8 Republicans, 2 Hoosier Dems Pass Cap & Trade; “Never Have So Few Stolen So Much from So Many to Achieve So Little.”

Quote in the title from Vodkapundit.

Despite a valiant effort by John Boehner to use the expanded prerogatives of the Minority Leader position to filibuster the vote, Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives have passed cap and trade legislation.

Video of a particular highlight of Boehner's effort is below.



The final margin for passage was 219 to 212.

Eight Republicans were the margin for the bill's passage. Two Hoosier Democrats--Baron Hill and Andre Carson--also voted for it and provided invaluable assistance in putting this new national energy tax over the top. Even Pete Visclosky voted against it (its provisions will kill industry in his district).

In a curious quirk, Baron Hill voted against bringing the legislation to a vote before he voted to make it the law of the land. No doubt he will seek to use the contradictory votes to again confuse the 9th District electorate; somehow I think that they won't be fooled this time.

FiveThirtyEight breaks down a low-ball estimate of the cost of the legislation by state; by their math Hoosier households will pay $211 more a year.

By the math of my local electric company--when asked by the local newspaper that used to be owned by Democratic Governor Frank O'Bannon--the average Hoosier electric bill will increase by $50 a month if this legislation becomes law. Bill proponents claim that this amount will be reduced by recent amendments, but I have seen nothing substantive to actually back up that assertion.

The most common amount cited is that of $3,100, produced from an academic study by MIT.

Power Line even has a map about which states will pay and which will benefit from the legislation. With two exceptions (Idaho and South Dakota), every state that will benefit from the legislation will be a blue state either on the west coast or in the northeast. Flyover country gets screwed.

Regardless of the range, the costs of this legislation are very real. You can figure the cost in the immediate amount that your electric bill will go up ($50 a month) or in the costs you will pay when prices for everything go up as producers and businesses are inevitably forced to pass taxes on to consumers ($3,100 by some estimates).

Eight Republicans voted for this monstrosity.

They are:

Mary Bono Mack (California 45)
Mike Castle (Delaware)
Mark Kirk (Illinois 10)
Leonard Lance (New Jersey 7)
Frank LoBiondo (New Jersey 2)
John McHugh (New York 23)
Dave Reichert (Washington 8)
Christopher Smith (New Jersey 4)

Three of the YEA Republicans came from New Jersey (Lance, LoBiondo, Smith).

Two came from likely 2010 Senate candidates (Castle and Kirk).

One came from Obama's future Secretary of the Army (McHugh).

And two Republicans, Jeff Flake and John Sullivan, did not vote at all.

Forty-four brave Democrats, including three Indiana Democrats (Donnelly, Ellsworth, and Visclosky) opposed the legislation.

Had those Republicans had that sort of fortitude, this bill would have died in the House. Now it goes to the Senate, where it will hopefully meet its end.