Madness Breaks out during Voting on Refinery Bill

[KipWellsFan]

The House narrowly approved a Republican-crafted energy bill Friday aimed at encouraging construction of new refineries, although opponents said it would do nothing to ease energy prices while handing unneeded benefits to a profit-rich oil industry.

 

...

 

CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports there was chaos on the Hour floor as Republican leaders passed the bill by holding a five-minute vote open for almost 50 minutes until they could convince two Republicans to change their votes.

 

They buttonholed lawmakers for last-minute lobbying as Democrats complained loudly that the vote should be closed. Finally two GOP lawmakers switched from "no" to "yes," giving the bill's supporters the margin of victory.

 

"Is this the House of a Banana Republic?" Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., shouted at one point, expressing his frustration about the GOP holdup of the final tally.

 

The bill also would limit to six the different blends of gasoline and diesel fuel that refiners would be required to produce, reversing a trend of using so-called "boutique" fuels to satisfy clean air demands. State officials complained the provision could limit states' ability to implement federal clean air requirements.

 

"The bill weakens state and federal environmental standards ... and gives a break to wealthy oil companies while doing little or nothing to affect oil prices," complained Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., one of 13 Republicans who voted against the measure.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/07/...ain926916.shtml

more at link

 

Funny that regardless how much of the GOP's Culture of Corruption becomes public, they continue with business as usual. Their hubris is unparalleled.

http://www.dailykos.com/

 

 

Talk about f***ing flip flopping. Democrats chant "Shame, shame, shame". Those lobbyists sure are doing a good job.

 

 

crazy video

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/shame.mov

Edited October 8, 2005 by KipWellsFan

[EvilMonkey]

Why does there need to be several different 'blends' of gasoline for one state? I think the number is 7 for Illinois. If one blend runs 'short', well, prices just go up! The limiting of the different blends SHOULD do alot to help ease shortages.

With prices soaring, "oil companies now have all the profits and incentives they need to build new refineries" without government help, he maintained.

I don't think profit has been the problem, it has been desire to go thru all the hurdles that are required by the EPA and such, and every community practicing NIMBY to its fullest. Not that I blame people for disliking a refinery in their back yard, but they do have to go somewhere, and like it or not, the hurricanes DID show that the refineries we do have need to be more spread out.

 

As for the length of vote, get over it. If roles were reversed, it wouldn't be an issue with you, or the MSM.

  "Democrats have proposed guidelines for how we think the House of Representatives should operate, a Minority Bill of Rights. Included in this document is the declaration that `No vote shall be held open in order to manipulate the outcome.' When we take back the People's House, we will heed that declaration."

And how quick do you think they would repeal this were they to get back into the majority? IN fact, I would bet that if they become the majority party soon, that within a year, they will find a way to change the fillibuster rules so they can't be used against them. Politicians are politicians, whatever party it is.

 

But seriously, what is your specific problem with this bill? 1) Is it that they are actually going to build new refineries? If so, why is that a BAD thing? 2) Is it that they are 'limiting' state's abilities to control how many different fuel blends they make? If so, why should there be more than 2 or 3 blends in any state? Or for that matter, in the damncountry? 3) Is it that the Republicans used whatever tactics they used to get their fellow Repubs to vote the party line? If so, why not the outcry when Democrats routinely vote party line on a wide range of issues? The first article you linked to mentions no special break to the oil companies other than limiting the amount of fuel tyoes and ways to speed up the permit process. Before this bill, the process could almost be endless! What, may I ask, is your objection to this?

[Rex Kickass]

Companies have been closing refineries rather than building them. There's an empty refinery in Alma, Michigan. Unused. They could reconstruct on that land.

[KipWellsFan]

I'm upset because it's another victory for Oil over the environment, but I'm more interested in how crazy things got. I don't really know how the voting works so I can't comment on that, other than saying it seems strange to be changing your vote halfway though the thing. But what are you saying about the MSM, none of them seem to be particulary upset yet, when Democrats began chanting shame, shame, shame during a vote it will probably get some news time.

[EvilMonkey]

Companies have been closing refineries rather than building them. There's an empty refinery in Alma, Michigan. Unused. They could reconstruct on that land.

They could, but I would bet that the local towns would fight it. While there needs to be a balance between the refinign capacity needed and environmental concerns, not every little snail darter is worth the stopping of a refinery. As for reusing ones that have been closed, they would pose the same permiting hurdles as building a new plant would, unless they only just recently closed. Otherwise, except for the infrastructure, it is still starting at square one.

[Queen Prawn]

They just tore down a refinery in Blue Island.

[Rex Kickass]

They could, but I would bet that the local towns would fight it.  While there needs to be a balance between the refinign capacity needed and environmental concerns, not every little snail darter is worth the stopping of a refinery.  As for reusing ones that have been closed, they would pose the same permiting hurdles as building a new plant would, unless they only just recently closed.  Otherwise, except for the infrastructure, it is still starting at square one.

 

In a lot of cases, that's not true. Alma wanted to keep the refinery open. They needed the work. There are a lot of places where refineries would be welcome in this country. But opposition to a refinery project is a bulls*** excuse for businesses who look to build new refineries.

 

The truth is that the more refineries that are built mean the more supply is available of gas. This lowers prices in the short/medium term and cuts profit margins. Refiners feel they make more money with fewer refineries because its easier for them to control the price of gas. We lost 10% of our gas producing capacity for three weeks in August/September and look what it did to the price of gas. It's still 40 cents higher than it was two months ago - and summer driving season is over!

 

If a refining company can make a dollar a gallon profit on gas wholesale with not enough capacity, why would it make more capacity and make 30 cents a gallon less?

[EvilMonkey]

They just tore down a refinery in Blue Island.

Didn't that one blow up, or was that onein Indiana?

[Queen Prawn]

There were multiple accidents, but not a major blow up that I know of - I guess they got sick of having a skeleton crew there to avoid cleanup costs and finally started tearing it down. Too bad they are building condos in its stead :puke .