I would like to introduce you to Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio). He is your average Republican. His voting record, falls right along party lines.
So it is no surprise that Sen. Voinovich is trying to stop the proposed Climate Change bill, introduced by Sen. Boxer and Sen. Kerry.
The problem is, that Sen. Voinovich is not making these decisions themselves, it is all being controlled by another.
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Meet Senator James M. Inhofe(R-Okla.). He is the mastermind behind the Republican grandstanding on this issue. He is apposed to any climate change bill that does not scrap all efforts for clean energy, like wind and solar, and instead leaves us nothing more than the status quo.
The reason for his opposition to any bill, may be tied into his idiotic belief that Global Warming is a hoax. Or it may just be that he as hard line of a conservative, as them come.
Either way, Sen. Inhofe has made a stand against any climate change bill, and has forced fellow Republicans with him.
The way to describe it, is more of puppet master, controlling the puppets.
Sen. Inhofe has command over several other Republican senators, even ones who might have actually supported the proposal bill, if it had not been for Inhofe.
This absolute control over his colleagues has lead the entire Republican Caucus in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committeeto threat to walk away from talks, and not be a part of the negotiations.
That would seem like a good thing, since we could work on a bill without the constant noise being given out by Republicans. But the Senators claim, that without at least two Republicans present on the Committee, Committee Chair Sen. Boxer, cannot proceed with amendments to the bill or negotiations.
Democrats have a 12-7 majority on the committee, so Boxer doesn’t need any Republican votes to pass the bill. But she does need them to show up to the markup. EPW rules require that at least two Republicans be present to move forward with the legislation.
Update: There is several proposed ideas that can move this bill forward, one is the Senate Rule 14, which will bypass the committee, and bring discussion to the Senate floor. Sen. Boxer is hoping to avoid that measure, as it will leave the bill without any markups, which can help the bill pass once it hits the floor. The next is a loophole in the Committee rules, which can allow for the markup process to go forward, without any member of the minority present. This is what Sen. Boxer is hoping to use, but the loophole is not solid, and there has not been any clear indication into how the loophole will work. So, we can hope that maybe she has something up her sleeve, and will be able to gain a vote on any amendments, and on the proposal itself. But if the plans do not work, and Sen. Boxer does not want to use Rule 14, then we will be stuck with hoping the Repubs play ball. But she has said that she is willing to try anything.
EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is expected to notice the Tuesday markup later today despite the boycott threat. Boxer yesterday told reporters she is "going to use every tool at our disposal to get this done."
So, the Republicans are trying to slow the proceedings, in hopes of killing the bill. The reason for the boycott, according to Sen. Voinovich, is so the EPA can do a complete overview of the bill.
Of course, that idea is arrogant and completely unneeded. The EPA said that they won't review any bill, until it hits the bill itself is final, and be brought forth the entire Senate, for discussion and for a final vote. And Sen. Boxer has said that her bill is so much like the one the House has already passed, that it will amount to nothing more but a complete waste of tax dollars.
But Boxer says a longer analysis isn’t necessary, given how heavily her legislation borrows from the House bill. "It's a waste of taxpayer money to go back with another study," Boxer told POLITICO on Thursday
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But in an even bigger show of arrogance, Sen. Voinovich released a statement calling for the EPA review, with no other than Sen. "Global Warming is a hoax" Inhofe.
Voinovich didn't even hide it, he posted the letter on his website, and did so with a blatant show of pride about it.
But we need Senator Voinovich to show up, so that we can continue the work for this bill, and so we can at least get this bill out of committee and on the floor, where we can discuss this more.
The arrogant claim that the EPA must review any bill before the Senate can begin discussing it, is idiotic, and shows what the true motive is.
So we have to ask, why would Voinovich, a "moderate" Republican, who just a few days ago was talking about the extreme need for climate change reform, now align himself with a Senator who continuously denies the very existence of climate change?
And an industrial-state senator, George Voinovich (R-Ohio), acknowledged that climate change "is a serious and complex issue that deserves our full attention."
Why would this man allowed himself to be controlled by some idiotic Senator, who is barely creditable outside of Oklahoma?
I think it is time we find out. I say we all should give a call to Senator Voinovich's offices, and be sure to ask one simple question:
Who do you work for, the American people, or for Senator Inhofe?
It's time for use to contact Senator George Voinovich, and let him know, we will not stand for this:
Washington, DC Office:
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: (202) 224-3353
Cleveland, OH Office:
1240 East 9th Street
Room 3061
Cleveland, OH 44199
Main: (216) 522-7095
Fax: (216) 522-7097
Southeast, OH Office:
78 West Washington Street
P.O. Box 57
Nelsonville, OH 45764
Main: (740) 441-6410
Fax: (740) 753-3551
Cincinnati, OH Office:
36 East 7th Street
Room 2615
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Main: (513) 684-3265
Fax: (513) 684-3269
Northeast, OH Office:
1240 East 9th Street
Room 3061
Cleveland, OH 44199
Main: (216) 522-7095
Fax: (216) 522-7097
Central, OH Office:
37 West Broad Street
Room 310
Columbus, OH 43215
Main: (614) 469-6697
Fax: (614) 469-7733
Toledo, OH Office:
420 Madison Avenue
Room 1210
Toledo, OH 43604
Main: (419) 259-3895
Fax: (419) 259-3899
Dayton, OH Office:
(Based out of Cincinnati)
36 East 7th Street, Room 2615
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Main: (513) 684-3265
Fax: (513) 684-3269
The list includes everyone of his offices. We need to call him at every single office and let him know, Americans want clean energy, and we want a bill that will do that.