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Politics

Light Bulb Ban Man Waffling on Flip Flop?

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 6.30.2011 3:02 PM

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Remember when the congressman who sponsored the 2007 legislation to ban incandescent bulbs flip-flopped and promised to work to repeal the ban in order to win the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee? That was pretty awesome, right?

Well that guy, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), has been dragging his feet. The Michigan View reports:

After Upton scheduled hearings this week featuring rent-seeking corporate fat cats that stood to benefit from the ban, anger boiled over and the chairman agreed not only to cancel the hearings but to bring up a bill repealing the ban. The View's source says that the bill will likely be brought up under "suspension," which means no amendments will be allowed and passage requires a two-thirds majority….

Upton has come under increased pressure in recent weeks, sources say, after failing to follow up on a promise he made after assuming the committee chairmanship that he would hold hearings on reversing the ban. After months of paralysis - and with the ban just six months from going into effect on January 1—outrage was building among his own Republican committee colleagues and conservative activists.

Via The Washington Examiner.

As Instapundit never tires of reminding his readers: It's not too late to stock up.

Also, consider following the semi-funny Twitter feed of @RealBulb for news on the topic.

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Katherine Mangu-Ward is editor in chief of Reason.

PoliticsPolicyNanny StateCongressRegulationEnvironmentalism
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