[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6179-H6183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1120
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2010

  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5156) to provide for the establishment of a Clean Energy 
Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund to assist United 
States businesses with exporting clean energy technology products and 
services, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5156

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Clean Energy Technology 
     Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT 
                   ASSISTANCE FUND.

       (a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
       (1) the term ``clean energy technology'' means a technology 
     related to the production, use, transmission, storage, 
     control, or conservation of energy that will contribute to a 
     stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations 
     through reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of energy-
     related emissions and--
       (A) reduce the need for additional energy supplies by using 
     existing energy supplies with greater efficiency or by 
     transmitting, distributing, or transporting energy with 
     greater effectiveness through the infrastructure of the 
     United States; or
       (B) diversify the sources of energy supply of the United 
     States to strengthen energy security and to increase supplies 
     with a favorable balance of environmental effects if the 
     entire technology system is considered; and
       (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Commerce.
       (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a Clean 
     Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund, 
     to be administered through the International Trade 
     Administration. The Secretary shall administer the Fund to 
     promote policies that will reduce production costs and 
     encourage innovation, investment, and productivity in the 
     clean energy technology sector, and implement a national 
     clean energy technology export strategy. The purpose of the 
     Fund is to ensure that United States clean energy technology 
     firms, including clean energy technology parts suppliers and 
     engineering and design firms, have the information and 
     assistance they need to be competitive and create clean 
     energy technology sector jobs in the United States.
       (c) Assistance.--The Secretary, consistent with the 
     National Export Initiative, shall provide information, tools, 
     and other assistance to United States businesses to promote 
     clean energy technology manufacturing and facilitate the 
     export of clean energy technology products and services. Such 
     assistance shall include--
       (1) developing critical analysis of policies to reduce 
     production costs and promote innovation, investment, and 
     productivity in the clean energy technology sector;
       (2) helping educate companies about how to tailor their 
     activities to specific markets with respect to their product 
     slate, financing, marketing, assembly, and logistics;
       (3) helping United States companies learn about the export 
     process and export opportunities in foreign markets;
       (4) helping United States companies to navigate foreign 
     markets; and
       (5) helping United States companies provide input regarding 
     clean energy technology manufacturing and trade policy 
     developments and trade promotion.
       (d) Reports to Congress.--
       (1) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a 
     report indicating how the funds provided under this section 
     will be used to--
       (A) focus on small and medium-sized United States 
     businesses;
       (B) encourage the creation and maintenance of the greatest 
     number of clean energy technology jobs in the United States; 
     and
       (C) encourage the domestic production of clean energy 
     technology products and services, including materials, 
     components, equipment, parts, and supplies related in any way 
     to the product or service.
       (2) Not later than January 1, 2015, the Secretary shall 
     transmit to the Congress a report assessing the extent to 
     which the program established under this section--
       (A) has been successful in developing critical analysis of 
     policies to reduce production costs and promote innovation, 
     investment, and productivity in the clean energy technology 
     sector;
       (B) has been successful in increasing the competitiveness 
     of United States clean energy technology firms in emerging 
     markets;

[[Page H6180]]

