Video: How an energy bill REALLY becomes a law
Click “START” to watch the story of how polluter lobbyists turned the House’s Waxman-Markey clean energy bill into a toothless law.
Lyrics
Gee, who’s that scrap of paper? He really looks important.
I’m just a bill, the clean green energy bill. Gonna change things here on Capitol Hill.
Well everyone was sick of oil wars and apocalyptic weather. Needed energy security so the people got together and decided I should be a law. How I hope and pray that I will, but today I am still just a bill.
So what kind of bill are you?
Well Billy, I’m chock full of visionary ideas to keep the climate cool, create millions of good green jobs and turn around our economic meltdown.
Wow, that’s incredible. With so much common sense, you should have no trouble becoming a law!
Yeah Billy. In fact, some very nice fellows from the energy industry said they’d prepare me for my congressional hearings, so I can get passed.
I’m just a bill, yes I’m only a bill, getting mugged up here on Capitol Hill. Some corporate thugs from K Street came down to the committee. They didn’t show mercy and they didn’t show no pity. Made sure I’d be a toothless law. Oh man! Now today I am one sorry bill.
Oh man. Hey Bill, what the hell happened? You look like $#!%!
Oh it was awful! They took out some of my very best parts Billy, and they inserted some language in there that frankly, I’m not too proud of. Now, I undermine the Clean Air Act, give away billions to polluters, and my carbon offsets clause is just a fancy way of letting dirty coal pay to pollute.
I’m just a bill, a lonely energy bill. Need a friend up here on Capitol Hill. It’s not too late to save me from these greedy corporations. Folks need real hope and change all across the nation. We’re all counting on a kick-ass law. How I hope and pray that you will raise some hell for this energy bill!
Learn more, take action and tell your friends
After watching, we hope you’ll sign our petition asking your senators to fix the bill and to share our video with your friends.
For more information about how polluting special interests impacted the Waxman-Markey energy bill, and what senators need to do to fix it, click here.
