Eco-friendly light bulbs debated

WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- House Republicans say they'll try to block the government's efforts to transition the country from incandescent light bulbs to more energy-efficient options.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, is sponsoring the BULB (Better Use of Light Bulbs) Act, which would repeal a part of a 2007 energy law requiring traditional light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy-efficient beginning in 2012, USA Today reported Friday.

Some conservatives say the government has overstepped its bounds.

Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has weighed in on the issue, saying, "Government ought to have not a damn thing to say about the light bulb that I buy."

Environmentalists say the real issues are energy efficiency, pollution and costs.

"The savings from the lighting standards would be like getting a free month without a power bill, every single year," said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, which conducted an analysis for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Barton said he hopes to get Democratic support for the legislation.

"Their eyes have been opened and they see the effect of it, and the jobs consequences and the energy efficiency," he told Politico.