At this time, I yield myself 2 minutes. Madam Chair, a philosopher once asked: If a tree falls in the middle of a forest and if there is no one around, does that tree make a sound? It is a very deep, profound, philosophical question. Mr…

I rise in opposition to the amendment. The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.

Madam Chair, I support the gentleman's amendment. Home Star must be funded at a level that would save or create 168,000 jobs, save energy in 3 million homes, and save consumers $9.2 billion over the next decade. These savings will not be…

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote. The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will be postponed. Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Nye The CHAIR. It is now in…

Madam Chair, I yield myself those 30 seconds in order to again make the point that this program is central to our ability to ensure that the Home Star program will work and that there will be a democratization of access to the capital…

May I inquire as to how much time I have remaining? The CHAIR. The gentleman has 30 seconds remaining.

Madam Chair, I yield myself as much time as I may consume, and that is only to make the point that the way in which the amendment is drafted is that it is just a classic motion to strike. And in striking, it eliminates everything within…

I thank the Chair. The Barton amendment would eliminate the revolving part of the loan section which requires the money to be dedicated, again, to energy efficiency after it is repaid. Unfortunately, this would limit the ability of the…

I yield myself whatever time is remaining. The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 3\1/2\ minutes.

I yield myself 2 of those 5 minutes. Madam Chair, people want to save money on their energy bills, but not everyone can afford the upfront costs of an energy retrofit. What the Home Star Energy Efficiency Loan Program is designed to do is…

Madam Chair, Chairman Waxman's amendment strengthens the core functions of Home Star: to save energy, create jobs, and save consumers money. I will highlight just a few of the provisions in the amendment. The amendment offers additional…