The fake light bulb vote

A big victory for the Tea Party!

Not.

Republican Fred Upton of western Michigan is the head of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House.   The “ban” on incandescent light bulbs was his idea in 2007 when George Bush was President and the Democrats controlled the House following the disastrous 2006 election.

The way things work in the House is a bill needs a Rule in order to be discussed and voted on.    First, the committee that has jurisdiction over an area (like Energy) must vote and report a bill out of committee.   The bill then goes to the Rules Committee, which works with Speaker Boehner to decide if and when to put that bill on the House Calender for debate and a vote.

Fred Upton is head of the Energy Committee on Energy & Commerce.   He wasn’t about to pass a bill out of his committee to kill the bill that he created in 2007.

To force a bill to the whole House against the wishes of the Committee chairman, the House has to have a vote for “suspension of the rules” to bypass the committee.   Suspension of the rules requires a 2/3 vote to pass, which prevents the technique from being used for controversial bills unless there is broad agreement of both parties.

So the House voted today in a symbolic vote to repeal the light bulb ban.  Even Fred Upton voted to kill his own ban, knowing it had no chance of passing the 2/3 vote.  So now all the Tea Party people can claim victory, having passed nothing.   Had the bill accidentally passed the House, it still would have to be passed in the Senate and signed by President Obama – both very unlikely.

Fred Upton is the grandson of the man who founded Whirlpool, which is located in the dreadful cesspool of Saint Joseph / Benton Harbor, Michigan   (I lived close to there for about 5 years).    Whirlpool and Philips (one of the main makers of CFLs) have a joint history.    Back in 1991, Whirlpool acquired the major appliance division of Philips.