       (C) has been successful in assisting United States 
     businesses, specifically small and medium-sized firms, with 
     exporting clean energy technology products and services;
       (D) has been successful in creating jobs directly related 
     to the clean energy technology sector in the United States, 
     including specific information as to the nature, location, 
     and duration of those jobs and the methodology used by the 
     Secretary to compile such information;
       (E) has been successful in helping United States companies 
     provide input regarding clean energy technology manufacturing 
     and trade policy developments and trade promotion; and
       (F) should be continued.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary for carrying out this section $15,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
       (2) Limitation.--No assistance provided using funds 
     appropriated pursuant to this section shall be provided in 
     the form of a monetary grant.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Deutch) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEUTCH. I also ask unanimous consent for Mr. Rush of Illinois to 
control the time after my opening remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
legislation, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export 
Assistance Act, H.R. 5156, will help American companies develop, 
manufacture, and export clean and renewable energy technologies around 
the world. Most importantly, this bill will help create high quality 
jobs for American workers.
  The bill establishes a fund in the Department of Commerce to promote 
policies that reduce costs and encourage innovation and investment in 
the clean energy industry. The fund, which focuses on small- and 
medium-sized businesses, will also help American companies target 
foreign markets for exports. This will help us meet the President's 
goal of doubling American exports over the next 5 years.
  Finally, H.R. 5156 would give businesses the opportunity to provide 
their own voice and input into U.S. manufacturing and trade policies. 
As President Obama remarked last month, the transition to clean energy 
has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs as we 
move out of this recession.
  Despite a global decrease in clean energy investments last year, the 
United States continued to increase investments in this sector. For the 
second consecutive year, the United States added more power capacity 
from renewable energy, solar and wind, for example, than from 
conventional energy sources. But the United States still trails Germany 
and China in renewable energy investments. This important legislation 
will help eliminate this gap by harnessing the creativity and 
innovation of American entrepreneurs and making the United States more 
competitive in a global market that reached over $160 billion last 
year.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will help create high quality jobs for 
American workers. I would like to thank my friend and colleague from 
California (Ms. Matsui) for authoring this legislation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would remind my colleague that wind and solar power is high-cost 
power. Wind and solar costs on average three times more per kilowatt 
hour. That's the whole energy debate. That's why you have to have low 
energy prices if you want jobs. And everybody thinks it's free. It's 
not free. It's more expensive energy.
  But I'm here to thank my colleague and friend, Congresswoman Matsui, 
for her bill, H.R. 5156. That's what we're addressing today, the Clean 
Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act. This came 
through the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the 
Energy and Commerce Committee on June 30 and in a markup of the full 
committee on July 21, both times passing by voice vote, and it's to her 
credit for her great work in a bipartisan manner.
  The purpose of this bill is to create a 5-year, $15 million annual 
assistance fund within the Department of Commerce International Trade 
Administration. The purpose of the fund is to promote policies to 
reduce production costs, encourage innovation and investment, and 
create a clean energy export strategy.
  I also commend the chairman of the subcommittee, my good friend Bobby 
Rush, for working with the minority to address our concerns and for 
offering a manager's amendment at the subcommittee markup that made two 
important changes. The first was to amend the definition of clean 
energy technology so that the definition would include nuclear energy 
and carbon capture and sequestration. It is important to recognize that 
nuclear power and clean coal are essential elements to reducing our 
dependence on foreign oil and thereby strengthening our energy 
security, and as I was mentioning, also keeping energy costs low. The 
second was to include a provision that explicitly prohibits any of the 
$75 million to be allocated in the form of grants.
  However, if this Congress and this administration truly want to 
revitalize the manufacturing sector, the easiest path would be to pass 
the existing free trade agreements that are pending: South Korea, 
Colombia, and Panama. These are all gains for us. In any projection by 
any export strategy, these are gains in the manufacturing sector and in 
some of the agricultural sector I'll talk about later.
  We always have to be concerned. Jobs and the economy is the number 
one issue in the country, but trailing close behind is the deficit and 
the national debt. So we've been harping on the fact that we really 
need things paid for now. The public is not allowing us to go along, 
continuing with multiple authorizations without saying these things 
have to be paid for, and as we've said in numerous other debates, if 
it's important enough to do, it is important enough to pay for.
  I will just read from the CBO, ``Federal Debt and the Risk of a 
Fiscal Crisis, Economic and Budget Issue Brief'' dated July 27. 
``Unless policymakers,'' that's us, ``unless policymakers restrain the 
growth of spending,'' which is what we're not doing today, ``increase 
revenues significantly as a share of GDP, or adopt some combination of 
those two approaches, growing budget deficits will cause debt to rise 
to unsupportable levels.''
  I would submit that we're already at unsupportable levels, and so 
that's why we do support the bill. But we will always be looking for 
and making sure that additional spending and growth is offset with pay-
fors.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the author of the 
legislation, my dear friend from California (Ms. Matsui).
  Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 5156, 
the Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 
2010.
  Our Nation is running a trade deficit in green technologies ranging 
in the billions, and the U.S. clean tech industry is lagging behind 
many of its competitors in exports, most notably China and Germany.
  Currently, only six of the top 30 global clean energy companies are 
American-owned. This is simply unacceptable. We must not become a 
Nation dependent on foreign clean energy products. We must be the 
Nation that leads the world in manufacturing and exporting clean energy 
technologies. That is why I, along with Chairmen Rush and Dingell and 
Congresswoman Eshoo, introduced H.R. 5156 to boost the competitiveness 
of the U.S. clean energy industry.

