Paul Tonko: “Well, I think that it is important for us to make certain that we create the renewable industry here in this country.…”

“Well, I think that it is important for us to make certain that we create the renewable industry here in this country. You talked about the challenges of competing with China. Let's look at the proof in the pudding. Let's take a look at what it looked like in 2008. Private sector investment in the United States was at some $32 billion and China was at about $23 billion in terms of private sector investment and renewables. Then fast forward to the next year in 2009, and it flipped. China was at $35 billion, and we are down to $19 billion. We need to be certain we can compete, and we can compete effectively by investing. It is there. The clarion wake-up calls are sounding, and we need to heed them. We need to listen to those alarms that are going off, telling us that without investing into the future, we are going to lose the race. So I want to put a hopeful spin on this. I think that our efforts as Democrats in this House to make it in America are right on. It is what the doctor ordered. We are talking about investing in a clean energy innovation economy, we are talking about investing in higher ed, in R&D. That is how we win it. We win it by a complete commitment to an agenda that is well documented through the years. It is no different now. If we want to win this global race on innovation, we need to march forward aggressively with the resources and with passionate resolve, and we can win it. I believe in my heart we can win it.…”