James Whittier Parker: “the amendment that Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania and I are offering represents a simple case for restoring a degree of equity…”

“the amendment that Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania and I are offering represents a simple case for restoring a degree of equity to the funding levels contained in the Energy Conservation Program at the Department of Energy. The Energy Conservation Program is funded at $499 million fiscal year 1997. This represents a 7-percent reduction from fiscal year 1996 and a 39-percent reduction from fiscal year 1995. The Energy Conservation Program is divided into a number of functional sectors or subprograms with the funding levels for each one outlined by the Interior Subcommittee. Neither Mr. Fox nor I are advocating a restoration of funding to prior year levels. We accept and support the original $499 million funding level recommended by the Appropriations Committee. What we do not accept, and which we seek to address with this amendment is the breakdown of that overall funding level and the allocation of funds to the various sectors within the Energy Conservation Program that has been recommended by the committee. One of the sectors within the Energy Conservation Program is the State and Community Grants Sector. This is composed primarily of the Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program.”