House Passes HR 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act
The House approves HR 2454, a clean energy bill falling under the name American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) by a narrow margin of 219-212 votes. Still needing to clear the hurdle of Senate scrutiny, the President paid his thanks to the House and encouraged the Senate to follow suite.
Calling the American Clean Energy and Security bill "an historic piece of legislation," President Obama attempted to assure Americans that the new bill "will open the door to a clean energy economy and a better future for America." Pointing to the last thirty years as a period of talk without action, Obama believes this legislation will finally curb the United States' dependency on foreign oil.
While not all Democrats threw their support behind the bill, enough did to squeeze the bill through at the final hour. It is thought the bill will have equal chances of passing or failing on the floor of the Senate, where it is to head next.
While Republicans claim the bill will cost Americans and mean lost jobs, ACES supporters say the bill will actually have the opposite affect. To add to the defense of the ACES, the EPA's calculations seem to suggest the Republicans are offering faulty numbers and concluded the cost of the passage of the new energy bill for Americans will amount to somewhere between $80 to $111 per year. Republicans were claiming the number was closer to $3,100.
On her website, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists the bill will lead to more jobs and says that by being proactive the bill will actually save Americans more than $4,000 per year by 2030. She fires back at Republicans crying about potential increased costs for the American people by insisting that "The average American household saw their energy costs for electricity and gasoline rise $1,100 under the Bush‐Cheney plan, between 2001 to 2007."
While China is said to be spending six times what the United States is currently allocating to clean energy, Pelosi insists this bill will lead to a new economic freedom, more jobs, cost savings and less pollution. The projections Pelosi is going by claims the energy savings alone and brought about by the American Clean Energy and Security Act will be like taking 57 million cars off the road.
The final vote results for HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act is provided below:
In support of the bill: 211 Democrats, 8 Republicans
Against the bill: 44 Democrats, 168 Republicans
No Votes: 1 Democrat, 2 Republicans
The Ayes led with 219 total votes to 212
House of Representatives Supporters of HR 2454 by Name:
