Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Committee's markup of the fiscal year 2023 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies bill:
Thank you to Chairwoman Kaptur, Ranking Member Simpson, and all Members of the subcommittee for your work on this bill.
Chairwoman Kaptur, your subcommittee is tasked with meeting some of the most consequential threats to our national security and to the health and safety of our people and the planet. We know this to be especially true today. As Russia continues its malicious invasion of Ukraine and greedy Big Oil companies engage in price gouging, American families struggle to pay for gas and make ends meet and threats to our national and global security only grow.
This bill meets the moment by helping lower energy costs, while ensuring we can get ahead and help prevent an energy crisis like this from happening again in the future. First and foremost, we are increasing America’s energy independence and diversifying our energy sources. By strengthening and accelerating our transition to different types of clean energy, we will continue to further the change that is so long overdue.
We are making transformative investments in energy innovation and science. To develop clean, affordable, and secure American energy while solidifying American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy, this bill invests $4 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. At the same time, this bill provides $8 billion for the Office of Science to fund the programs that expand critical scientific understanding and to ensure we remain at the forefront of innovation and scientific competitiveness.
This bill also strengthens our national security by providing for a safe and secure nuclear deterrent, while protecting our environment and meeting our obligations to the health and the safety of all Americans through nuclear cleanup efforts.
And this bill deals with rebuilding the water infrastructure central to our growth and success of our communities. It provides $8.9 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers construction, operation, and maintenance to revive our water infrastructure and to protect communities from more frequent and severe storms. And with $1.9 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation, we are investing in projects to address the worsening drought in the West. Investing in our water infrastructure makes us more resilient and keeps us safe against worsening natural disasters, like many in recent years that have had devastating impacts on all of our constituents. It also supports the flow of goods that go through our ports, thus strengthening our economy. These investments are vitally important.
But this bill does not just keep us safer and more resilient – it grows opportunities for working- and middle-class families everywhere. We will continue creating tens of thousands of jobs focused on deploying clean energy technologies. At the same time, we support economic and community development and job training opportunities for Americans everywhere.
I am so proud of the bill before us. The bill strengthens our commitment to advancing our energy security and our national security and to rebuilding our crumbling water infrastructure. As we know well, this bill reaches every corner of our nation, and its impact will be profound.
With that, I again thank the Chairwoman and the Ranking Member. And I want to say a thank the Energy and Water subcommittee staff for their work. On the majority side: thank you Jaime Shimek, and your team: Scott McKee, Brian Smith, Will Ostertag, Daniela Todesco, and Eric Lipka. Jaime, I want to especially thank you for your stewardship of the important programs in this bill since you joined the Committee in 2017. We will miss you dearly, but we wish you all the best as you tackle all of your new adventures.
And on the minority side, I want to thank Angie Giancarlo and Austin Agrella. Again, let me say a thank you to the Chairwoman and Ranking Member and I urge support for this important bill.
Subcommittees:
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies (117th Congress)
117th Congress
Original source can be found here.