[[Page H6181]]

  Specifically, the bill would require the Department of Commerce, in 
coordination with relevant agencies, to implement, develop and sustain 
a National Clean Energy Technology Export Strategy to provide U.S. 
clean tech firms with export assistance in finding and navigating 
foreign markets to sell their goods and services to new customers.
  The President has laid out a laudable goal to double U.S. exports 
over the next 5 years, and this legislation will ensure clean energy 
exports are at the forefront of our national export strategy. The bill 
will also help strengthen America's domestic clean tech manufacturing 
industry.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this legislation is a part of the Make 
It in America manufacturing agenda to demonstrate this Congress' 
commitment to the U.S. domestic manufacturing industry, and I applaud 
the majority leader's leadership in this.
  This legislation encourages American clean energy manufacturers 
across the Nation to sell their American-made clean energy technologies 
here in America and around the world.

                              {time}  1130

  This is also about jobs. The Department of Energy has found that the 
emerging U.S. clean energy sector could create more than 750,000 jobs 
over the next decade. The clean energy emerging economy is one that we 
cannot afford to let pass us by.
  Mr. Speaker, my home district of Sacramento is well positioned to be 
a national leader in manufacturing clean energy technologies, with more 
than 120 small and medium-sized clean energy companies in the region. 
Many of these companies are beginning to manufacture clean energy 
products or are seeking to expand their manufacturing operation and 
wanting to export through clean energy technologies to foreign markets.
  However, unlike big U.S. companies, small and medium-sized firms 
simply do not have the resources and expertise to find and navigate 
foreign markets and are seeking assistance. In fact, according to the 
Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, more than 30 percent of 
nonexporting small and medium-sized companies would export if they had 
more access to market information, export opportunities, and the export 
process. Many of these companies have validated their clean energy 
technologies and are now looking to expand their businesses by 
exporting their goods and services to new foreign markets but actually 
lack the resources to do so.
  Mr. Speaker, let me briefly clarify that this bill provides a modest 
authorization to help American small businesses with the manufacturing 
and export assistance they are seeking.
  It is not an appropriations bill. As my colleagues on the other side 
are aware, authorization measures do not appropriate funds and they do 
not add a dime to our deficit. The measure would have to fit within our 
budget caps during the congressional appropriation process.
  The bill would not affect direct spending or revenues. Therefore, 
PAYGO procedures would not apply, and it does not violate PAYGO rules.
  Mr. Speaker, during the Energy and Commerce markup of this bill, we 
included several changes that my Republican colleagues recommended; 
most notably, working in a bipartisan manner, we expanded the 
definition of ``clean energy technology.''
  We also include a transparency provision that requires the Commerce 
Department to report back to Congress within 180 days of enactment, a 
plan to assist small and medium-sized businesses, encourage job growth 
in the U.S. clean energy sector, and encourage greater domestic 
manufacturing of clean energy products.
  H.R. 5156 will also enhance our standing in the race to be the global 
leader in clean energy. The BP oil spill only underscores the need for 
leadership in the clean energy market, and this bill will send a strong 
message that America is serious about being the leader and producing 
and exporting these technologies.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, which will support 
clean energy products being made in America and, in turn, will help 
families make it in America.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as I stood a few minutes before in expressing my 
concerns about the bill that Representative Lipinski brought forth, the 
same issue exists with regard to my good friend from California (Ms. 
Matsui) regarding H.R. 5156, Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and 
Export Assistance Act.
  Ms. Matsui, Mr. Speaker, just momentarily said we need to be 
exporting clean energy technology. Well, with all due respect, what we 
need to be exporting is beef and pork and corn and soybeans and, yes, 
Harley Davidson would like to export a few motorcycles to Colombia, but 
they can't do it because they face such a high tariff.
  Again, the bill is fine as far as it goes, other than the fact that 
you are authorizing another $75 million. And you can say, well, it's an 
authorization; it's not an appropriation. But if you give permission 
within committee to let those that do the appropriating, you 
essentially open up the floodgates for 75 additional million dollars of 
taxpayer-funded programs.
  As President Reagan said, you know, government is not the solution to 
our problems; it is the problem. More and more government growth, 
spending, deficit debt, Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, the American 
people have spoken. I'm going to tell you they are going to speak 
again.
  We leave here, I guess, sometime Friday afternoon, and we will be in 
our district work period this year for not 1 month but probably 6 
weeks. We have got to face these people, not just me in the 11th 
Congressional District of Georgia, but every one of us. All 435 of us 
have got to go home and look these folks in the eye.
  We have to say, you know, I am trying to explain to you why, in our 
last week before our break, we authorized another $75 million worth of 
spending, adding to the $1.4 trillion deficit this year and, indeed, 
finally adding to the national debt which is now, as we all know, over 
$13 trillion, something like 95 percent of our gross domestic product. 
That makes no sense.
  Again, with all due respect, I know these bills came through 
committee, voice voted in subcommittee and full committee, but there 
were concerns. There were concerns about the spending.
  Representative Parker Griffith, Mr. Speaker, our colleague from 
Alabama, had an amendment. He said, Look, we need deficit neutrality in 
this bill.
  That was one thing that we did vote on, that amendment, and it failed 
along party lines 30-15, even though the majority party keeps saying, 
well, you know, we honor PAYGO--except when we don't honor it.
  Again, my colleague from California is a most respected Member of the 
committee and this House. As a friend of mine, she is trying, just as 
Representative Lipinski was trying with his bill. But let's get the job 
done by lowering corporate tax rates and taking the burden, the 
regulatory burden off of our manufacturers, and go ahead and pass these 
free trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea, and Panama.
  They have been negotiated to a fare-thee-well, and I think the 
Democratic majority ought to explain to the American people why we 
don't do that. That's what we need to do to grow jobs immediately and 
not just continue to kick the can down the road and study it and study 
it and study it with an unemployment rate of 10 percent and 16 million 
people, many of them in the manufacturing sector--in fact, 2 million 
manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last couple of years.
  This has got to stop.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to yield 3 
minutes to the dean of the House and the chairman emeritus of the 
Energy and Commerce Committee, my dear friend Mr. Dingell.
  (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5156, the 
Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act.
  I commend my good friend from Illinois for the outstanding work he 
did in leading the subcommittee and moving this and the other 
legislation forward

