and if the Nantucket project should be blocked it still should be blocked. But this amendment has two major problems:
1) it will block most if not practically all offshore wind projects, and the merit of the "safety" issue is dubious (is that wide of a lane really needed for shipping and ferries? Come on.)
2) it is another example of repugnant back-door amendment process in Congress that does not give appropriate hearing to amendments:
Both the Senate and House have passed versions of the Coast Guard bill, but leaders from both chambers are working out details in a private conference committee. The Young amendment, which was added to the House bill during the closed-door meetings, had not been part of either version.
I spent some time looking on Thomas and couldn't even find the "amendment." It's bill H.R.889, and there are no amendments listed after 9/15/05; the Grist article says this amendment was introduced in December, but there is no reference to it on Thomas. What's up with that? Because it's in conference we won't even see this stuff until it pops back out to the Senate? Or has the * administration incompetence infiltrated Thomas now, too?
Anyway - Kerry was right to refer to it as a "backdoor amendment" and "an insult to Americans who care about good government."
Having read the "Backbone Award" thread earlier it occurred to me that I would really, really love for Kerry to come out swinging on the
process by which this amendment was snuck into the bill. It's just right down there in the republican muck with passing bills in the middle of the night; holding votes open much longer than normal, but just long enough to twist enough arms to change their votes so that the republicans win, and not one moment longer; bringing 1000-plus-page bills to the floor without giving the Democrats any say in crafting them and not more than a few hours to review...and the list could go on.
Yes, John Kerry is right, again: it's an insult to Americans who care about good government. It has absolutely nothing to do with wind farms.