Issue:  H.R. 2842 Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act of 2012.

Result:  Passed in House, 265 to 154, 13 not voting. Died in Senate.  Democrats scored.

Bill Summary:  Exempts the small conduit hydropower development authorized by this Act from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), except with respect to siting of associated transmission on federal lands.

Analysis:  H.R. 2842 takes issue with one small part of the federal government’s unconstitutional role in curbing America’s energy production, long established under the pretext of protecting the environment.

The vote on H.R. 2842 provides good political posturing for the GOP (which supported the measure unanimously). However, GOP leaders undoubtedly recognized that environmentalist objections in the Senate would doom H.R. 2842 to oblivion. So we do not score the GOP on this roll call, only the Democrats.

28 Democrats resisted the environmentalist clout and their own party leadership to support H.R. 2842.

We have assigned (good vote) to the Yeas and (bad vote) to the Nays. (P = voted present; ? = not voting; blank = not listed on roll call.)