[[Page H6182]]

today, and I also commend my colleagues, Ms. Matsui and Ms. Eshoo, as 
well as Mr. Rush, for their original cosponsorship, of which I am also 
proud to be one.
  This bill will build up domestic manufacturing by promoting exports 
and clean energy technologies and will help the United States develop 
an early competitive advantage in this area. I urge my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle, especially my good Republican friends, to join 
us in moving this legislation forward.
  Now, we hear some objections to the bill's costs. It's time they be 
reminded that this is not an appropriation but an authorization. 
Moreover, should the funds be appropriated, H.R. 5156 will more than 
pay for itself through the growth in tax receipts from increased 
corporate revenue. The Department of Commerce estimates that every 
dollar invested in export promotion generates $56 worth of exports.
  I urge my colleagues again to join me in moving this forward.

                              {time}  1140

  Thus in a corporate tax rate of 35 percent, additional revenues of 
only $40 million a year would have to be generated to cover the bill's 
annual $15 million authorization. This is more than double that which 
is based on the Department of Commerce's export promotion cost benefit 
analysis.
  Mr. Speaker, if my Republican and Democratic colleagues are truly 
concerned about promoting job growth and improving the economy, they 
should vote in favor of this eminently sensible bill.
  I've been a little distressed to hear my colleagues on the other side 
of the aisle making a fuss about the fact that they don't like things 
like cap-and-trade and other matters. That bill is not before us, and 
most of the other questions are not before us. I would remind my 
colleagues here that we are discussing increasing job opportunities at 
home by exporting things which are valuable and which help the world 
and which help the United States. I would remind my colleagues that 
they are better served to light a little candle rather than to sit 
there quietly and to curse the darkness.
  When this administration came in, I would remind my colleagues that 
the previous administration had left us two wars, a depression, and a 
deficit of $1.3 trillion. We are still trying to dig out of the mess 
which was left us by our Republican colleagues, and I would urge them 
to cooperate with us and to focus on the important things about 
creating jobs and getting opportunity and economic activity going 
forward. To continue the kind of self-defeating program that my 
Republicans seem to be sponsoring on the other side of the aisle----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman 
from Michigan.
  Mr. DINGELL. I would urge my colleagues on the other side to join us. 
Let us move forward towards jobs; let us move forward towards economic 
development and activity; let us move forward towards cooperation on 
important matters, like seeing to it that the economy gets moving and 
Americans are going back to work.
  Let's not sit around here whining and complaining about situations 
about which we have nobody at this particular minute at this particular 
time to address it. But we are addressing three pieces of legislation 
that are going to make economic prosperity a greater reality and a more 
real object of our attentions.
  I urge my Republican colleagues to cease this nitpicking on the floor 
and this nattering, which I'm hearing coming from the other side, and 
work with us to put Americans back to work. And let us understand that 
the people have spoken in the last election, and they spoke for jobs 
and change. We are trying to give it to them, and we invite our 
Republican colleagues to give us a little bit of that cooperation that 
will enable us to move more easily forward.
  I thank my colleagues.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am always honored to follow the dean of the House, Mr. Dingell, who 
is well known for his oratory ability and his passion, and we have 
great respect. But I have a few things to remind him too.
  We passed a $1.2 trillion stimulus bill that was promised to reduce 
