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Cap and Trade Bill 2009 Passed in the U.S House
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by Amy Judd | June 24, 2009 at 03:17 pm
21539 views | 24 Recommendations | 75 comments
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The long awaited 'green energy revolution' cap and trade bill 2009 vote was passed Friday June 26th in the U.S House of Representatives, and supporters hope that this bill will help fight climate change and make a difference in the economy. They fear that any signs of weakness towards the bill will only heighten criticism against it.
What does this mean for the average American family?
"We are going to create a green energy revolution -- not only for our country but for the entire world," Democratic Representative Ed Markey, one of the measure's lead authors, said with a vote due as early as Friday.
Supporters see this bill, named Waxman-Markey after its sponsors, as the first step to help global warming.
Ed Markey spoke at a press conference outside the Washington DC Capitol building Wednesday with other supporters, such as labour unions and environmental groups. He spoke about how the world is watching the United States to take the first step forward in this new venture.
"The whole world is looking at our capital. The whole world is waiting to see whether or not president Obama can arrive in Coppenhagen as leader of the attempt to reduce green house gases while at the same time unleashing a clean energy job revolution in our country and on our planet," said Markey.
Supporters want there to be as much progress as possible before the climate change talks are held in Copenhagen this December. The bill is mostly backed by the Democrats with some opposition among the Republicans.
What is a cap and trade system?
It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and create some 'green' jobs, by putting a limit on the amout of pollution large industrial industries can output, and then if they go above that, they have to buy pollution permits.
If some companies don't need all that they are allocated, they can sell their permits to companies that do.
However, Republicans say that this system will increase energy bills for the average American and will put some people involved in big industries out of work.
"The 'cap and trade' bill will impose a national energy tax," said the number two House Republican, Representative Eric Cantor, who charged the legislation "goes in the wrong direction."
The whole goal of the bill is to make sure that the United States will not need to be dependant on foreign energy sources in the future.
The Senate will most likely produce their version of the bill by mid-September and the two rival bills currently in the Senate will need to be reconciled before the real cap and trade bill can be made law.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (75)
at 08:13 on June 26th, 2009
This is a MASSIVE TAX! This is crushing, & detrimental for EVERYONE - Do you get it America?? EVERYONE - young, old, poor, wealthy. Do call your representatives and tell them NO to Cap & Trade.
at 10:18 on June 27th, 2009
I agree about valling your reps but they dont care and are not listening.
at 16:18 on June 27th, 2009
This is about saving the planet. Who cares if we pay more tax - its a small price to pay. Really we should have joined the rest of the world on this years ago.
at 08:22 on June 29th, 2009
Everyone gets it. How headstrong are you? to think that people can change the planet when billions of years of geologic time and cosmic events have a minimal affect on the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
at 13:14 on June 29th, 2009
"Really we should have joined the rest of the world on this years ago"
What??!! Most countries have gone away from the idiotic idea of global warming. They realized that we are not causing this, but sunspots and normal climate changes that have been in effect for a long time, that we cannot change. Pay higher taxes? Well you pay my higher taxes there buddy, because I cannot afford to have my pay reduced any futhur by this administration. And before you go on about saving money and watching what I spend, I already budget the hell out of my finances, so yeah, I have money to live, but not to just give to the government whenever they want more due to their own wastefull overspending on retarded programs that don't work.
at 13:16 on June 29th, 2009
You are so wrong, we don't need to save the planet, what kind of egomaniac are you, you think we are affecting the globe that much? Crazy! It is the largest hoax ever and you "greenies" buy into it every time, paying more won't help, throwing large amounts of money at something isn't a solution. You know the globe is cooling, read the Cap and Trade bill, read it, it states the globe is cooling. Just wait in 10 years, you will be driving your slow moving hybrid down the road by vast acres of dead hybrid batteries and wind mills killing many birds, possibly completing wiping out bald eagles and other rare birds. Duh! The rest of the world IS NOT doing well with the green junk, Spain is almost totally going under because of their plan. I wish you people would use your friggin head.
at 17:21 on June 29th, 2009
You idiot.
