The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“HOME STAR ENERGY RETROFIT ACT OF 2010” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E791 on May 7, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HOME STAR ENERGY RETROFIT ACT OF 2010
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speech of
HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE
of delaware
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5019) to provide for the establishment of the Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program, and for other purposes:
Mr. CASTLE. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5019), which aims to provide an incentive based program for homeowners who invest in improving their home's energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency is the fastest and cheapest way to reduce our energy consumption in the home, and cut energy costs for American households. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, the average American household spends $2,100 each year paying for home energy, and could save 25 percent through better energy efficiency. Beyond the benefits of lowering the cost of energy bills for American households, energy efficiency plays a critical role throughout the U.S. by reducing energy consumption, which improves our energy security.
Recognizing that the national debt continues to grow, Congress has the responsibility to pay-as-we-go, and ensure that appropriated funds proceed through the budget process. For this reason, I also support the amendment to sunset the Act if the funding for this program will have a negative net effect on the federal budget deficit.
Because funding under the ARRA for the weatherization program has been slow to implement, I also have concerns regarding the Department of Energy's ability to implement this new program under the tight deadlines required by the bill. Authorizing this program, instead of providing emergency spending, will hopefully give Congress adequate oversight over implementation of the program, which will still be subject to available funding through the regular appropriations process.
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