Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act is an important bill that will create jobs, lower energy bills, and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Improving efficiency is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to reduce pollution, and I am pleased to support a bill that encourages consumers to consider a more energy-efficient option when retrofitting or repairing existing appliances or systems. Residents of south Florida and other disaster-prone regions know far too well the process of home repair, as my constituents have had to replace roofs and windows after powerful and damaging storms. The underlying bill offers rebates for renovations, and my amendment simply ensures that the program will still apply if a natural disaster removes or destroys existing equipment. If a repair is required as a result of a hurricane or other natural disaster, the repair may no longer involve existing equipment and would therefore be ineligible for a rebate. For people who are making these repairs, we should ensure that it is our policy to encourage them to consider the most energy- efficient equipment. That is the purpose of this amendment. The amendment is limited in scope and will not alter the intent of the underlying bill. It will only apply to federally declared disaster areas and only extend eligibility to an appliance or system destroyed by the disaster.…”