Bernie Sanders

Mr. SANDERS

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. SANDERS

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro].

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the $25 million that we are using for these purposes, in other words, deficit reduction and increasing PILT payments to local communities all over America, comes from the fossil energy research and development fund. According to the report of the fiscal year 1997 budget resolution, which passed the House, this is the Republican resolution, let me quote: The Department of Energy has spent billions of dollars on research and development since the oil crisis in 1973 triggered this activity. Returns on this investment have not been cost effective, particularly for applied research and development which industry has ample incentive to undertake. Some of this activity is simply corporate welfare for the oil, gas and utility industries. Much of it duplicates what industry is already doing. Some has gone to fund technologies in which the market has no interest. That is not Bernie Sanders, that is the budget resolution of the Republican majority. Mr. Chairman, this amendment has much to do with honoring our commitment to local communities all over America, including 51 towns in the State of Vermont who are not receiving their fair share of PILT payments from the Federal Government. We have heard a lot of talk in recent years about devolution, about giving responsibility back to local communities, about our respect for local government. If we respect local government, then we should not cheat them. We should provide the type of payments to which they are due. As I mentioned earlier, right now the PILT payments come to about 60 to 70 percent of what has been authorized. We are asking, the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth] and I are asking for $25 million. Of that, $15 million goes straight to deficit reduction, 10 million goes back to the local communities Mr. Chairman, I would end simply by saying this. If all of the Members who agree with the philosophy of the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth] would support it, all those who agree with my philosophy would support it, and all of those in-between would support it, we would end up with 435 votes and we would be very happy. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar]. (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this amendment that is being introduced by the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth] and myself does two important things that most Members of this body agree with: First it deals with the very serious problem of unfunded mandates, of forcing citizens in close to 2,000 counties in 49 of our States to pay more in local property taxes than they should be paying because the Federal Government has fallen very far behind in its payment in lieu of taxes on federally owned land. Mr. Chairman, despite an increase that was granted 2 years ago in the PILT authorization levels, the actual appropriations have been kept nearly level, resulting in a revenue shortfall to local communities in real terms. For fiscal year 1996, for example, local governments will receive only 60 to 70 percent of the payment level which was set in the authorization. This amendment would begin to address this unfunded mandate by increasing the payment in lieu of taxes program by $10 million. Currently the PILT Program provides $113 million. If this amendment passes, we bring the total up to $123 million. The formula by which payments in lieu of taxes are made is a complicated one and each property is treated differently. But, on average, if this amendment is passed, there would be a 9-percent increase in PILT funding for our States and communities. Mr. Chairman, we have heard a great deal of discussion recently about devolution and our concerns for local communities and local government. I know something about that as the mayor of the city of Burlington, VT for 8 years. In Vermont, many of our communities are hard pressed to pay escalating property taxes. Fifty-one communities in Vermont, close to 2,000 nationally, would benefit by an increase in PILT payments. It is high time that the Federal Government accepted its responsibility to do right by local communities. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Gutierrez].

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is very simple. It transfers $11,764,000 from the naval petroleum reserve into the low-income weatherization assistance programs. What we should understand is that last year the weatherization program was hit very hard. In fact, it was almost slashed in half. This bill today recommends an additional 10-percent cut on top of last year's decimating cut. Let us stand with the millions of people in this country who go cold in the winter, people who stifle in certain climates in the summer, whose health is endangered. This is the United States of America and elderly people should not be forced to go cold in America. Mr. Chairman, I should point out that this is a compromise amendment. The administration properly requested an increase in funding to $150 million. The committee recommends $100 million, and this amendment simply raises that to $112 million. Mr. Chairman, let me say a word about the Naval Petroleum Reserve from which we take the money. The NPR's operating funds go to running three oil fields which are jointly operated by the Government and Chevron. The productivity of these fields has steadily declined since its peak in 1976. The President earmarked the NPR for sale in fiscal year 1997, indicating, and I quote: ``Producing oil and gas is a commercial, not a governmental activity, which is more properly performed by the private sector.'' Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Maine [Mr. Longley].

