[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 106 (Friday, July 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1340]
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. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    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. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, today's FY 2012 Energy and Water 
Appropriations bill continues the majority's record of missed 
opportunities and misguided priorities when it comes to our Federal 
budget.
  First and foremost, thoughtful Americans from across the political 
spectrum agree that we need to end our current dependence on foreign 
oil and replace it with affordable, reliable, homegrown clean energy. 
Yet this bill slashes funding for energy efficiency and renewable 
energy research programs by 40 percent below President Obama's 
request--and it decimates the game-changing work being done by the 
Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy (ARPA-E) with a proposed 80 
percent cut below the President's recommended level.
  The health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the rest of our 
Nation's waterways often rely on the Army Corps of Engineers. But 
today's legislation actually blocks the Corps from clarifying which 
waterways are covered by Clean Water Act protections.
  Finally, this bill shortchanges nuclear non-proliferation and 
environmental cleanup efforts, reducing our ability to secure nuclear 
materials around the world and mitigate the impact of more than a half 
century's worth of national security-related nuclear activity here at 
home.
  I urge a no vote.

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