[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HOME STAR ENERGY RETROFIT ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 2010

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5019) to 
     provide for the establishment of the Home Star Retrofit 
     Rebate Program, and for other purposes:

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 
5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act.
  This legislation will help to create jobs while saving consumers 
money and reducing our nation's energy consumption.
  It will also provide an important boost for the construction sector 
which has been mercilessly pounded by both the recession and the 
collapse in new housing construction.
  In my role as chair of the Joint Economic Committee, we have been 
examining the sector-by-sector impact of the Great Recession.
  The construction sector has seen employment drop by almost 28 percent 
since the recession began. More than two million jobs--in this sector 
alone--were lost.
  We're not going to get those jobs back overnight, but policies like 
the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act can play an important role in 
encouraging growth in construction while speeding our transition to a 
more energy-efficient economy.
  The legislation provides rebates to consumers for purchasing energy-
efficient products or materials and for doing renovations to make their 
homes more energy efficient.
  Consumers can get the rebates for buying caulk or insulation, at 
their local hardware store for example, or working with a contractor on 
larger projects, such as installing new heating or cooling systems, or 
replacing windows.
  The larger the project, the larger the rebate.
  The legislation also creates a new state-federal program to provide 
loans to consumers for renovations that improve energy efficiency.
  The Home Star legislation builds on the energy efficiency provisions 
in the Recovery Act, including weatherization programs targeted at low-
income families and retrofits of public housing.
  The legislation helps us accomplish two key goals--increasing jobs 
and reducing our energy costs and consumption.
  A number of studies have already shown the job creation power of 
retrofitting homes and buildings.
  The Center for American Progress estimated that $40 billion invested 
in retrofits would create approximately 800,000 jobs. And these are 
good, high-paying jobs--construction workers, carpenters, electricians 
and roofers.
  Finally, residential and commercial buildings use 40 percent of the 
energy in our country and account for 40 percent of carbon emissions.
  The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act will speed the pace of home 
retrofits, speed up the creation of badly needed jobs, decrease our 
demand for carbon based fuels, and help us move more quickly to a 
cleaner, brighter more energy efficient future.
  I encourage you to support H.R. 5019.

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