Earl Blumenauer: “I appreciate, Congressman Farr, both your being here and the work that you have done for years, dating back to your…”

“I appreciate, Congressman Farr, both your being here and the work that you have done for years, dating back to your tenure as a local official and as a legislator in the State of California, continuing a fine family tradition of sensitivity to the environment. The point you just made about the difference between having an energy policy that our friends on the other side of the aisle that would be perfect for the 1950s, maybe, but not where business is going, not where local government is going, not where any of our three State governments are going, is unfortunate. And people are turning to change these practices not just because they are fuzzy-headed tree huggers, but because it makes good, solid business sense. The initiatives that have been undertaken in the House to this point are anticipated to reduce our energy bill by more than $5 million a year at the end of the 10-year period. We invest a little money at the outset, like businesses are doing across the country, like some families are doing, with energy-efficient appliances or more energy-efficient vehicles, but it pays for itself. I was particularly put off when they were taking to task the environmentally sensitive adhesives and materials that we're putting on Capitol Hill.”