Carbon bill unfairly targeting rural poor, foe says

A foe of the Waxman-Markey "cap and trade" bill to limit carbon dioxide emissions claims the legislation is targeting poor, rural communities that rely on cheap, coal-fired electricity and going easy on states that have higher energy consumption but are less reliant on coal.

“Why is it that the wealthy parts of our country continue to attack the lifestyles of the rural poor?” Republican Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois said in his opening statement at the House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting Monday. "Shimkus was alluding to the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., who both represent states that have higher energy costs and consume far less coal than Missouri and Illinois," Sean Rose reports for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

House Republicans have been criticized for opposing energy reform without presenting alternative solutions, and some, including Shimkus, have said they would never support carbon regulations. GOP leaders say the bill is confusing and claim it has not been thoroughly examined. Shimkus said a 900-plus page amendment was added to the bill an hour before the committee meeting on Monday. “If it’s really a good bill, let us read it over the week." (Read more)