unemployment to 8 percent. Our unemployment is at 9.5 percent. We have 
15 million unemployed Americans. Our issue is let's do things that help 
create jobs. And if we want to talk, you ought to go to the businesses 
that want to create jobs and they will tell you a cap-and-trade bill 
that raises carbon prices and energy cost does not help create jobs; in 
fact, it destroys jobs. It raises gasoline prices, at a minimum, 50 
cents. It raises electricity rates. It raises consumer rates for what 
they pay for home electricity or home heating. And those are just the 
facts.
  We are $13.5 trillion in debt. Now, part of my life--I don't talk 
about it very much--I taught high school for 4 years, and I taught 
government history. This authorization and appropriation debate is 
important because authorizing gives us the right to appropriate. You 
shouldn't--we do it sometimes--you should not appropriate without an 
authorization. So you can't hide behind the argument that it's just an 
authorization, it means nothing. Well, it does mean something. It does 
mean that you could go and get the money. If you don't authorize, you 
shouldn't. So that is why we are having this debate. $13.5 trillion. 
The public is concerned about debt and spending.
  We can have a lot of feel-good legislation on the floor, and my 
colleagues are well-intentioned; but if we want to do things, if we 
want to fulfill the President's promise of doubling exports in 5 years, 
we ought to move on these three free trade agreements--Panama, 
Colombia, South Korea. As was stated, Harley Davidson would like to 
export motorcycles to Colombia, but they face a high tariff. A tariff 
is a tax. The tax imposed by Colombia is the only thing that makes our 
motorcycles not competitive in Colombia--and that's not Columbia, South 
Carolina, that's the country of Colombia.
  Caterpillar would like to export more to Panama. Of course 
Caterpillar is a great Illinois company, big Earth-moving equipment. If 
there is talk of a new Panama Canal being built, we would like 
Caterpillar equipment building that. What prohibits that? A high import 
tax. That's why we have trade negotiations. And of course my corn and 
soybean, my pork producers and my beef producers would like to be in 
those markets.
  So this is an important bill to talk about ``green'' industry and 
environment. I want to remind my folks that according to industry 
observers, lack of market expertise is not among the primary trade 
barriers. The three primary barriers to market entry are access to raw 
materials, labor rate comparisons, and access to foreign markets. This 
bill does nothing to address the serious market barriers. It also 
creates a risk of stifling future innovation and development once 
government picks winners and losers. The market will direct innovation 
and development once the government picks winners and losers.
  Furthermore, China announced in the first week of July that it will 
cut rare Earth exports by 72 percent for the second half of this year. 
Rare Earth exports are the minerals needed in the green economy. 
They're going to control it. They're going to cut their exports. That's 
what we need, these minerals, to build this stuff. These resources are 
used in green technologies--in wind turbines, hybrid vehicles, as well 
as in national security and defense system, in consumer products such 
as new batteries on the Chevy Volt, mobile phones, PDAs and MP-3s. This 
cut will drop the amount of exports from just over 28,000 metric tons 
to just under 8,000 metric tons for the same period as last year.
  So we have a challenge. We ought to be negotiating. We ought to get 
these rare Earth minerals released, or we ought to allow permitting to 
redevelop our mining operations for our rare Earth minerals. One is 
shut down; it will take us forever to re-permit it. Naturally we ought 
to be focusing on it.
  Congresswoman Matsui is a well-respected member of the committee; we 
appreciate her good work. Of course, Bobby Rush, the chairman, does a 
great job in the city of Chicago. We appreciate the friendship. 
Unfortunately, we have to bring up other issues, but that is part of 
being the loyal opposition in these austere times.

