Political Quotes

“I rise to speak in support of the Cut Energy Bills at Home Act, which Senator Snowe, Senator Bingaman and I have introduced. It has been a pleasure to work again with Senators Snowe and Bingaman on an important piece of energy legislation. We have written this bill in a fully cooperative process, and my colleagues have been especially accommodating of changes requested by California's experts; I thank my colleagues for their efforts. This legislation would put the construction industry back to work by creating a homeowner tax credit for home renovations that increase the energy efficiency of the home by at least 20 percent. The tax credit would increase in size with every 5 percent in additional energy efficiency improvement achieved. Homeowners who improved the efficiency of their home by more than 50 percent will qualify for a maximum credit of $5,000. This legislation helps address the continued high unemployment in the construction sector while making a long-term investment in America's building infrastructure. The construction industry has the highest unemployment rate of any sector nationally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The current residential building stock exceeds demand, making a rapid recovery in new housing starts unlikely. According to the Census Bureau, 14.3 percent of the housing units in the United States in the second quarter of 2011 were vacant, even as prices continue to drop.…”