Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, my amendment preserves section 433. H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, deliberately removes the energy usage goals for Federal buildings. In 2007, under the Energy Independence and Security Act, our last energy infrastructure overhaul bill, a provision was included that set a goal for new Federal buildings to have net-zero energy usage by 2030. This naturally also meant the Federal Government would have a corresponding goal of reducing fossil-fuel-generated electricity consumption in its buildings. This provision was forward-thinking. The Federal Government will lead by example in the transition to less-polluting buildings and show what the next generation of infrastructure should look like. Now is not the time to roll back this goal and abandon our leadership. When people mention how H.R. 8 would take us back to a 19th century economy, this is one clear example they can point to. Commercial and residential buildings account for 39 percent of the Nation's carbon emissions. To ignore this source of pollution at a time when we are trying to keep temperatures from rising less than 2 degrees centigrade isn't just negligent, it ignores our responsibility to be a good steward of the Earth and leave it in good condition for generations to come. With the Federal Government as the largest consumer of energy in the U.S., we must be the leader.…”