What Dying Economy?: House Kills Bill to Keep Compact Fluorescent Bulbs off Capitol Hill

How many politicians does it take to change a compact fluorescent light bulb on the Titanic to be able to illumine the romantic night view of the icebergs?

By Daniel Lippman | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives on Friday defeated an amendment that would have prohibited the federal government from installing or buying compact fluorescent light bulbs for congressional offices.

The amendment's author, Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., had argued that the energy efficient and squiggly shaped bulbs known as CFLs are not made in the U.S. and are dangerous because they contain mercury. The House rejected his amendment to the House appropriations bill that funds congressional operations 283-130.

He said that it would be better for the government to support U.S.-made products by not buying CFL bulbs that are made overseas. If his amendment had passed, he had hoped that the move would promote U.S. light bulb manufacturers, including two Sylvania plants in his congressional district that produce energy-efficient halogen bulbs.