Congresswoman Reaches Wit’s End Thanks to Republican’s Midnight Amendment: ‘We’re Here Debating a Plastic Straw’

I absolutely want the government mandating what kind of straws we can use on public lands. The government mandates and subsidies so many things, I’d rather they do that for the benefit of everyone rather than a few babies that are afraid of change. They’ll say it’s about government overreach or the “nanny state” they are just afraid of change.

I would prefer the government target the actual major causes of pollution (corporations) instead of virtue signaling by banning something that's an infinitesimal part of the issue.
- Yes, your 100% right, that would be much better, but if Republican whine this much about gas stoves and plastic straws it’s not going to happen soon. My feeling in it is, baby steps are better than no steps.
- Banning plastic straws and gas stoves is going after corporations. Corporations are the ones opposed to it.
- I agree with you that targeting bigger things are better but then this rolls through the house. It's hard to do anything significant when half the House is working directly counter to what you're trying to do.
Thank you. That comment pissed me off too. Nobody is stopping you from buying plastic straws at the grocery store. They just wouldn't be selling them on government owned land.
And yet they are the same that make changes that benefit the rich.
They aren't afraid of change, they just want to change things for THEIR benefit and no one else because they feel superior that way.
- They sure enjoy going to burning man and generally being hypocrits with modern stuff, so yes definitely behind them just wanting power and fuck everyone else "I got mine".
I don't. I often comment about political capital, and rarely get a warm reception. But it's a real cost in elections. Back in the 80's we called it "realpolitik", mostly in regards to international politics.
I'm outside all the damned time, certainly more than most people reading this. The amount of straws I pack off the trails and waterways is noticeable. And bottle caps and plastic bags and beer cans... you get the idea.
So banning such things should be a no-brainer? Right?! Of course it is. But then the other side gets to hit you with:
"Oh FFS! The libs won't let us have damned straws now! What next from the nanny state?!"
Liberal brains tend to think, "This decision is objectively correct, so who would object?" Conservative brains work more on emotion. "Why the hell are you trying to control my every little move?!"
So, we get plastic straws banned, an objectively good idea, but we lose political capital, we lose votes by tiny increments that stack. Was it worth it? I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader.
And yeah, this particular thing is obstruction for obstruction's sake. I get that. OTOH, the opposition still gets their message out to our detriment.
- And of course it wasn't Liberals that got it banned. Just like with Sugared drinks, it is the cost that is the issue, not some Nanny State desire. Plastic straws litter is everywhere. Other trash builds up as the straws make tiny plastic beaver damns. Thus the drains can't work and the City pays to clean up flooding.
- I've yet to see a good bendy straw that wasn't plastic, and those are essential medical supplies.
She’s probably in the pocket of big plastic.
Those straws are big business

It's a Republican tactic to waste time on the floor and waste the time of those who are tending to bigger manners. It's a tactic used by Republicans when they're salty that they don't have everything their way. We've seen this before when I think, Clifford the Big Red dog was the center of attention at one point? Something equally as stupid.

Jesus Christ. Even plastic straws are being argued over. I'm so tired of the grid lock. Everybody seems to treat the parties like baseball teams.

- The other side doesn't want vandalism or assault from violent lunatics.

I just don't know why we're not making better legislation about single-use plastics rather than just arbitrarily banning plastic straws. It's so weird. One fucking turtle video. This isn't even picking low hanging fruit, this is legislators picking an apple off the ground and holding it up like they harvested a whole crop.

Meanwhile, I'm getting served a paper straw in a plastic cup with a plastic lid, neither of which I can recycle because it has food residue, and there are no public recycling bins anywhere anyway, and even if there were we don't recycle that plastic in my district we just dump it directly from the recycling center to the landfill. That's lip service, not progress. I'm throwing away garbage cans full of plastic every week without scrutiny, but the package of plastic straws that would have lasted me years is the focus of attention? Not biodegradable plastic? Not reusable packaging? Not paper packaging for consumer goods? Not analyzing the weight savings in fuel vs the increased weight of reusable packaging made of wood, glass, metal, cardboard, etc? No, just choose the smallest thing possible that still feels conspicuous enough for voters to think progress is still happening. With Amazon orders I'm throwing away as much bubble wrap these days as a retail store.

The topic is so big that any real progress is beyond the capabilities of our current government. The Democrats can't generate political will, the Republicans are obstructionist, and both sides simply report to their corporate overlords anyway. The only levers progressives can pull are hoping that enough moralizing, intersectionality, and virtue-signalling will offset overconsumption. It's the plenary indulgences of capitalism--we can still wastefully overconsume if we only buy fair trade products made out of recycled materials made by a diverse indegenous non-hierarchical employee owned collective of secular humanist queer amputees with developmental disabilities who donate a percentage of profits to protecting charismatic megafauna in developing nations. I can't even afford regular groceries, fuck that.

I was once told that the cigarette industry was encouraging/pushing the plastic straw debate to distract people from the real waste problem of cigarette butts everywhere. Haven’t seen it corroborated anywhere, though…

I wish I lived in a world where I could just ignore reality by focusing all my anger towards mild inconveniences.

Maybe I can't blame them for being so stubborn, ignorance really can be bliss.

i bet not a single person arguing against the decision to remove it has used a straw in years.

phasing out is a good thing as long as they still account for people with disabilities and may need one

Uhh... You know they're not trying to ban straws, right?
It's about single use plastics. Straws can actually be made of many different materials which can be reused or recycled.
And who the fuck hasn't used a straw in years? Seriously, I can't even imagine... Maybe people who were born without lips?
What are you even talking about I feel like I'm taking crazy pills
- I haven't used a plastic straw in years, but have used straws. Personally my favourite for home is silicone straws, but I do have some metal ones for travel. Fast food restaurants tend to give cardboard paper ones though and they are pretty terrible.