Saxton disgraces himself as New Jersey Representatives Vote on Energy Bill

by: Hopeful

Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 04:47:50 AM EDT

I can respect all the votes on H.R. 6899, the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act, a bill passed last night in the House mainly by Democrats. It funds renewable energy but also allows limited offshore oil drilling. New Jersey Republicans Frank LoBiondo and Chris Smith (and 13 other Republicans) joined Rob Andrews, Albio Sires and 219 other Democrats to pass the bill, while Democrats Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Steve Rothman and Donald Payne (and 8 other Democrats) joined Saxton, Garrett, Frelinghuysen, Ferguson and 172 other Republicans in opposing it. People of good will can disagree on whether it's best to accept or reject this compromise.

What I can't respect is the attempt to disrupt Congress and prevent passage of a bill by calling for motions to adjourn. Only a few Republicans supported this absurd proposal, but New Jersey's very own Jim Saxton must be looking forward to a permanent vacation as he actually voted to adjourn at noon. This is starting to look like a habit for the lame duck Representative.

Hopeful :: Saxton disgraces himself as New Jersey Representatives Vote on Energy Bill

Of course Saxton will be gone soon, so we shouldn't waste too much time on him. If you want to discuss the merits of the bill itself, the link above and this statement by Rush Holt might be a good starting point:

There is much that I strongly support about this legislation, including the expansion of renewable energy, repealing of tax subsidies to big oil companies, and creation of green jobs.
However, I still believe that drilling in environmentally sensitive areas, such as our coastline, is unwise. Some in America claim that drilling "here, now, and everywhere" will bring instantaneous relief to families paying painful gas prices. The facts do not support this claim. "Drill baby drill" is not an energy policy, it is a slogan to hide behind to avoid coming up with a real policy which will help America move towards sustainable, affordable energy. The evidence shows that drilling in OCS would save perhaps pennies per gallon years from now. We can begin now, not years from now, to move to sustainable, affordable energy. We will never be able to drill our way to energy independence. The United States consumes 25 percent of the world's oil but only possesses 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. Even if we drilled on every single square inch of land where oil is assumed to exist we will never be able to meet our national demand.
That said, the environmental and financial requirements for an oil or gas company to drill are strong enough that few if any wells will be drilled under this legislation, and I expect smarter, more comprehensive legislation will follow next year.