May 19, 2009, 6:44 PM ET
Democrats Hire Speed Reader — Just in Case
Ian Talley reports on energy policy.

Democrats in the House Energy and Commerce Committee have taken a
novel step to head off Republican efforts to slow action this week on
a sweeping climate bill: Hiring a speed reader.

Committee Republicans, who largely oppose the measure, have said they
may force the reading of the entire 946-page bill, as well as major
amendments totaling several hundred pages. So far, Republicans have
decided not to use the procedural maneuver, but Chairman Henry Waxman
of California is prepared.

The bill aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% over
the next half-century, and is a top priority of President Barack Obama
and congressional Democrats.

A committee spokeswoman said the young man, who’s doing door duty at
the hearing as he awaits his possible call to the microphone, was
hired to help career staff. After years of practice, the panel’s
clerks can certainly read rapidly, but she says the speed reader is a
lot faster.

“Judging by the size of the amendments, I can read a page about every
34 seconds,” said the newly hired “staff assistant” who declined to
give his name. Based on that count, it would take around nine hours to
read the entire bill.

It took the committee more than two hours on Tuesday to debate and
vote on the first proposed amendment. As many Capitol Hill interns
were heading out to a local Mexican restaurant for happy hour and 50-
cent tacos, the Energy and Commerce Committee had only waded through
three amendments. Among the amendments approved Tuesday: A proposal to
offer government subsidies to consumers who want to trade in old cars
or trucks for new ones.

Waxman has said he still hopes to finish the bill by Thursday, meeting
a long stated goal of moving the climate bill out of committee by
Memorial Day.

“He’s dreaming. It ain’t going to happen,” said ranking Republican
Rep. Joe Barton of Texas. Republicans “have 400 amendments that we
could offer, but there are at least 75 to 80 that we almost have to
offer,” Barton said. He acknowledged that Waxman can call for a final
vote before Republicans have offered all their amendments, but that
“hasn’t happened in the 35 years I’ve been on the committee.”

www.djreprints.com

On Fri, 22 May 2009 07:58:37 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

May 19, 2009, 6:44 PM ET
Democrats Hire Speed Reader — Just in Case
Ian Talley reports on energy policy.

Democrats in the House Energy and Commerce Committee have taken a
novel step to head off Republican efforts to slow action this week on
a sweeping climate bill: Hiring a speed reader.

Partial list (2009) of troll aliases this person has used while
posting to sci.environment.

From: "A thoughtful mourner" mantrap@
From:
From:
From: "Barack Obama"
From:
From: "Dr Crypto"
From: "Edmund Fitzgerald" mantrap@
From: "Eric Swanson" mantrap@
From: "Ian St. John"
From: "kiloVolts" mantrap@
From: "kilovolts" mantrap@
From: "kiloVolts"
From: "Leon"
From: "Leon Trollski"
From: "Mike Vandeman"
From: "Mike Vandeman" mantrap@
From: "milliAmperes"
From: "Ms. 2"
From: "Ms. 2" mantrap@
From: "Nicovar Inc."
From:
From: "Ravocin"
From: "Sarah Palin"
From: "Sanity"
From:

and now, this Calgary, Canada Based Fossil Fuel Troll claims to be..

From:


He has stated in Message-ID:


"ENVIRONMENTALISM IS A HATE CRIME!"


Needless to say.. this person is mentally unbalanced..

On Fri, 22 May 2009 07:58:37 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

May 19, 2009, 6:44 PM ET
Democrats Hire Speed Reader — Just in Case
Ian Talley reports on energy policy.


Partial list (2009) of aliases this person has used while posting to
sci.environment.

From: "A thoughtful mourner" mantrap@
From:
From:
From: "Barack Obama"
From:
From: "Dr Crypto"
From: "Edmund Fitzgerald" mantrap@
From: "Eric Swanson" mantrap@
From: "Ian St. John"
From: "kiloVolts" mantrap@
From: "kilovolts" mantrap@
From: "kiloVolts"
From: "Leon"
From: "Leon Trollski"
From: "Mike Vandeman"
From: "Mike Vandeman" mantrap@
From: "milliAmperes"
From: "Ms. 2"
From: "Ms. 2" mantrap@
From: "Nicovar Inc."
From:
From: "Ravocin"
From: "Sarah Palin"
From: "Sanity"
From:

and now, this Calgary, Canada Based Fossil Fuel Troll claims to be..

From:


He has stated in Message-ID:


"ENVIRONMENTALISM IS A HATE CRIME!"


Needless to say.. this person is mentally unbalanced..