If companies WANT to regulate their emissions. They can. Cap and Trade redirects the money from the big corporations to unemployed people. This is SOCIALISM. What is our country coming to? Obama is trying to pay for his failed stimulous bill by imposing heavy and unbearable taxes on the American people. What was the reason that we revolted from Great Britain? NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. Right now, we have a Neo-Marxist in the office of the president. Obama was a social planner who followed Saul Elinsky's model. Saul encoureged gradual infiltration into basic American institutions on a gradual road to COMMUNISM. America has long departed from it's Christian and capitolist origions. Obama has already lead this country to a Facist state. He basically RUNS the corporations that have gotten bailout money. Obama is leading us down the gradual Road to Surfdom. I beg you all. Please. Call your Senators and entreat them to put a stop to this madness. We cannot depart from out foundational morals and capitolist system because of some faulty science saying the world will be destroyed by man's pollution. It is the endividual's right to do what he thinks fit to save the environment. IT IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S PLACE TO REGULATE HOW MUCH A CORPORATION POLLUTES. I ask you all to stand up against this injustice.
Thank you.
at 19:57 on June 29th, 2009
THis is NOT about saving the planet. Seriously... do you honestly think that our country cares about the environment? Think about the industries that make missles and other military machines. THEY POLLUTE. I Guarantee they will not be paying any taxes! How can you say "who cares if we pay more tax?" Lets just let the government run our lives and tax pollution and the air we BREATHE! Our country was found on FREEDOM and LIBERTY, NOT SECURITY. And somehow the media has made us think that our world is going to end if we don't pay taxes! Who do you think is behind the media? How is a tax going to solve this problem? Our Earth has been here for billions of years and now, all of a sudden MAN MADE POLLUTION is a problem? I am all about being good to our planet but I am not about to pay another damn tax so our government can fund itself.
at 08:24 on June 30th, 2009
We can no more save the planet with this outrageous sack of lies and greed than we can prevent the sun from eventually becoming a black hole!!! This planet is destined to die just like everything that has life. We should probably just eliminate carbon dioxide altogether and then check the results. Moron!!! All this will do is force our industries to a foreign country and totally kill our economy once and for all. Maybe when 80 percent of our citizens are homeless, you will finally understand what this administration is all about.
Jackson
at 18:15 on July 1st, 2009
The rest of the world could give a crap about saving the world! What the heck are you talking about?
at 18:39 on July 2nd, 2009
"This is about saving the planet. Who cares if we pay more tax - its a small price to pay. Really we should have joined the rest of the world on this years ago."
Like India and China?
at 09:47 on July 3rd, 2009
saving the planet? give me a break..... we will be long gone before this planet needs saving ! This is just a way for Obama to hijack profits from the private sector to push a liberal agenda.....save the planet! what a joke.. I wonder what his carbon offset is for his contigency for Air Force One? I am poor and I want oil companies to find a cleaner means of operation... I want to use our own oil that we pump from our own wells offshore and where ever else we can locate it! I also want to continue to burn coil! with clean coal technology we can power our country for the next hundred years... Nuclear we need to build more reactors around the country. France recieves 75% of its power from nuclear fision. then they take the spent fuel rods and re process it... talk about sustainable energy!... There is nothing wrong with wind or solar, geo thermal. what ever but it needs to be used in conjuction with what we already have! I dont want the governement telling me that I need to drive some little pussy hybrid car that belongs in a mentos comercial.... I want my f-250 pick up truck with my harley ... Gas power combustion engine... If i wanted a golf cart I would have bought one already! this cap and trade is just a means to get a certain group of people rich.....The dems and people in control of this technology are going to do the same thing that the big oil companies do.... drive up the price for profit.... same scumbag motivation different product....These are the people that got Obama elected and he is just paying them back!
at 13:38 on July 16th, 2009
Small price to pay?
1. this is a four trillion dollar bill, estimates up to about $4,000.00 per household. This is just another result of people believeing the "Global Warming" lie.....Check your weather history for the last 100 years.......if you tell a lie long enough people will tend to believe it....
at 13:24 on July 17th, 2009
They tried to sell cap and trade to other countries recently and no one is going to do it! The idea of going green is good. My house is about as green as it gets. Taxing everyone to death is not the way to go. If the government can write 700 trillion dollar checks do do what ever they want the why cant they fund alternative energy research and infrestructure needed to get us going in the right direction. Other very countries with less have done more. We are dropping the ball with this kind of bill. By the way other countries tried this bill and lost alot of job, and electricity prices increased 100%. Have you looked at your bill lately. Mines $0 thats right zero dollars....im already green...how about you?
