Light Bulb Act: House Republicans Poised To Repeal Incandescent Light Bulb Restrictions
by Lucia Graves
7/12/11
WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on whether to repeal light bulb efficiency standards that are set to take effect at the beginning of 2012, with some lawmakers arguing such regulations amount to an assault on personal freedom.
Though the new standards would save the country billions of dollars per year -- around $6 billion in 2015 alone, according to White House estimates -- Republicans have opposed efficiency standards on the grounds that consumer choice should not be dictated by government bureaucrats.
"This is about more than just energy consumption, it is about personal freedom," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a sponsor of the new bill, in a statement earlier this year. "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. The light bulb ban is the perfect symbol of that frustration. People don't want congress dictating what light fixtures they can use...
For the full article, go to:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/12/light-bulb-repeal-republicans-congress_n_895133.html
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And you will note that the new lightbulb standard was actually an idea which was proposed by a Republican and was part of a Republican sponsored energy saving program. But of course that was voted into place while a Republican was in the White House, but now that there's a Democrat in the Oval Office, suddenly, at least according to what was in the article, this is now a gross violation of America's freedom and now the same exact Republicans who happily voted for this back in 2007 now believe that the government should stop interfering with the people choices, at least with respect to whether we're able to purchase efficient light bulbs or not. Too bad these Republicans insist that when THEY say 'freedom of choice' we have to remember that the 'choices' will be limited to ONLY the single option which THEY have already decided is the correct one:
"Yes, your right to choose is so important that we're going to make the choice for you."
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