[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16749]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY AND SECURITY ACT WILL CREATE GREEN JOBS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I want to take this time to say to the 
distinguished Speaker that I have enjoyed working with him and I thank 
him for his leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I love America. There is no better country. And I think 
it is well to express it at the same time of acknowledging the 
importance of the world family and the respect and dignity that all 
people around the world deserve.
  So as I stand before my colleagues today recognizing that in a few 
days we will celebrate America's birthday, it reminds me of the 
uniqueness of this country, that we have the opportunity to agree and 
disagree but that democracy stands. We have an opportunity to show 
people what they disbelieve. We have an opportunity to correct what 
others may have had a chance to misrepresent.
  So it is important that we had a vigorous debate today on the 
American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. It is important that we 
respect the differences of our regions, my good friends on the other 
side of the aisle, Midwesterners, Southwesterners, people from the west 
coast, the east coast, the southeastern part of the United States, our 
friends as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.
  But it is important to note that there was a value that we were 
discussing. It was not a value to eliminate jobs, to punish certain 
regions or certain industries. For having been an oil and gas lawyer 
for a number of years, having worked in natural gas pipeline companies, 
I know the value of all of the hard work of those who are in that 
industry. In fact, it has been my argument that we should have a 
seamless energy policy that continues to enhance and to work with those 
who are existing in our energy industry today, but let's make it 
better.
  Mr. Speaker, when the Wright Brothers created that small plane, 
almost a glider, in the Carolinas, it probably was flown by one person. 
But as we improved, we began to do jetliners and planes that could fly 
across the ocean, and we created jobs: pilots, flight attendants, 
airlines, and all the employees that come with it. So, in essence, even 
as our technology changes, jobs may change but jobs are created.
  The American Clean Energy and Security Act will create some 1.7 
million jobs and will unlock billions in industry investment and be a 
major job creator. And $750 per household will, in fact, be part of the 
savings that many Americans will see. This doesn't include the new 
benefits that will come from new technology, reduced pollution, 
economic growth, or job creation.
  I live in Houston. I live in the refinery corridor. So we know what 
pollution is all about, but we know what jobs are all about. So I 
believe we can have both.
  This is the first step for this bill, Mr. Speaker. It moves to the 
Senate. And I have told my constituents that you have a guardian 
against the loss of jobs and that you will see savings, $29 billion in 
consumer savings. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy 
found that energy-efficiency provisions in this bill will save $29 
billion. It is important to note as well that we have the opportunity 
to listen and change.
  Let me just share with you some of the work after reading the bill 
until 5:30 a.m. in the morning on Thursday morning, reading the 
manager's amendment, which could actually be done, and knowing what is 
in front of us.
  First of all, I discussed and got taken out the impact of building 
labeling on old buildings, old homes. So the bill was limited to new 
construction. And we are going to work to ensure that if they do a 
building-labeling program, as was brought to my attention by the 
National Realtors, that old buildings, old homes will not be labeled. 
Your value will not be devalued because of a lack of energy-efficiency 
efforts in your home. We worked on that because we believe a home is to 
be cherished.
  Then we opened up the opportunities to minority-owned and women-owned 
businesses, along with small businesses, to ensure that they would be 
guaranteed the right to be involved in energy-innovative companies. We 
did that because we were concerned about creating jobs and we know that 
small businesses do create jobs.
  In addition, I was concerned about displacement, temporary 
displacement, even though some of these jobs, 1.7 million, will come to 
my community. So we have language that says the Secretary of Labor will 
monitor the potential growth of impacted and displaced workers to 
ensure that necessary funding, funding for training, funding for giving 
people a bridge to go into a new job, will be, in fact, included. We 
know that there are issues between big refineries and small refineries. 
Mr. Speaker, it is crucial that those issues be addressed as we make 
our way through the Senate.
  We also know that the energy industry was divided. Some were 
supporting this legislation. Others were taking a backseat. Now they've 
come full circle and they believe that this is a time that they should 
rally to provide information.
  Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me just say we are going to work this 
bill. We're not going to lose jobs. We are going to have an investment 
of green jobs and we're going to have an investment in our energy 
industry. And Houston will be fine. Texas will be fine. We will be 
working together.

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