(Image source: New York Times)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Who knew a little piece of 19th Century technology could get people so fired up?

REP. MICHAEL BURGESS (R-TX), VIA C-SPAN: “We have no business restricting the sale of the 100-watt light bulb. We have no business restricting what light people should use in their homes.”

REP. JOE BARTON (R-TX): “Let me decide what kind of lighting, let me decide what kind of energy efficiency I want.”

In 2007 then-President George W. Bush signed a law that would have made the energy-inefficient bulbs extinct come January 1st, 2012. But as you just saw -- the legislation had small government types pretty upset.

That is, until Thursday night, when the bulb got a break.

Here’s Fox Business -- whose Stuart Varney isn’t trying to hide how excited he is in an interview with Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn.

“I have got to get to what I considered good news. Both you and I know what it is and our viewers are firmly on your side on this.” …
REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): “We are going to hang on and keep the freedom of choice of selection in light bulbs that we have in our homes.”
VARNEY: “Yesss!!! Our vast audience is cheering across this wonderful land.”

And -- if you’ve been so inclined to check, you might have seen the words “repealed,” “nixed” or “overturned” in a few headlines.

But Politico notes -- it’s a nine-month reprieve, and it only takes away the Department of Energy’s funding to implement the new rules. Sooooo - that means the battle of the bulb is far from over.

“But Democrats said they could claim a ‘compromise’ by adding language to the omnibus that requires DOE grant recipients greater than $1 million to certify they will upgrade the efficiency of their facilities by replacing any lighting to meet or exceed the 2007 energy law’s standards.”

But writes Forbes -- at the end of the day -- it doesn’t really matter what Congress does.


“...it’s likely that some more politically correct retailers will not stock them. And don’t expect any new incandescent light bulb factories to open; America’s last one closed a year ago.”