[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 106 (Friday, July 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2012

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 8, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2354) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose H.R. 2354, which 
underfunds important clean energy priorities at a cost to the American 
public's health and welfare. Fiscal discipline is an important goal, 
and I support efforts to think critically about how to put the nation 
on a sound fiscal path. However this bill fails to accomplish that. 
This appropriations bill cuts funding for energy efficiency and 
renewable energy development programs that help American homeowners 
save money on their utility bills. At the same time, the bill increases 
funding for fossil fuel technologies, which have no need of tax 
incentives or financial support, and which increase the level of 
harmful air and water pollution.
  Energy efficiency and renewable energy programs offer the best chance 
that our nation has to become more energy independent and reduce 
climate-change inducing pollutants. Yet this bill cuts total funding 
for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy by 27 percent and cuts Advanced Research Projects 
Agency--Energy by 44 percent compared to FY11. These clean energy 
programs have helped drive strong growth in solar and wind generation 
over the past decade, while reducing the costs of these technologies 
significantly. ARPA-E's support for path-breaking advanced technologies 
could hold the key to our energy future. In the long run, these cuts 
will mean less innovation, dirtier energy, and fewer clean energy jobs. 
This is absolutely the wrong way to drive American leadership and 
energy independence.
  Two programs that have been improving our energy security while 
helping households to keep down their utilities bills are the 
Weatherization Assistance Program, WAP, and the State Energy Program, 
SEP. These programs target residential buildings, reducing the burden 
on low-income families by an average of 35 percent of utility bills and 
supporting local economies. The State Energy Program encourages 
innovative technologies and leverages Federal funds; since 2006, the 
State of Oregon has leveraged approximately $27 in non-federal funds 
for every $1 of SEP funds spent. These programs have demonstrated 
success, yet H.R. 2354 severely cuts funding. In Oregon alone, these 
cuts would mean that an estimated 374 families would no longer be 
eligible for weatherization assistance. For these reasons, I support 
the amendment offered by Representatives Tonko and Bass that would 
increase WAP and SEP funding by $141.3 million and $25 million, 
respectively.
  In addition to handicapping energy innovation, the bill also includes 
a very damaging policy rider that would undermine the Clean Water Act. 
This rider would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from restoring 
Clean Water Act protections to many rivers, streams and wetlands that 
supply drinking water and prevent flooding. Over 100 million Americans 
get their drinking water from public supplies provided in whole or in 
part from waters that are at risk of losing Clean Water Act safeguards. 
The recent flood events around the country have demonstrated some of 
the problems with wetlands losses, and these would be made even worse 
by blocking the Army Corps' ability to protect these waters.
  Amendments passed on the Floor during debate mostly made this bad 
bill even worse. For example, I voted against an amendment by Rep. 
Burgess that would prevent important new efficiency standards for light 
bulbs from going into effect. These standards, passed as part of the 
2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, are supported by industry 
and consumer groups as well as efficiency advocates. They would mean 
$100 in savings for the average American family per year. I'm 
disappointed in the passage of this amendment to prevent DOE from 
enforcing these standards.
  Now is the time to be putting America on track toward a clean energy 
future, and working to reduce the damage to our water and air quality 
that harm public health. I support policies to create a green energy 
economy, to reduce dependence on foreign oil, to support advanced 
technologies and cost-saving energy-efficient systems for homes and 
businesses, and to protect the health and well-being of the nation's 
health and environment. Unfortunately, this appropriations bill is 
detrimental to all of those goals.

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