During debate on the House floor, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) spoke in opposition to HR 8997, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Mr. Chair, and my thanks go to Chairman Fleischman and to Ranking Member
00:12Kaptur and to the Energy and Water Subcommittee staff for your hard work on this bill, especially
00:19Scott McKee and Adam Wilson.
00:22With this bill, we have a rare opportunity to make strategic investments that lower energy
00:27costs for American families, promote America's energy independence, and support a robust
00:34and modern manufacturing sector.
00:38This is a real chance to ensure America's resiliency in the face of a changing climate
00:43and a shifting global economy.
00:46But that is not what the majority has chosen.
00:49Instead, the majority has cut domestic investments in this bill by over 5 percent.
00:57And with it, they will increase energy costs, jeopardize our energy independence and national
01:04security, hurt our global competitiveness, fail to confront the climate crisis, and put
01:10tens of thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs at risk.
01:17Even if some members of this body may choose to refuse the overwhelming evidence and deny
01:22the scientific consensus and ignore the worsening natural disasters that have become more severe
01:28and more common in each of our districts, we must aggressively transform our energy
01:34sector to adapt to our climate reality.
01:38The best path, and the only path that addresses climate change, reduces our dependence on
01:44fossil fuels, and ends reliance on foreign energy, is to diversify how we produce and
01:50store energy at home.
01:53But instead of ensuring America leads the world in the development and transition to
01:58a global clean energy economy, the majority's bill strips $1.5 billion from the Department
02:07of Energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
02:12When it comes to green and renewable energy, Project 25, just so that you know what Project
02:1825 is, it is a Trump-MAGA-Republican agenda to take over the government and our rights
02:26and freedoms.
02:28And I might add that when it comes to that green and renewable energy, Project 2025 spells
02:34out how Republicans would end any investments altogether, e.e. energy efficiency and renewable
02:41energy included.
02:44So it's in a document, but it is in reality in the appropriations bill.
02:51And what it says further, Project 2025, that we must end the focus on climate change and
02:58green subsidies.
03:00We must eliminate appliance energy efficiency standards, and that energy efficiency and
03:07renewable energy should be entirely eliminated.
03:11They are going down the road of eliminating it.
03:14This goes beyond climate denial.
03:16This is climate capitulation.
03:18This is climate arson.
03:20This is damning our children to an extreme and dangerous future.
03:23We recently received a letter from the Natural Resources Defense Council and dozens of other
03:28organizations highlighting how a cut to this program is fiscally irresponsible and threatens
03:35our energy future.
03:37They said, and this is a quote, the House proposal for energy efficiency and renewable
03:43energy significantly threatens energy innovation in the United States.
03:47Not only would its proposed cuts hamper innovation within the United States, but they would also
03:51hinder a program that has provided significant return on investment for taxpayers.
03:58Several independent impact evaluation studies have assessed one-third of the energy efficiency
04:04and renewable energy's research and development portfolio to date have found that $12 billion
04:12in total investment has generated more than $388 billion in net economic benefits to the
04:19United States, end quote.
04:21At the appropriate time, I will submit this letter into the congressional record.
04:26This funding supports research, development, manufacturing, energy management, weatherization
04:31technologies critical to our nation's growth and resilience.
04:35These cuts are robbing from our children, our grandchildren's economic, energy, and
04:39environmental future.
04:41The bill directly targets disadvantaged communities by slashing funding for the Weatherization
04:47Assistance Program, which will drive up the cost of home energy bills for roughly 54,000
04:53low-income homes.
04:55The attack on our country's energy future does not stop there.
04:59The majority's bill hurts our global competitiveness and eliminates good-paying manufacturing jobs
05:06by revoking $8 billion from the Department of Energy's loan program.
05:12These programs promote innovation and manufacturing in America.
05:16They create and are reshoring jobs that will help America become truly energy independent
05:22and a leader in green energy.
05:24But without this funding, thousands of manufacturing jobs are at risk, and we will fall further
05:30behind our global competitors.
05:34This bill fails to create a sustainable future.
05:38It fails to ensure Americans have equitable access to resilient, secure, and clean energy
05:45sources.
05:46Democrats are ready to pass legislation that lowers energy costs for the American people
05:53and ensures America leads the global transition to a clean energy economy.
06:00And I implore the majority to join us.
06:03It is time to govern.
06:05Thank you, and I yield back.