Obama makes 11th hour push for energy bill
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/12/25/art.oil.gi.jpg caption="President Obama expects a climate change bill to face an extremely close vote in the House of Representatives."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama acknowledged Thursday that a climate change bill strongly backed by the White House will face an extremely close vote in the House of Representatives as early as the end of the week.
He made an urgent plea for congressional approval in what could be an early make-or-break test of his young administration.
"Now is the time for us to lead," Obama said during an appearance in the White House Rose Garden. "We cannot be afraid of the future. We cannot be prisoners to the past."
The president said the bill will spark a "clean energy transformation" of the U.S. economy and "make possible the creation of millions of new jobs."
"Make no mistake," he emphasized. "This is a jobs bill."
The climate-change bill currently being debated by the House would reduce nationwide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a so-called "cap-and-trade" program.
The bill's future also remains unclear in the Senate, where leaders are holding off on advancing their own version of the legislation until it clears the House.
And what Obama isn't saying is what this bill, if enacted will cost: an average of $4600 per year for every household in the country. I don't don't know about y'all, but I can't afford that.
the Rush Limbaugh Party does not care about the future of the planet they are a few years from death anyway and prefer to be buried with their money.
17% by 2020...it NEEDS to be 85% by 2012. We something major done now to reduce global warming. This is REAL. Just because republicans are too stupid to believe 2000 scientists doesn't mean we don't need to act right away.
Obama is wondering why no one wants to play his game of "Fake Monopoly and Carbon Credits". Imagine that. No one wants to play a game where the other player puts a gun to your head and says play this game. I'm going to make up this fake tax that does nothing, solves nothing and only purpose is to tax people and what they buy even more.
What idiot thought up this scam? Al Gore I'm looking in your direction.
What does a carbon credit look like? I imagine a game token from Chuck E Cheese with Obama on it.
Yep, more change. A change to a way of life that ensures that businesses won't have the money to operate – so they can't have employees. The people who were employees are now allowed into the great mass of people who are out of work thanks to the savior Obamanation. And then those people get the nanny state of the USSA. In the meanwhile, those who are fortunate enough to keep their jobs (as the job losses mount up) will be unable to afford power of any sort – because the obamanation will ensure that we can't. But one thing amazes me – the "scientists" are convinced that we're making the world warm up, yet the same thing happened centuries ago – without any help from us. Ah, yes. Such wonderful change.
Great,this should really blow Limbaughs gaskets.He works for exxon mobil as spokesman and major stockholder.He thinks global warming is a hoax and the earth is flat.I laugh at the pompous pig daily.
Cap & Trade would be a disaster that would cripple the US. Every economist has said as much. All in the name of Al Gore and his pseudo-scientific religion.
Hey Al... come by my place this December and help me shovel the next 14 inches of global warming off my driveway... OK, pal?
Pollution prevention is a good thing, unless it is attached to a cap and trade policy that is a bad thing. It is confusing to be sure, but to keep it all straight, just remember... Obama's ideaology is a no good very bad thing.
"Make no mistake," he emphasized. "This is a tax bill."
How sad that we have such cowards in Congress. We voted for Mr. Obama because we wanted the change he promised – it seems Congress is determined not to give it to us,
The energy tax would:
Reduce aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) by $9.6 trillion
Destroy an average of 1-3 million jobs, every year
Raise electricity rates 90 percent after adjusting for inflation
Raise inflation-adjusted gasoline prices by 74 percent
Raise residential natural gas prices by 55 percent
Raise an average family's annual energy bill by $1,500 annually
Increase the federal debt by 26 percent, which is $29,150 per person
I thought the stimulus bill was an overall jobs bill – you know, like 3.5 million saved or new jobs. Have we even achieved 100,000 jobs yet?
"The climate-change bill currently being debated by the House would reduce nationwide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a so-called "cap-and-trade" program. "
Tell me...how much more will we spend on electric at home, or in increased costs for products made by companies forced to purchase these credits? How do you explain that to all of those middle class families that were promised "no middle class tax increase"?.
"Now is the time for us (not I) to lead"..."We cannot be affraid of the past" What past ? All rhetoric oozing from Obamas' mouth..Sure the ecoonomy is arriving back in the end of..? This man is sooo smooth when it comes to his forte..."RHETORIC" and always in the lime light with talk, tlak..but very much in the dark on actual actions....Come on America wake up..! ...................................................................................
The GOP seems to be happy with the status quo. Health care, don't do anything about it. It is just fine as is. The environment, don't do anything about it. It is just fine as is. The economy, don't do anything about it. It is just fine as is.
Oh wait, we should be jumping up and down and spending money to provide internet service to people in Iran. That seems to be the only thing they want to change. I don't get it.
Call your congressmen this is nothing but a tax increase on us.
Your electric bill will increase.
Farmers will be effected by this bill and they will increase price on products.
Manufacturing will not be able complete with other countries.
THIS IS JUST A TAX INCREASE ON THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT.
CALL YOUR CONGRESSMEN TELL THEM TO VOTE NO.
Millions of new jobs? Has Obama ever been specific on what these new jobs are? What study produced these job numbers? What jobs and how many of each new job and are they permant? Can they be outsourced? Solar panels and Wind turbines are manufactured in other nations and can be outsourced. They are manufactured in nations with lower labor and tax costs.
Did I hear jobs? Fight hard for this Mr. President. Once we become undependant on foreign oil, we can tell Saudi Arabia and the other dictators to kick rocks.
What this is the opening for the government to take over the utilities industry. Cap and Trade sky rocket utility costs... many individuals find utility bills are beyond their means... gov't caps prices utilities can charge.. utilities start to go broke.. gov't steps and and takes over like in auto industry. So gov't will control auto, healthcare, finance and utilities industries.
a lot of fixing needs done, thank you mr. pres
Obama is right. Its time. We all have to grow up and stop being so irresponsible. For our own good.
The higher energy bills due to Cap and trade will punish the poorest among us most of all. ie.., minorities.
For the sake of the american worker – I want President OBAMA
to be right about the 1 million jobs .
This bill will create a few hundred thousand jobs. It will also lead to well over 1 million JOB LOSSES.
This is a bill to increase taxes on every consumer.
This is a bill that makes alternative energy "competitive" by making current energy more expensive.
As of today, this is the worst bill of the Obama adminstration.
I hear a lot about how much CO2 will be reduced, but how come the media doesn't report what this will bill will cost American families. How can Congress pass such a reckless bill when our economy is on the berge of collapse?
Who ever votes for this will be voted out of office!! It will destroy america and turn us into France. The two clowns who wrote this have there hands in the companies that will gain from this. Took the repubs 8 years to screw things up and now the Dems only 6 months. cant wait for 2010