The bill only passed because the Republican majority kept the voting open for 40 minutes extra so they could bully their colleagues into changing their votes.
If you ever need a summary of the last few years in American politics, this event is perfect.
First, you have Bush applauding the passage of a bill that ignores the environment and supports his oily friends.
The bill would streamline government permits for refineries, open federal lands including closed military bases for future refinery construction and limit the number of gasoline blends refiners have to produce, eliminating many blends now designed to reduce air pollution.
President Bush welcomed the vote. "I commend the House for passing legislation that would increase our refining capacity and help address the cost of gasoline, diesel fuels, and jet fuels," he said in a statement.
Second, you have Tom Delay and other Republicans bullying people.
Democrats to no avail called for gaveling the vote closed as GOP leaders lobbied their own members to switch votes and support the bill.
"He worked me over a little," said Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., among the last group of lawmakers to switch to support the legislation, referring to his discussions with House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois.
Rep. Tom DeLay, who recently stepped down temporarily as majority leader after being indicted in Texas over a campaign finance issue, was as active as ever, administering pressure on wavering lawmakers in the crowded, noisy House chamber.
Finally, you have outraged Democrats shouting in the darkness, inevitably being ignored.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., asked at one point, "Is this the House of a Banana Republic."
"Shame, shame, shame," came a chorus from the Democratic side of the aisle.
Afterward, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California called it all "a shameless display of the Republican culture of corruption," a theme she has used in recent days on a number of issues since DeLay's indictment in Texas on conspiracy and money laundering charges in connection with campaign finance activities.
Business as usual in Washington.
And in an interesting decision, Yahoo! News is running this story right next to a Hurricane Katrina slideshow.
Yeah, that's a guy with a dead body, right under the headline "House Passes Bill to Boost Refineries". How appropriate. The photos have been rotating throughout the day. Earlier there was one of a destroyed tomb.
Link
posted by Jonathan @ 9:35 PM
Friday, October 07, 2005
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