In the new Republican controlled congress Democrat Henry Waxman the current Energy and Commerce Chairman will be leaving that post. The House Energy and Commerce Committee oversees legislation related to issues including the supply and delivery of energy, public health, and air quality and environmental health. Republican Congressmen John Shimkus (Illinois), Joe Barton (Texas), Fred Upton (Michigan) and Cliff Stearns (Florida) are all vying for the chairmanship and clinging to their old familiar light bulbs as ferociously as their retrograde views.
Shimkus ,Barton,Stearns and Upton
Here is a quick look at some remarks that the candidates have made which offers some insight to each congressman’s views on energy issues.
Rep.John Shimkus has said that "Greenhouse gases are not toxic - every time we exhale we emit carbon dioxide; does EPA propose we stop breathing," He made clear he is not worried about global climate change because "The Earth will end only when God declares it's time to be over. Man will not destroy this Earth. This Earth will not be destroyed by a Flood."
Texas Rep.Joe Barton famously called Obama’s proposal for the oil company to establish a $20 billion escrow account for oil spill remediation a “shakedown” and apologized to the oil giant. He did back track afterward but he remains a recipient of large oil industry contributions.
Rep.Cliff Stearns supports drilling in ANWR and has claimed that this alone would reverse the decline in the US oil supply in a decade. Doubts about climate change science. In 2007 he gave a speech on the house floor saying the experts were wrong about global cooling in the 1970’s and that “…does not necessarily mean that they are wrong about global warming today, but it does at least show that experts are sometimes incredibly, incredibly wrong”.
What is happening with Rep.Fred Upton’s effort to gain the chairmanship is interesting. In 2007, Upton suffered an apparent spasm of reason and supported and co-sponsored bills aimed at phasing out incandescent light bulbs and establishing efficiency standards for light bulbs.
Although he has established his retrograde credentials by questioning the science of global warming and says the Democratic-controlled congress has let the EPA run wild and that the EPA must be held accountable.
Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have attacked him as a socialist and supporter of the nanny-state for his ideas on light bulbs.
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