To Shimkus, carbon regulations scarier than war
Rep. John Shimkus
WASHINGTON — Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, is no friend of climate change legislation and he showed it today.
On the second day of a House hearing on the Waxman-Markey bill, which among other things would initiate a cap-and-trade system to regulate carbon emissions, Shimkus used his turn of questioning to rip the bill as downright destructive.
“I think this is the greatest assault on democracy and freedom that I’ve ever seen in Congress,” Shimkus said, adding that he’s presided over two wars and a terrorist attack. “I fear this more than all of the above activities that have happened.”
Shimkus was the most vocal challenger of the bill at the hearing today, but his concerns were common among the Republican opposition: that any regulation of greenhouse gasses would drive up energy costs and cause job loses.
The cabinet-level panelists, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood all argued jobs would grow from the legislation by establishing a green-energy industry in the country. Jackson even went so far to call the legislation “a jobs bill.”
Shimkus retaliated by giving figures of thousands of coal miners who lost jobs after the passage of the Clean Air Act.
“Those of us who want jobs,” Shimkus said raising a small lump of coal for the panelists to see, “are going to try to defeat this bill.”
The hearing is scheduled to continue through the rest of the week.
He actually brought a lump of coal to the hearing? Well he knows who butters his bread, now doesn’t he?
Just another ridiculous statement…
from a totally ridiculous guy.
add it to his collection.
I really think John Shimkus is insane. This is hardly the first time he has shown signs of being off the deep end.
Is this really the best the voters in the 19th Congressional District can do? It’s pretty embarrassing.
He really should have kept his word on the term limit pledge he made when he was first elected. He would already be gone now if he had kept his word to voters.