A bill intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions and create clean energy jobs has come under fire from Republicans, who insist it would destroy jobs while raising the cost of energy for consumers. Some, like House Minority Leader John Boehner, have even taken to describing the legislation as a “tax.”

Few Republicans, however, would go as far as to describe the bill as “tyranny,” as Rep. Michele Bachmamn (R-MN) did when she spoke on the House floor Friday in support of an amendment offered by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA). Forbes’ plan would scrap the current bill entirely and replace it with a “New Manhattan project” to offer prizes for inventing more energy efficient technology.

Bachman began by citing figures apparently taken from the pro-business Club for Growth. “We know that this national energy tax will cost the American people two trillion dollars,” she insisted. “We know that. We know this will result in a lost of 2.5 million jobs.every year. We know that. We know this will result in a reduced standard of living for Americans. We know that.”

At that point, Bachmann abruptly shifted gears from warnings of economic doom to threats of tyranny and totalitarianism. “But what is worse than this,” she continued, “is the fact that now, because of this underlying bill, the federal government will virtually have control over every aspect of lives for the American people.”

“It is time to stand up and say, ‘We get to choose,’” Bachman urged. “We choose liberty or we choose tyranny. It’s one of the two.”

“It’s our choice,” concluded Bachmann. “Will we choose liberty or we will choose tyranny?”

This video is from C-SPAN, broadcast June 26, 2009.