[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10830-10831]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          IMPORTANCE OF THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PAUL TONKO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 29, 2012

  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw our colleagues' 
attention to the OP-ED that appeared in Roll Call's online issue on 
June 20 authored by Tim Warfield, the Executive Director of the 
National Association for

[[Page 10831]]

State Community Services Programs. The OP-ED, which I have included 
below, addresses the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), our 
nation's largest residential energy efficiency program. Energy 
efficiency represents one of our greatest opportunities to reduce 
energy expenditures for industry, government, and for individual 
citizens. Dollars we do not have to spend to heat or cool homes and 
buildings are dollars that can be invested elsewhere. Reducing energy 
use extends the years we can use non-renewable energy sources and 
brings us closer to achieving the goal of energy independence. 
Buildings represent a significant proportion of our energy use and 
heating and cooling expenditures are a significant portion of household 
budgets. At a time when we want to create jobs and lower energy costs 
for our constituents, programs like WAP should receive our full 
support.
  I am disappointed that the Energy and Water Appropriations bill that 
we passed earlier did not maintain funding for this important program. 
As Mr. Warfield's editorial points out, the funding level in the House 
bill will not sustain this important program through 2013. I hope our 
colleagues in the other body will do better.

                 [Special to Roll Call; June 20, 2012]

            Warfield: Weatherization Is Effective Investment

                           (By Tim Warfield)

       The Weatherization Assistance Program employs workers in 
     every state and county in America and has weatherized more 
     than 7.1 million homes over the past 35 years. Weatherization 
     has proved its value and is a highly successful and effective 
     investment in the American workforce--weatherization 
     improvements funded by the 2009 stimulus law alone created 
     14,000 new jobs, according to the White House Recovery.gov 
     website.
       Weatherization reduces household energy use by almost 35 
     percent in the typical weatherized home, allowing families to 
     use their limited funds for other necessities. The reduction 
     in energy demand also reduces our nation's reliance on 
     foreign oil.
       The success of a program that brings the threefold benefit 
     of jobs, household savings and energy conservation is a 
     powerful argument to sustain and fully fund the program, yet 
     it still has its opponents on Capitol Hill, where two 
     Republican House Members have introduced bills to abolish it.
       Unfortunately, much of the information that has been 
     presented as an argument to cut funding is a disingenuous 
     misrepresentation of facts. Opponents have created the false 
     impression that remaining stimulus funds will allow the 
     program to serve just as many households in 2013 as it did 
     before the program expansion under the 2009 law. This 
     misstatement occurred again during floor debate recently on 
     the House Energy and water development appropriations bill. 
     The argument about ``available funds'' would seem to 
     demonstrate that the Weatherization Assistance Program can 
     absorb proposed cuts and still maintain services at a fiscal 
     2010 level. This characterization is entirely wrong.
       Program opponents in the House are taking advantage of the 
     confusion that arises because the ``program year'' is not the 
     same as the federal fiscal year. The program year was set 
     later in the year at the Weatherization Assistance Program's 
     inception so it wouldn't suffer the disruptive and costly 
     effects of funding gaps that might result from prolonged 
     federal budget negotiations.
       In most states, the new program year begins in April, and 
     by that time almost all stimulus funding will be spent. 
     Nominal amounts will remain in three states, but in the vast 
     majority the ``available funds'' that program opponents 
     propose to use for the 2013 program year will already be used 
     up. Additionally, regular appropriations are similarly 
     depleted, with the $68 million provided for 2012 being far 
     below a sustainable level. States have already begun slowing 
     down operations and eliminating jobs.
       The funding levels debated on the Hill threaten the 
     nationwide network and many states will be hard pressed to 
     operate a program at all in fiscal 2013. For example, at the 
     $54 million level in the House-passed bill, Arizona, Hawaii 
     and Delaware could weatherize about a dozen homes each in 
     2013, effectively forcing them to halt services. The ripple 
     effect will disperse a well-trained workforce, reduce 
     purchases from vendors that provide supplies, leave the 
     government investment in equipment and vehicles unused, and 
     leave many families to struggle financially because of high 
     utility bills.
       Rather than dismantling a beneficial and cost-effective 
     operation that has been successful for 35 years, Congress 
     should allocate funds to sustain the program at its true pre-
     stimulus level of $220 million to $240 million.
       We are mindful of the difficult budget choices that face 
     Congress, but these choices should be made based on facts. 
     The facts show that the Weatherization Assistance Program 
     performs a vital role in reducing the burden of high energy 
     prices on low-income families. The program creates jobs and 
     strengthens the economy through the purchase of materials and 
     equipment from the private sector. Each dollar is multiplied 
     as it flows through our communities.
       Congress must restore the program to pre-stimulus levels to 
     maintain an effective commitment to weatherization, maintain 
     the trained workforce and provide a much needed economic 
     boost to a fragile economy. Don't allow distortions of the 
     facts to put the truly effective 35-year effort that is the 
     Weatherization Assistance Program in peril.

                          ____________________