[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11569]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             ENERGY/BUDGET

  (Mr. HIMES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, the passage of the American Recovery Act made 
a down payment on a new clean energy economy, with $39 billion worth of 
investment in smart grid technology, energy efficiency, and our 
renewable energy sector, all of which will lower energy costs and 
create good-paying, permanent American jobs.
  Congress must match this reform and this investment with meaningful 
investments in our fiscal year 2010 budget.
  To my friends on the other side of the aisle, let me say that I 
fiercely defend the power of the free market. But for decades the 
energy markets have increased our reliance on foreign oil, quashed 
American innovation, and eroded our national security. It is time, way 
past time, for us as elected representatives to lead and take those 
steps necessary in this budget to finally move our energy sector to a 
clean American sustainable economy.

                          ____________________