[[Page H6183]]

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me return our attention to the matter at hand, to 
the issue that is before us.
  I want to, first of all, thank our chairman of the committee, Mr. 
Waxman, Chairman Waxman, and also the ranking member of the 
subcommittee, Mr. Whitfield, for their vigorous support of H.R. 5156, 
the Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 
2010. I was proud to cosponsor the bill with the author, Congresswoman 
Matsui of California, and also with my other cosponsors, Congresswoman 
Eshoo and our chairman emeritus, John Dingell.

                              {time}  1150

  I want to thank this lady to my left, Congresswoman Matsui, for her 
stellar leadership and for taking the lead on this critical issue.
  I am asking my colleagues today to vote on this bill, a bill which 
addresses the challenges that we face in today's economy. My friends on 
the other side want to bring up a whole lot of other issues. They want 
to throw a lot of things on the floor. They want to try to baffle us 
with a lot of their sidebar discussion.
  Yet this bill, the bill that is before us today, will help to 
increase American manufacturers' green products through the 
establishment of a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export 
Assistance Fund to assist U.S. businesses with exporting clean energy 
technology, products, and services.
  We all, Mr. Speaker, know that America is a prime market for foreign 
manufacturers. The other side doesn't want to deal with the issues that 
we are discussing in this bill. Though, I must remind all of us that, 
far too often, the U.S. market is open to everybody else--open to 
global manufacturers--but sadly, the converse is not always the case. 
This is the case, however, for green technology products as our Nation 
is in a unique position to once again lead on a global scale.
  The U.S. manufacturing industry faces serious challenges overseas 
despite the fact that we are a leader in green technology. As I have 
said repeatedly, we must seize the energy opportunity that we have 
today lest we slip further behind to foreign competition. We must seize 
the time, Mr. Speaker, and now is the time. Now is the time. There is 
no other time like this time. Now is the time.
  We need a strong domestic policy to allow the manufacturing industry 
to be confident enough to penetrate the international market. Also, it 
is equally important to strengthen and transform our economy and, in 
doing so, to further assert our global leadership. The disaster that 
continues to take place in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the 
BP oil spill is a wake-up call. We should not only be a global leader 
in offshore technology; we should also be a leader in green and clean 
technology exports. When I say ``clean,'' Mr. Speaker, I also mean 
responsible energy technology.
  This bill is results-oriented because I have added language that 
helps us to evaluate the impact of this program on its ability to 
create jobs, including the gathering of specific information as to the 
nature, location, and the duration of those jobs, as well as the 
methodology used by the Secretary to compile such needed and necessary 
information.
  Mr. Speaker, the jabbering and the nattering, let's bring that to a 
screeching halt on this bill. This is an important bill. This bill has 
to go forward. It has to go forward for the American people. It has to 
go forward for the American economy. It has to go forward so that we 
can once again assert our leadership across the world in the 
manufacturing sector, the green and clean manufacturing sector.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and to expand 
their commitment to significantly increase our exports.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 5156, the ``Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export 
Assistance Act of 2010''. This legislation, which provides for the 
establishment of a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export 
Assistance Fund, will go a long way to ensure that American clean 
energy technology firms possess the information and assistance required 
to become and remain competitive in the world markets. The bill will 
also focus our priorities in the energy sector to reduce production 
costs, encourage innovation, and promote investment and productivity.
  Mr. Speaker it is imperative that the U.S. remain a leader in global 
exports of innovative technology, particularly clean energy. It is no 
secret that our dependence on foreign oil and other fossil fuel energy 
sources is too great. The Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and 
Export Assistance Act of 2010 will assist us in our efforts to move 
away from this problematic energy paradigm. It will provide our 
domestic clean energy firms the means to keep the U.S. ahead of the 
curve.
  This bill directs the Secretary to provide information, tools, and 
other assistance to U.S. businesses to promote clean energy technology 
manufacturing and facilitate the export of clean energy technology 
products and services. It also promotes the implementation of a 
national clean energy technology export strategy.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is a practical means to assist our direction 
in clean energy technology. For these reasons I urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 5156.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5156, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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