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Hinchey].

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, I understand it is going to be a very short period of time, is that right?

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be offering this amendment, along with its cosponsor, the gentleman from Maine [Mr. Longley]. The amendment is very simple. It transfers $11.764 million from the Naval Petroleum Reserve into the Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program. Last year the weatherization program was hit very hard and was slashed almost in half. Now this bill recommends an additional 10 percent cut on top of last year's decimating cut. Please join us in sending a message that the proposed cut is just too deep. This is a compromise amendment. The administration requested an increase of funding to $150 million. The committee recommends $100 million. This amendment puts it at about $112 million. The amendment is supported by a broad and varied coalition, the American Public Power Association, U.S. PIRG, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Community Action Foundation. Weatherization funds save money. That is the important point to make. It is a very cost-effective program. Weatherization funds help pay for updating decrepit heating and cooling systems. identifying deadly carbon monoxide leaks and faulty fuel systems, insulating drafty homes, and educating homeowners on energy efficiency. Weatherization funds save money. It is a good, cost-effective investment. Mr. Chairman, virtually every State in the Nation benefits from the weatherization program. Colder States like Vermont, Maine, and Wisconsin, where the weather gets 20 below zero, we save money and help our people; and warmer States like Louisiana and California and every place else in between also save money through the weatherization program. Mr. Chairman, I am seriously concerned about the magnitude of cuts to low-income energy assistance. LIHEAP and weatherization have both been under attack. The sad fact is that many hard-working, low-income families and the elderly, many, many elderly people, utilize these programs very effectively. Many of these people simply cannot afford to pay their energy bills and certainly cannot afford to pay for insulation or the needed repairs on their homes. These funds are particularly important to the elderly, whose more fragile health often cannot tolerate extreme temperature changes. Let me say a few words about the Naval Petroleum Reserve. The NPR's operating funds go to running three oil fields which are jointly operated by the Government and Chevron. The productivity of these fields has been steadily declining since its peak in 1976. The President earmarked the NPR for sale in fiscal year 1997, indicating, ``Producing oil and gas is a commercial, not a governmental activity, which is more appropriately performed by the private sector.'' That is something that many of my friends on the other side I am sure agree with. Congress apparently agreed, because it passed legislation authorizing the sale of NPR by 1998. The budget resolution that we recently passed recommends that the sale occur as soon as possible. Mr. Chairman, this is a very important amendment. There are millions of people in this country who simply do not have the resources to keep warm in the wintertime. They need help. Taking the money from the NPR is a good way to do that. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Olver.]

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make a point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, let me reiterate what the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Gutierrez] reminded us. Last year in the city of Chicago, as I understand it, 500 people died in a sweltering summer. That is not what America is supposed to be. In my State of Vermont and throughout the northern part of our country, there are millions of people, including low-income people, who simply do not have the money to adequately heat their homes. They are living in homes where when they put heat out, the heat is going through the windows, it is going through the roof, it is going through the cracks in the wall. The homes are not insulated. The weatherization concept is a cost-effective program. What is the sense of putting heat into a house when it is simply going to leak out? Mr. Chairman, over 4.4 million homes have been weatherized with these funds. Over 90 percent of the recipients make less than $15,000 a year and they spend an average of $1,100 on their energy bills. Our amendment is a sensible amendment. It is an environmental amendment. It is a conservation amendment. Most important, it is a humane amendment. People in the United States should not go cold in the wintertime.

Mr. SANDERS. Excuse me, Mr. Thomas. You made a falsehood and I would like an apology. I was on the ballot in the State of Vermont as an independent, always have been, and I would like an apology from you, sir.

Mr. SANDERS. I am a democratic socialist. That is very different from what you just said.

Mr. SANDERS. Excuse me, I was on the ballot as an independent.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I do not need to be told what I proudly claim.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.