Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Grist's Dave Roberts provides some more background on Rep. Patrick McHenry, the North Carolina Republican Congressman who ridiculed bicycling as a "19th century solution" during debate over the "Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007." The House bill, which passed on Aug. 4, included a $20/month tax break for bike commuters:

That was him on TV claiming that Rep. Mark Foley's years of sexual advances on young Congressional pages was a Democratic plot. That was him who signed on to Tom DeLay's un-ethics bill, which would have exempted the Speaker from Congressional ethics rules ... and then went on TV to defend DeLay when the latter was busted taking vacations funded by lobbyists. That was him whose 2004 election field coordinator was indicted for voter fraud. That was him whose campaign manager and chief of staff racked up 21 convictions in court. That was him advocating a military strike on Iran. That was him comparing Congress to high school, complete with "the nice guys that everybody likes, the jocks, the geeks, the bullies."

Right. That guy. A special kind of dimwit. A pipsqueak Terminator of party hackery. The id of today's Republican party. The reductio ad absurdum of the Bush era. If the dude had any less gravitas he would float into orbit.

Probably not a guy you'd go to for advice on energy policy.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Turn Back the Clock

The Trump administration is undoing decades of progress on transportation emissions and safety — progress that many would argue was too modest to begin with.

March 14, 2025

Friday Video: Welcome to the War on ‘Woke’ Transportation

Overwhelmed by weeks of federal attacks on green and equitable transportation? Catch up with this explainer and plug in to the fight.

March 14, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: The Annual Yonah Freemark Show, Part II

Yonah Freemark of the Urban Institute is back again for Part II of his annual "Talking Headways" discussion.

March 13, 2025

What if the ‘Tesla Takedown’ Is Only the Beginning?

Tesla's cars have become symbols of Elon Musk's controversial role in U.S. politics — but they're also instruments of a violent system that long predates his time in the White House.

March 13, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Hard-Driving

To paraphrase Billy Idol: Get out of my car, get into my dreams. Wired shows us examples of cities cutting down on driving that most of us can only fantasize about.

March 13, 2025
See all posts