[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H20]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KEEPING HOMES SAFE AND WARM
(Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, temperatures this week in
Buffalo and western New York are in single digits.
My community has some of the oldest housing stock in the country.
Keeping these homes safe and warm is expensive. Failing to do so can be
life threatening.
This year, Congress approved $876 million in additional Home Energy
Assistance Program funding for seniors and families in New York to
afford energy. The infrastructure bill goes further, providing a
historic $3.5 billion nationwide for weatherization. This funding means
that old houses will better withstand extreme weather as well as
supporting green energy jobs.
But we can't stop there. We must do more. This Congress must enact
the renewable energy provisions in Build Back Better so entire
neighborhoods in my community can be retrofitted for long-term
resilience. I urge the Senate to enact these provisions now.
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