During the debate in the House or Representatives over the Waxman-Markey energy tax, there was some confusion about the final amendments to the bill. It appeared that few in the House had the opportunity to read the several hundred pages that were submitted by the bill’s author, Representative Henry Waxman, at 3 a.m. the morning of the House vote.
No matter.
The American people can finally read the bill Waxman-Markey bill in its entirety, thanks to the Government Printing Office’s recent release of the final 1,428 page roadmap to higher energy prices.
When the Waxman-Markey energy tax was publically unveiled as a discussion draft, it was a mere 648 pages long. The bill then grew to 932 pages when Representatives Waxman and Markey introduced the bill. In order to smooth passage out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, additional pork and special set-asides swelled the bill to 1,092 pages. But 1,092 pages weren’t enough to grease the bill through the House. Representative Waxman included even more energy regulations and mandates, first expanding the bill to 1,201 pages when it was reported out of the Rules Committee, and then adding a 309-page “manager’s amendment” at 3 in the morning, bringing the final bill to a whopping 1,428 pages.
Not content with regulating 85 percent of our energy (making all energy from natural gas, coal, and oil more expensive), the House bill regulates everything from artwork light fixtures to standards for real estate appraisers. The bill also provides billions in subsidies to a multitude of groups including an additional $50 billion for auto makers and subsidies for people who get pink slips if they can prove they lost their job because the bill’s onerous and expensive regulations and mandates.
Because of the rush to pass the bill before the voters (and most House members) had the chance to read it, it is not clear what the total cost this bill will have on our pocketbooks, but there is little doubt it will weaken the economy and reduce American jobs.
