[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 177 (Thursday, October 26, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1017-E1018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2024

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 25, 2023

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4394, 
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 
2024. This bill makes devastating cuts that will harm consumers, take 
us backwards in the green energy transition, and threaten good-paying, 
clean energy jobs.
  Just as the heat is being turned on for the winter, House Republicans 
are putting forth H.R. 4394 which will raise energy costs for more than 
250,000 American households. Additionally, H.R. 4394 includes 
provisions that limit the Department of Energy's ability to set energy 
efficiency standards for home appliances. Mr. Speaker, why wouldn't we 
want more efficient appliances? Contrary to Republican talking points, 
the Biden administration is not coming to take your gas stove. That is 
simply untrue. The Department of Energy does not have the authority to 
ban gas stoves or other appliances based on fuel sources, nor should it 
have the authority.
  The growing threat of climate change is real, and in order to protect 
our planet, we must reduce carbon emissions and embrace a green energy 
future. Congressional Republicans have long been hostile to investments 
in clean energy and they are using H.R. 4394 as an opportunity to slow 
down the transition to green energy and rescind the historic 
investments in clean energy made in the Inflation Reduction Act and 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. H.R. 4394 includes a 42 percent cut to 
the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 
account. This office is critical to developing manufacturing, building 
efficiency, clean energy like hydrogen and solar, and weatherization 
technologies that are essential to our nation's growth and resilience 
in the face of climate change.
  As we make the transition to green energy, opportunities for clean 
energy jobs are growing. In 2022, clean energy companies employed 
nearly 60,000 Minnesotans--and jobs in clean energy grew 50 percent 
faster than the state's overall economy. In fact, the biggest sector in 
Minnesota's clean energy industry is energy efficiency. Over 43,000 
Minnesotans work to manufacture and install energy efficient 
appliances, lighting, heating, ventilation, HVAC systems, and advanced 
building materials in commercial buildings and homes. The drastic cuts 
in this bill and the attack on energy efficiency incentives will 
threaten the vibrancy of Minnesota's clean energy economy.
  Mr. Chair, instead of reevaluating their extreme 2024 funding bills 
and working to find a bipartisan path forward to fund the government 
beyond November 17th, House Republicans are moving forward with passing 
bills that have no chance of ever becoming law. With this bill, House 
Republicans are harming consumers, threatening our clean energy 
economy, and failing to address the existential threat of climate 
change. For all of these reasons, I must vote against H.R. 4394.

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