Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations is responsible for managing more than $25 billion for large-scale pilot programs and demonstrations across numerous energy technologies. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer funds, which is why the House bill includes no funding for the office to conduct new demonstrations. Instead, the only funds provided to the office in this bill are for staff to provide project management oversight. My colleague's amendment, respectfully, would prohibit funds for that oversight function, preventing the office from ensuring programs are being properly administered. That would directly impact the success of important programs within the office's jurisdiction, like the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and the small modular reactor program. These programs, which have strong bipartisan support, are essential to ensuring our Nation's energy security and regaining U.S. leadership in nuclear energy. We can't abandon our oversight responsibilities and risk the success of programs like these. For these reasons, I must oppose the amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1530”