is FAR out of step with the Tea Party, the GOP and America as a whole.
• Upton was one of only 38 House Republicans to support the Democrats’ Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 that removed millions of acres of federal lands from oil and gas leasing, thus driving up energy costs for consumers.
• Upton was one of only 20 Republicans to vote against an amendment that would have reduced the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 funding to 2008 levels.
• Upton teamed up with Democrat Jane Harman to pass an invasive energy bill which mandates that only politically-favored “environmentally-friendly” light bulbs be used. That’s right, this guy thinks the Constitution gives him the power to tell you which light bulb you can use.
• You asked for it! A much, much longer list of Upton”s many, many votes for bigger and more intrusive government.

RECIND FRED UPTON’S LIGHT BULB LAW
By ROBIN BRAVENDER | 11/12/10 5:31 PM EST Updated: 11/14/10 7:35 AM EST
Rep. Fred Upton’s support for eco-friendly light bulbs could leave him in the dark in his bid to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Conservatives on and off Capitol Hill are waging a campaign to show that the Michigan Republican isn’t conservative enough to chair the powerful committee that will be in the center over fight on health care and energy policy next year.

For proof, they’re pointing to Upton’s support for phasing out some incandescent light bulbs in favor of greener alternatives.

Right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh cited Upton’s promotion of eco-friendly light bulbs evidence that he shouldn’t take the Energy and Commerce gavel.

“This would be a tone-deaf disaster if the Republican leadership lets Fred Upton ascend to the chairmanship of the House energy committee,” Limbaugh said this week. “This is exactly the kind of nannyism, statism, what have you, that was voted against and was defeated last week. No Republican complicit in nannyism, statism, can be rewarded this way.”

Upton (R-Mich.) teamed up with California Democratic Rep. Jane Harman on 2007 legislation aimed at phasing out the use of incandescent light bulbs in favor of more energy efficient bulbs. That language eventually became law as part of a larger energy bill. The pair co-sponsored another bill this May to establish another round of efficient light bulb standards.

Upton’s support for the 2007 light bulb regulation is also highlighted on an unsigned document circulating on Capitol Hill that questions his conservative voting record. Staff for former Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton – Upton’s most vocal challenger for the post – is behind the document, GOP sources told POLITICO.

When it comes to light bulbs, Barton has bolstered his conservative credentials.
The Texas Republican introduced a bill to repeal the light bulb law this fall along with Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).

“The unanticipated consequence of the ’07 act – Washington-mandated layoffs in the middle of a desperate recession – is one of many examples of what happens when politicians and activists think they know better than consumers and workers,” Barton said in September.
Other lawmakers have also assailed the light bulb regulations, including tea party favorite Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota.

“Fundamentally, it is an issue of freedom,” Bachmann said in 2008. “It’s about whether people are able to make even the most basic decisions anymore or whether Big Brother will control every aspect of their lives.”

Upton declined to comment for this story, but at a 2009 hearing, he defended the law.
“Our work on light bulbs wasn’t an arbitrary mandate,” he said. “We didn’t just pick a standard out of the air, or look for a catchy sounding standard like 25 by 2025 not based in science or feasibility. Instead, we worked with both industry and environmental groups to come up with a standard that made sense and was doable.”