Shimkus Would Sacrifice The Earth For Two Coal Mines
U.S. Representative John Shimkus, from the 19th congressional district of Illinois, has taken the role of being in the back pocket of Big Coal to a new level – he has declared that he would sacrifice the future of life all over planet Earth just to serve the interests of two coal mines.
Last Wednesday, as the markup hearing for the American Climate and Energy Security Act in the House Energy and Commerce Committee was drawing to a close, John Shimkus offered an amendment that would shut down the all of the bill’s provisions unless all of his demands were met. The amendment read,
“Due to inadequate allowances for the coal production industry the provisions of this Act (including the amendments’ made by this Act) shall cease to have any force and effect if two or more coal mines close as a result of the implementation
of such provisions of Title III.”
If the amendment offered by Congressman Shimkus had passed, all the provisions in the American Climate and Energy Security Act that attempt to deal with the causes of climate change could only continue if Big Coal’s dirty old polluting ways were not interfered with. If just two coal mines, anywhere, closed down as a result of the Act, all the legislation’s work confronting climate change would grind to a halt.
Never mind that climate change is impoverishing people all around the world. Never mind that communities all over the Earth are struggling to survive its effect. Never mind that wars are already being fought because of climate change, and that the natural resources human civilization depends upon are under threat.
John Shimkus would have us just forget about all that. He would have us endure these sacrifices, and more, just so that two coal mines could remain in operation. The entire planet, in the view of Shimkus, should defer to the profitability of those two coal mines.
Is there any other legislation currently before Congress that even begins to reach that degree of selfishness?
