GOP: Green Jobs Are 'Subprime,' Not Like 'Traditional' Jobs We've Already Lost

05/18/2009: Reps. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY), in the opening statements on the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), attack green jobs as "subprime jobs"

GINGREY: There's little doubt in my mind that this legislation will shut down businesses and eliminate blue and white collar jobs. While I know the majority has prided its plan on the creation of green jobs mr chairman I have listened to some of our counterparts in Europe discuss their experience with these green jobs. It seems to me that green jobs, just like leaves on a tree, they may shine in the summertime when everything is sunny, but when the fall comes these leaves will fade and in winter they'll be long gone. They may be described as "subprime" in comparison to solid traditional manufacturing jobs we've recently lost to other countries.

WHITFIELD: I'd like to read an article in the New York Post. Green jobs based on top-down subsidies are of course unsustainable. That's what this legislation does, it subsidizes green jobs. The Spanish government has recently had to reduce its subsidies to solar by 30 percent. The green industry is in retreat and green jobs too are being lost by the tens of thousands. They go on to say if that money had been spent for traditional industries and technology, they would have produced 2.2 jobs for every one job produced by the subsidies. And as a result of those subsidies and the mandates for renewable in Spain, they have an excess of a 17 percent unemployment rate. And at a time when our economy is weak, and no one can say with certainty -- except to say we know this bill will be particularly expensive -- we jeopardize our global competitiveness in the world, and we are very much concerned about the loss of jobs that will be the result of passing H.R. 2454.

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• Whitfield
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• Waxman-Markey
• Phil Gingrey
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• clean energy jobs
• Ed Whitfield
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• politics
• solar
• renewables

[sweetbread]

These hypocrites already sent all the traditional jobs overseas in the name of 'free trade.'

[timmunst]

EVERYONE that voted for this "Cap and Tax" should be voted out asap!

Time to call/ write/ email all our Senators to stop their vote on this.

United States Senate - (202) 224-3121

Let's put the pressure on and not stop until they vote this one down!

[TheLiberalssuckdick]

exactly, because the jerks want it to energy expensive to force you to use less.

China keeps fucking laughing at us.

It's fucking cheaper to produce goods in China tha in Al Gore's United States.

It's the fucking crazy nuts like Al Gore who is shoving the HR 2454 bill up your mother fucking ass

[AMXBOY]

Just love imput from people like savetheworldtech who is from Australia. I'm sure he doesn't care if HR 2454 destroys our economy in the US. I also see the youtube nazi's block post they don't like.

[AMXBOY]

HR 2454 will just add to the destruction of our economy. The new buzz word now for Global Warming is Climate Change. No real discussion is being held on supposed climate change and it should be before we spend billions based on computer model projections. HR 2454 will cost the average american family over $3000 a year in additional energy cost and in the end won't really impact the climate all that much. This is just another example of wasteful spending from Obama and the liberals.

[dapple33]

What traditional jobs is he talking about, there are none. They're all gone.

[savetheworldtech]

This guy is a fool. The tech boom was suppose to create millions of job losses. It did infect create more jobs. The green boom will too, only it won't burst like the tech did, it can't. It will grow. Climate change is here for good. This is not a faze of growth. Its a new world. Retain for green jobs if you think you are going to lose yours. We need to adapt and move to an environmentally friendly attitude. This guy should wipe his chin after he dribbles..

[jmjfanss]

Because this bill is a hoax, this is treason,

it will destroy the middle class.

[kimberleycalling]

LMAO These dinosaurs are speaking with forked tongues.

[OhioDemocrat]

These republicans are in the pocket of big oil and coal so of course they are against green jobs. Id like to hear what their constituents have to say on this subject.