at 17:18 on August 3rd, 2009
You don't get it do you!!! This bill is so full of crap it is pathetic. Do you realise that instead of giving tax credits to those who own farms with existing trees there is no credit, you'd have to tear out every tree and plant new ones. Do you realise that a field of corn removes more co2 than an entire forest??? This is government getting bigger and bigger and making you think it's a wonderful idea at the expense of you, your children and for so many more generations to come. Wake up and get a mind of your own. I'm not saying we don't need to protect our environment because we do but they need to figure out better ways, don't be brain washed.
at 07:27 on July 19th, 2009
Wake up America! Read the bill and stand up for what is right for America. Do the right thing and don't let the simple minded people get what they want again. Call you repesentative and tell them NO to Cap and Trade.
at 09:05 on June 26th, 2009
I agree with K. Parker. I read an article that stated there are provisions in this cap and trade bill to keep cost low, but this is the government we are talking about. I doubt their idea of "low cost" is the same as my budget.
The problem is not only will it increase our electric bill, but all the products and services we use will also be effected and will issue an increase in prices on eveything! Groceries, gas, clothing, internet, phone....and the list goes on.
at 12:30 on June 26th, 2009
And how are we supposed to afford food?
at 13:17 on June 29th, 2009
Can't afford food eat a liberal.
at 15:26 on June 26th, 2009
Democrats just don't get it. All they want to do is tax us out of existance to support programs that really have no benefit to the people they are hurting.
I've never seen a Democratic politicion that didn't hear a tax they didn't like.
This Democratic Congress is going to ruin America.
at 16:38 on June 26th, 2009
They already have ruined America.
at 16:54 on June 26th, 2009
If this passes, we should vote out EVERY member of congress that voted for it. They have quit listening to the PEOPLE and continue to backdoor tax us while they reap the rewards of their own private health care, retirement, and no term limits. Get them ALL OUT OF OFFICE AMERICA, before it's too late. OneBigAssMistakeAmerica - OBAMA.
at 17:05 on June 26th, 2009
I watched all day... I work in the oil and gas engineering field, I have been layed off for 3 months now due to Obama... Now I may not get the chance to get a new job in my field if this passes the Congress.... 8 Republicans Bono Mack-CA, Castle-DE, Kirk-IL, Lance-NJ, Lobiondo-NJ, McHugh-NY, Reichet-WA, and Smith-NJ...
Thank you for killing our future...
at 08:20 on June 27th, 2009
And how is it Obama's fault that you've been layed off. The past 8 years of policy leading up to his presidency has much more to do with your current situation. Lets not blur the facts by you lazy exaggerations.
If this bill spikes our electricity rates and does not encourage new job creating technology then our legislators will have questions to answer. Otherwise we could see the intelligent entrepreneurs of this country changing the ways that we add power to the grid, thus increasing more American jobs.
I have never in my life seen so many lazy complainers. The populous has spoken and this administration is what we have. Just as ever president before him, you have to work with what youve got to make the country better.
at 13:47 on June 29th, 2009
the Dem's have controlled the house, congress for the last 4 yrs . don't blame Bush
at 10:37 on July 8th, 2009
The Dem's have only controlled the House since 11/2006 there Billy Ray. I know it's hard for you right wing nuts to get your facts straight.
at 13:42 on July 16th, 2009
As usual you can only resort to name calling when you disagree.....
at 20:31 on June 29th, 2009
" the populus has spoken"
the populus is made up of the ignorant welfare abusers who obama is promising more handouts to. they voted for him so they can continue being lazy, while we work our hands to the bone, paying our mortgage and theirs.
at 15:09 on June 30th, 2009
you and obama need to be shot
at 18:43 on July 2nd, 2009
Please, Chineyz, explain to me in your infinite wisdom how working with this administration is going to make this country better when all it is doing is tearing the very fabric that this country was built upon. I bet you have never read the constitution, the Bill of Rights nor have you read any of the federalist papers that explains why we have the form of government we had.
I fear this move toward socialism/communism will lead this once great nation to a civil war. Everybody has been beating around this bush, afraid to say it aloud, but I fear that's where we're headed.