It’s D-Day in Washington for light as you know it.
Republicans are planning to force a vote on the House floor as soon as today to repeal the rapidly approaching ban on incandescent light bulbs.
“I will join my colleagues to vote yes on a bill to protect consumer choice and guard against federal overreach,” House Energy Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said last week.
His support is a key development. Thanks to a 2007 energy bill Upton helped write, federal law requires the foolish phase-in of Compact Fluorescent Lamps on New Year’s Day. The 100-watt incandescents that light up the US will become close to contraband.
But a CFL is a pale excuse for a bulb — while it’s energy efficient, it produces weaker, colder light.
What’s more, CFLs are relatively expensive, as noted by the main sponsor of the repeal bill, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas). “I bought a 60-watt CFL bulb last night at Giant for $6, and I bought four 60-watt incandescents for 37.5 cents a piece — four for a buck and a half,” he said.
That is, the bulbs the government is ordering you to buy cost 16 times more than what you’ve got right now.
Barton has been leading the charge against the ban, but what explains Upton’s change of heart?
“It was never my goal for Washington to decide what type of light bulbs Americans should use,” he offered.
Not quite: Upton felt the heat from voters incensed about federal overreach — and the pressure worked. But the House can’t make laws all by its lonesome.
An identical bill is ready in the Senate, where it has 30 co-sponsors, including one-third of the Energy Committee.
But the bill has been frozen by committee Chairman Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).
And no floor vote is expected soon, even as time ticks down.
So place a call to Bingaman’s Washington office — (202) 224-5521 — and help make sure Washington doesn’t turn out the lights.