We've been following a bunch of legislative assaults from the Congress of Screw You this week, and, well, so far, so good: the Senate voted against proceeding on S.J.Res. 27, Paul the Lesser's bill preventing the EPA from enforcing cross-state pollution rules, by 56-41 -- which means, yes, some Republicans voted against proceeding. And yet Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Coats (R-IN) have introduced S. 1833, which would delay cross-state pollution rules for three years and mercury rules for two more. "To provide additional time for compliance," the bill says, which I'm sure will warm the heart of anyone with asthma. I don't have a handy email tool for S. 1833 yet, but you can go ahead and call your Reps and Senators about it, using the tools in the upper left-hand corner; they'll never see it coming.
Also, the Senate also voted against proceeding on S.J.Res. 6, which would have nullified the FCC's net neutrality rules, on a strict party line vote, which tempts me to say there is a benefit to having a Democratic Senate! Admittedly it'd be more of a benefit if the Democratic FCC's net neutrality rules weren't so weak in the first place. The party-line vote also disturbs me. Sure, it's nice to see that Joe Manchin and Ben Nelson aren't going to vote like Republicans on everything, but the votes against media consolidation in 2003 had substantial Republican support, and from unlikely Republicans like Trent Lott, too. Now the right seems to have abandoned net neutrality, as it's somehow become an "Obama thing." When some big corporation blocks their traffic because they haven't ponied up extra money, they may remember where the right side is. I'd much rather it didn't come to that, of course.
In other news, the Obama Administration delayed approval of the Keystone XL pipeline until it can complete a new environmental review, which likely won't be done until after Election Day. (You may recall that the old environmental review had, er, issues -- mainly that the corporation contracted to undertake the review had strong ties to the corporation building the pipeline.) I'm not the first person to wonder about Mr. Obama's timing -- I mean, who wouldn't rather make that decision without having to face the voters again? -- but the delay will save the heartland from tar sands oil spills for another year and a half. In any case CREDO helps you tell Mr. Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline once and for all.
Finally, today is Veterans' Day, so thank a veteran. They deserve it.
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