On Monday, the Republican-led House is set to vote on a bill to save the incandescent light bulb.
If passed, HR 2417 - also known as the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act - would repeal the federal ban of the light bulb put in place during the Bush administration.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), who sponsored the bill, said it was about personal freedom.
“This is about more than just energy consumption, it is about personal freedom," Barton said, according to the Daily Caller.
"Voters sent us a message in November that it is time for politicians and activists in Washington to stop interfering in their lives and manipulating the free market,” adding, “The light bulb ban is the perfect symbol of that frustration. People don’t want Congress dictating what light fixtures they can use.”
The Daily Caller reports that:
Texas Republican Rep. Michael Burgess and Tennessee Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn joined Barton and 12 other Republicans to reintroduce the bill in early 2011.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn called the light bulb ban one of "the kinds of regulations that make the American people roll their eyes."
“It is typical of a ‘big Washington’ solution to a non-existent problem. In this case it manifests itself as an overreach into every American home, one that ships good jobs overseas and infuriates the American consumer,” she said.
Barton noted that the traditional light bulbs that have been the standard for years are inexpensive and reliable, while replacing them with the more expensive compact flourescent bulbs can cost as much as ten times what a standard bulb would cost.
“Traditional incandescent bulbs are cheap and reliable. Alternatives, including the most common replacement Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFL’s, are more expensive and health hazards – so why force them on the American people?” he said.
The newer - and much more expensive - CFL's contain enough mercury to pollute 528 gallons of water, according to an article at the Boston Herald.
As the EPA warns, “High exposures to inorganic mercury may result in damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system and the kidneys.”
Breaking a CFL triggers a health hazard that requires a 10-step cleanup. As Washington has hammered incandescents, some have gravitated toward light-emitting diodes. While LEDs pose none of CFLs’ health risks, they present their own problems.
If environmentalists have their way, this is what homeowners would be forced to use at the beginning of the year.
“From the health insurance you’re allowed to have, to the car you can drive, to the light bulbs you can buy, Washington is making too many decisions that are better left to you and your family,” Barton explained.
Environmentalists and most liberals support the ban, while claiming it really isn't a ban - since the word "ban" doesn't appear in the original law signed by President Bush.
The law does require bulbs to meet certain standards by 2012 and 2014 - standards unattainable by most household light bulbs today, which makes the law a de facto ban.
Media Matters, the George Soros - funded progressive organization that declared a "guerilla war" on Fox News, used the issue in a hit piece on Fox News, entitled "Fox's "Light Bulb Ban" does not exist," as though Fox News is responsible for the law.
An article at Detroit News notes:
While the Republican-controlled House expects to pass the repeal, Barton and Upton are lobbying hard for at least 40 Democrat votes despite White House opposition. Indeed, despite Green propaganda about CFLs' longevity, Democratic pols will be hard pressed to explain a vote banning the most common of household items.
Public outrage has been growing against the stealthy ban, as consumers learned of the January 1 implementation date and the disappearance of a basic household item that makes up 85 percent of the bulb market.
The Herald also noted that the ban has already cost American jobs while helping China's economy:
While employment tops America’s agenda, Washington’s war on the Edison bulb already has killed jobs. Last September, General Electric (a company founded by Edison) padlocked its last U.S. incandescent bulb factory. “A variety of energy regulations will soon make the familiar lighting products produced at the Winchester (Virginia) Plant obsolete,” GE announced. Thus, 200 Americans lost their jobs, which paid $30 per hour. In October 2008, GE shuttered six Ohio incandescent plants, leaving 425 workers in the dark. Meanwhile, labor-intensive CFL production is thriving — in China.
If Barton's bill is passed, not only will Americans have the freedom to choose what light bulb they wish to use, but some could see their jobs return - and that would be great news for the economy.
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