MacIver News Service – Although unconfirmed, rumors persist throughout Washington that the majority Democrats will advance a revised global warming bill, including a cap and trade system, this month.
“The Cap and Trade bill will pop any day,” said Christopher Horner, Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. “It won’t be the one that ultimately goes to the floor, because [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid is going to write that, but, this is about our last chance to stand up and stop this and make a statement, before you have an opportunity to vote.”
Horner is outraged that Congressional leaders appear willing to circumvent the traditional committee work in order to speed up the 
process.
“Harry Reid has vowed to suspend the committee process once again, for Cap and Trade, because Cap and Trade it turns out would impact every aspect of your life so Cap and Trade would have to go through six senate committees,” said Horner. “Oh and it would allow scrutiny and public input and it would never get through so he is going to write the bill behind closed doors.”
Horner made his comments after appearing at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh last week. He is the author of several books including Red Hot Lies: How Global Warming Alarmists Use Threats, Fraud, and Deception to Keep You Misinformed and the recently-released Power Grab: How Obama’s Green Policies Will Steal Your Freedom and Bankrupt America, which he describes exposé of the green movement’s rise to political power and the consequences of green-friendly energy mandates on the economy and social order of our nation.
Horner’s speech, sponsored by the UW-Oshkosh College Republicans and the Young America’s Foundation was well attended and, despite some concerns to the contrary, went off without incident.
“There’s often an organized, nasty element to campus because that’s what the Alinskyites are about, speech threatens them., they want a monopoly on it,” said Horner. “The tolerant left is highly intolerant, but ultimately, it’s usually the good folks who show up and that’s what happened when I came to Oshkosh.”
In an interview with MacIver News, Horner elaborated on his claim that the debate over Global Warming has little to do with the environment.
“This is not about the climate. It isn’t,” said Horner. “What we have is something else. In Power Grab, I explain what it’s about. The title gives a pretty good hint. It’s about stealing your freedom.”
Horner said his concerns are not hyperbolic and that to the contrary the heated, apocalyptic rhetoric from the left is merely an attempt to pass liberty-limiting legislation through fear.
“When they have to make up the reason for such a power grab, you know it must be bad,” he said.
Horner drew parallels between the evolving debate in Washington, D.C. and how the terminology and rationale for legislation changed in Wisconsin over many months.
“John Kerry told The Hill and Politico ‘Oh, this isn’t an environment bill.’ That’s spectacular,” said Horner. “The Global Warming Bill is no longer about global warming. Look, it’s designed exactly like the other bills. It’s a Cap and Trade energy rationing / tax scheme. It looks, smells, operates, is written, uses the same language as the global warming bills. It’s now that they just realize the issue never was the issue. They are just using what they thought would sell.”
In Wisconsin, The so-called ‘Clean Energy Jobs Act,’ originated as recommendations from the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force.
“Well now they realize it’s not selling, so they’re changing the title,” said Horner. “It’s exactly what they did in Wisconsin; I know it’s now called the Clean Jobs Bill, yeah, that’s it, it’s about jobs. No it isn’t it’s about power.”
Coming soon: Horner deconstructs the arguments in favor of sweeping legislation aimed at combating global warming and predicts what could happen in Washington over the next few weeks.