[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E225-E226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE RESOLUTION 72, DIRECTING 
         COMMITTEES TO REVIEW REGULATIONS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES

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                               speech of

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2011

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, today and tomorrow we are 
spending more

[[Page E226]]

than 10 hours of our time debating whether or not we should tell 
committees to do what they are already supposed to be doing.
  Lake County, in my district, has 19 percent unemployment rate.
  The people of Lake County know that we are not creating jobs by 
telling committees to do their jobs.
  The people in my district, who are waiting on banks to call them back 
about their loan modification applications, know that this debate will 
not help them keep their homes.
  There is real work to be done in Congress and this is not it.
  I think we can stipulate that there are regulations that are 
redundant and unnecessary.
  I, for one, know that a regulation from Federal Housing Finance 
Agency has shut down the incredibly successful Property Assessed Clean 
Energy (PACE) program.
  PACE is an innovative program in my district, and districts across 
this country, that has created jobs, saved energy, and slashed 
homeowners' utility bills.
  Spending 10 hours of debate on this meaningless resolution is not 
going to reinstate the PACE program.
  It is not going to bring back the jobs for the people who installed 
residential solar panels and weatherized houses under PACE.
  This resolution is a lot of talk and no action.
  Committees have oversight responsibilities; it would be a much better 
use of our time to have simply scheduled 10 hours of Committee hearings 
on the matter.

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