Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce two pieces of legislation that I believe will help the Federal Government cut its energy bill, save taxpayers' money and benefit the environment. Today is Earth Day, when people are thinking about how they can take better care of our planet. Federal agencies need to do the same. Also important, the last few years have underscored the need for our Nation to rethink its energy use. Constantly shifting energy costs and our Nation's severe economic problems have resulted in families, homeowners, and businesses all taking a hard look at how much they are spending, including for energy needs. Governments should be no different, and they are no different. Over the past few months, my Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security held hearings to examine how the Federal Government can lead by example in being more energy efficient. We learned, among other things, that the Federal Government is the single largest energy user in the Nation. In fiscal year 2008, the total energy consumption of Federal Government buildings and operations was roughly 1.5 percent of all energy consumption in the United States. The energy bill for the Federal Government that year was $24.5 billion. Of that $24.5 billion, over $7 billion was spent on energy to operate Federal buildings alone. With a price tag that large, there are significant opportunities for savings.…”