why can't they vote?

[herm0016]

she has said she will come up with a sensible energy plan, she has not. Others have plans that she will not bring up for a vote. she promised an open house, where things could get done, yet she blocks voting on the things Americans agree most on. Americans agree overwhelmingly that we should pass energy legislation that includes alternative sources and more domestic production of current sources. She is off hawking her new book instead of doing her job, working for the people who are struggling with high energy prices.
what happened to the house being there to represent the people of the country?

I say get them all back to work, they work for us, the American people, and we overwhelmingly want them to vote on energy legislation to increase domestic production and investment in alternative energy sources. Even if the prices do not come down now, lets invest in our future, so we can keep prices from rising much higher, lets increase cafe standards, lets increase our funding of alt. energy like wind, solar, and hydro, lets let them drill in responsible ways and use this to help pay for our investment in alt. energy. giving everyone 1000 dollars may sound great now, but we could use that to save lots more in the future by lowering energy costs for business and individual alike.

 

[nageov3t]

it seems almost like the equivalent of voting present -- Pelosi takes all the head the house democrats don't have to make a tough political decision (party v constituents)

if Pelosi keeps this up, though, I'll be voting straight R in the NJ congressional/senate elections.

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: loki8481

if Pelosi keeps this up, though, I'll be voting straight R in the NJ congressional/senate elections.

you are not the only one, i have heard many people voice this same opinion.

its kinda funny, this is a big deal, but it seems that the people of this board are not interested in the people that directly represent them in our government, as i have not seem this discussed at all here, save for one thread long since dead.

 

[Dman877]

The problem with any legislation that passes through congress is that every single piece has many valid reasons to vote for and against it. The main reason for this is all those ear-marks that get tacked on along the way. Consequently, nothing gets past our legislative branch without being ridiculously complex and bloated. Both parties are to blame, and that means we, humans, have a problem passing simple legislation.

I'm sure there are plenty of good energy packages that Nancy has looked at but I'm also sure that every one of them has a few hundred special interest goodies which I abhor.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here. I haven't looked at any of this legislation, I'm just ranting.

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: Dman877
The problem with any legislation that passes through congress is that every single piece has many valid reasons to vote for and against it. The main reason for this is all those ear-marks that get tacked on along the way. Consequently, nothing gets past our legislative branch without being ridiculously complex and bloated. Both parties are to blame, and that means we, humans, have a problem passing simple legislation.

I'm sure there are plenty of good energy packages that Nancy has looked at but I'm also sure that every one of them has a few hundred special interest goodies which I abhor.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here. I haven't looked at any of this legislation, I'm just ranting.

many rebubs have introduced amendments to keep pork off this bill.

but, in general, i agree, i would hate to have to decide between funding some idiots bridge to no where and funding road repair and infrastructure construction on the same bill.

the point is she should not be the one deciding on what packages the house votes on, the bill should be debated and the house left to vote on a decision, she should not be allowed to block a vote that has a large amount of bipartisan support, she should not be allowed to block a vote even if a bill is split right down party lines, its not her job to pick and choose what our representatives get to vote on, its our jobs ( the people) to tell our reps what we want, and people are telling them to vote on this.

 

[Darwin333]

Originally posted by: Dman877
The problem with any legislation that passes through congress is that every single piece has many valid reasons to vote for and against it. The main reason for this is all those ear-marks that get tacked on along the way. Consequently, nothing gets past our legislative branch without being ridiculously complex and bloated. Both parties are to blame, and that means we, humans, have a problem passing simple legislation.

I'm sure there are plenty of good energy packages that Nancy has looked at but I'm also sure that every one of them has a few hundred special interest goodies which I abhor.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here. I haven't looked at any of this legislation, I'm just ranting.

Why make them go on record with a vote when you can just let the ban expire?

 

[JS80]

Why would she allow W to get the credit for signing an energy plan? She's playing politics and stonewalling so she can give credit to her lord and savior obama.

 

[Lemon law]

In my mind, it all comes down to what amounts to an essential democratic failure. And that failure is to take the bull by the horns and craft a simple message that the American people can understand.

A simple democratic energy message that everyone could understand is as follows. It does no good to lease drilling rights if the oil companies sit on the leases. It does no good to talk about alternative energy options without a bi partisan plan to finance it.

Thus far the Republirats have done doodly squat and so have the demorats. As for the oil companies, they have spent more on alternative energy advertising than on actual R&D.

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: Darwin333
Why make them go on record with a vote when you can just let the ban expire?

The ban is only a very small part of the overall bill, but I do think this is part of the reason. also, what js80 said above.

 

[frostedflakes]

I'd love to see an energy bill that included drilling as well, but the Republican's grandstanding makes me sick. Increased CAFE standards, conservation, etc.; this is what the Dems have been promoting for decades, and Republicans have squashed such measures at every turn. But oil prices are a hot issue this election, and the Republican party is playing the game well. I'm sure this grandstanding will sway a lot of people to vote for them, but it isn't going to work on me. I'm worried it will cost Democrats the election, though.

/rant

 

[herm0016]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I'd love to see an energy bill that included drilling as well, but the Republican's grandstanding makes me sick. Increased CAFE standards, conservation, etc.; this is what the Dems have been promoting for decades, and Republicans have squashed such measures at every turn. But oil prices are a hot issue this election, and the Republican party is playing the game well. I'm sure this grandstanding will sway a lot of people to vote for them, but it isn't going to work on me. I'm worried it will cost Democrats the election, though.

