Scalise: 'We're Setting Up A Global Warming Gestapo!'

May 20, 2009: Debating the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454), Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) argues establishing federal building energy efficiency standards would create a "global warming gestapo" and violate the third and tenth amendments.

Without irony, Scalise argues that fighting global warming would threaten the health and safety of Lousianans in danger of hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes. He ignores the difference between energy efficiency building codes and fire and safety codes, and the fact that the legislation does not affect local efficiency codes that meet or exceed the national standard.

SCALISE: Here, with really no debate, we're creating a federal code that trumps all of the states' codes and in some cases would actually lower the standards that states have for building.

And if you go back to why we have building codes and why states have done this, the purpose typically is to protect safety and health. Safety and health have always been the main driving factors behind a building code. What this bill does in Section 201, it's literally taking global warming, and using global warming to trump safety and health. Because now, if I'm in South Louisiana, and I want to rebuild after hurricane damage -- which by the way we had 120,000 homes in Louisiana that had more than 50 percent damage due to Hurricane Katrina -- under this bill in section 201, when people are rebuilding those 120,000 homes, they would have to follow the federal building code, and in many cases that would mean they can't use the same types of strength that they might want to use in their windows. They might want to use stronger windows because they don't want the storm to blow out their windows. But under this bill, a federal standard could say their windows are out of the federal code.

And then what does that mean? Let's go to the bill and look at the penalties. Because there are actually civil penalties in this bill. We're actually creating a global warming police. To page 235: "The Secretary may set and collect reasonable inspection fees to cover the costs of inspections required." So number one, they can come in, the federal government can come in and inspect your house and send you the bill. And if they find that you're out of compliance with this new federal code, "The Secretary shall assess a civil penalty for violations of this section." And then further to page 236: "Each day of unlawful occupancy shall be considered a separate violation." We're setting up a global warming gestapo that can literally come in and now this new term, "unlawful occupancy." Now living in your home is considered unlawful under this bill.

This is ludicrous.

Category:

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• Scalise
• Steve Scalise
• Louisiana
• Katrina
• Hurricane Katrina
• global warming
• climate change
• global boiling
• green buildings
• efficiency
• energy
• Waxman-Markey
• news
• politics

[didiconneely]

Manbearpig is real ha,Stop the co2 tax!!!

[seaplaneguy1]

Living in your home will become unlawful. The dems are totally crazy. There is NO need for any of this cap and trade nonsense. Put the Congressmen who vote for cap and trade in jail.

[camcheck]

CO2 driving climate is CRAP! Dont believe me .. just google- climate in the carboniferous then check the graph.

[blackmetalqueer]

What about the fact that warming oceans are responsible for the higher intensity of hurricanes like Katrina?

[ctpolitics2008]

Is the government controlling enough of your life yet. Just wait, we have another 3.5 years of this.

[geoffy98]

Democrats, worse than pathetic!!!!!

[stopglobalwarming08]

republicans....pathetic