The highly publicized Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill (H.R. 2454) cleared the House Friday afternoon by a roll call vote of 219 to 212.
Proponents hailed its passage as a crucial step towards the creation of what prominent Democrats have called a new green energy economy.
The bill’s opponents, which included 168 Republicans and 44 Democrats, insisted that the legislation would raise consumer energy prices and would have negligible effects on global climate change.
Waxman-Markey now heads to the Senate where that body’s procedural rules often make closely contested bills much more difficult to pass.
In an interview, Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) was confident the bill would die in the Senate.
“It doesn’t matter, because we’ll kill it in the Senate anyway.”
The eight Republicans registering ‘yes’ votes are likely to draw heat from their party’s leadership. Those members are Reps. Mary Bono Mack (CA), Mike Castle (DE), Steven Kirk (IL), John McHugh (NY), Leonard Lance (NJ), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Dave Reichert (WA), and Chris Smith (NJ).
