Paul Tonko: “I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Chairman, there is strong--certainly bipartisan--consensus that…”

“I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Chairman, there is strong--certainly bipartisan--consensus that we need to update and modernize our energy infrastructure. Unfortunately, this bill fails to make meaningful advances in this arena. It does not advance clean energy. The ``energy efficiency'' title would actually be a setback in reducing consumption and carbon emissions, and climate change is not addressed at all. Whenever possible, this legislation favors suppliers over consumers, consumption over efficiency, and the fossil fuels over renewable energy. Most disappointingly, this bill could have been bipartisan. The Senate's energy bill, while far from perfect, at least acknowledges that we need to invest real dollars into upgrading our Nation's energy systems. This bill has no shortage of flaws. I have offered two amendments to address some of these shortcomings. The first would reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program. These are two existing programs that have operated successfully for years. The Weatherization Assistance Program supports State-based programs to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families. The Department of Energy provides grants to the States to deliver these services through local weatherization agencies.…”