In a major defeat for Tom Delay, the House has taken out special protection for MTBE manufacturers from the pending Energy Bill. (
Seattle Times). This is what happens when Democrats and Environmentalists and Conservationists stand their ground.
The Energy Bill failed in 2003 due to the provision in the bill that would have protected MTBE manufacturers from law suits. MTBE is added to gasoline, and can seep into city water supplies over time, poisoning drinking water. Over 100 municipalities are considering litigation, to force the MTBE manufacturers to clean up their mess. In 2003, as part of the energy bill, Tom Delay and other GOP lawmakers (as well as some Democrats) attached a provision to the bill that would have made litigation against these manufacturers illegal. It sank the bill, in one of the last legislative victories for Tom Daschle .
It was revealed during the fight over the last version of the bill that
Delay had received 15,000 in campaign contributions from MTBE manufacturers and pipe makers.
The question that emerges from this is how afraid do house Republicans remain of Delay, and will the big companies keep pumping money into his war chest if he fails to deliver. Tell the boys at Lyondell Petrochemicals of Houston, Koch Industries of Wichita, Kan, and Valero Energy of San Antonio their 15K just went down the drain. They can look for litigation soon enough.