/rant

they have a bill that does include what you just said, yet pelosi will not let them vote on it.

I'm hoping it will cost Democrats the election as i do not see McCain getting into the white house, I "hope" people will pull the R lever for congress. though i could be wrong and McCain gets the little house on the hill while the D takes over the big one.

 

[frostedflakes]

Yeah I'll have to agree with you that Pelosi's an idiot, blocking this legislation from coming to the floor is very undemocratic. But Republicans spent the last few weeks in the Senate filibustering legislation that would reign in on excessive speculation in the futures market. The argument was that we need to add drilling amendments to lower the price of oil. Well here's an idea, how about we pass this speculation bill that would likely have a significant effect on oil prices in the short term, and then work on a new bill related to drilling to keep prices under control in the long term. Republicans are trying to paint a picture of the Dems not caring about the American people and their plight at the pump, but the way I see it they're just as bad.

 

[jpeyton]

Seven years of inaction and the GOP is whining about a yearly 5-week vacation?

Sorry, Americans aren't stupid enough to fall for that. Or are they?

 

[winnar111]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I'd love to see an energy bill that included drilling as well, but the Republican's grandstanding makes me sick. Increased CAFE standards, conservation, etc.; this is what the Dems have been promoting for decades, and Republicans have squashed such measures at every turn. But oil prices are a hot issue this election, and the Republican party is playing the game well. I'm sure this grandstanding will sway a lot of people to vote for them, but it isn't going to work on me. I'm worried it will cost Democrats the election, though.

/rant

What Democrats actually conserve when it comes to their personal lifestyle?

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
Seven years of inaction and the GOP is whining about a yearly 5-week vacation?

Sorry, Americans aren't stupid enough to fall for that. Or are they?

Only the ditto-heads JP...

 

[frostedflakes]

One could probably ask the same about the Republicans in Congress.

 

[winnar111]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
One could probably ask the same about the Republicans in Congress.

well.

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0429-03.htm

"The 4,000-square-foot house is a model of environmental rectitude.

Geothermal heat pumps located in a central closet circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground where the temperature is a constant 67 degrees; the water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. Systems such as the one in this "eco-friendly" dwelling use about 25% of the electricity that traditional heating and cooling systems utilize. "

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: JS80
Why would she allow W to get the credit for signing an energy plan? She's playing politics and stonewalling so she can give credit to her lord and savior obama.

Exactly what I was going to post.

edit: At this point, if she does allow the vote and the 'pubs win, and it lowers oil prices like it certainly will, she'll look like an even bigger ass for not doing it sooner.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: winnar111

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
One could probably ask the same about the Republicans in Congress.

well.

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0429-03.htm

"The 4,000-square-foot house is a model of environmental rectitude.

Geothermal heat pumps located in a central closet circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground where the temperature is a constant 67 degrees; the water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. Systems such as the one in this "eco-friendly" dwelling use about 25% of the electricity that traditional heating and cooling systems utilize. "

I'll be the first to admit, the Bush ranch is very neat. My parent's house utilizes a ground-source heat pump, it's great technology.

I never claimed there aren't eco-friendly Republicans out there, and I'm sure there are a lot of Democrats who don't practice what they preach (Gore being the poster child for that kind of hypocrisy). I just think it's pretty funny that the Republican party in general is all of the sudden for conservation, and Americans are eating it up. The Democrats have been pushing these policies for decades.

 

[IGBT]

..she's the flack catcher for the ecoKOOKS. they're following their plan to keep energy punitively expensive. it's for your own good. she says she has a planet to save.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: IGBT
..she's the flack catcher for the ecoKOOKS. they're following their plan to keep energy punitively expensive. it's for your own good. she says she has a planet to save.

Look at all the people on these forums who call for even higher gas prices to try to force people out of their SUV's...

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: IGBT
..she's the flack catcher for the ecoKOOKS. they're following their plan to keep energy punitively expensive. it's for your own good. she says she has a planet to save.

Look at all the people on these forums who call for even higher gas prices to try to force people out of their SUV's...

I'm one who calls for higher gas prices...but not to force people out of SUVs. It's to build the desire to wean people off of oil. If that means weaning people off of SUVs in the process, so be it.

 

[retrospooty]

I am liberal, a democrat, and definely voting Obama all the way, but I can honestly say in an unpartisaned fashion... that Nancy Pelosi is a total moron. She really is working her ass off to give dems a bad name. I really wish she would just fade away.

 

[quest55720]

She is won't go against the tree huggers plain and simple. The republicans have caved on everything else in the energy debate. They caved on alternatives and MPG standards but Pelosi who go against the tree huggers. Pelosi and the democrats have sided with the tree huggers over the working class. Hopefully the republicans can do good enough this november to get a real energy plan passed instead of the Obama plan that was writen by the Sierra Club. Nothing will happen before the elections so that means I will vote strait republican since all the democratic canidates in my area are anti-drilling.

This will be the 3rd strait election I will vote for a person I don't like thanks to the democratic party going to far left.

 

[frostedflakes]

Obama is actually turning out to be pretty moderate. He mentioned he'd be willing to work with Republicans on a plan that included drilling in ANWR and on the OCS. We need something to end this stalemate in Congress, the Democrats need to compromise on the drilling issue.