Peter Welch

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I yield to my colleague from Indiana, Representative Baron Hill, such time as he may consume.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. That is correct.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. No, it is not.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Yes, they will.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I thank the gentleman. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Chairman, at the outset I want to thank the dean of the House, Mr. Dingell. Last night I needed his help, and he gave it to me to help make this amendment in order. He told me a story, and it was a simple story: If you have a chance to help somebody, take it. And it is a good lesson to live by. Although, he didn't say he was for the amendment, I hope he finds the content of the amendment okay as well as being in order. And I want to thank his staff for the tremendous work they have done. This amendment is very simple, Mr. Chairman. It establishes or authorizes the Federal fund to support energy sustainability and energy efficiency projects on colleges and universities campuses through grants, authorizes but doesn't appropriate. Public institutions are playing a major role in this energy debate. They lead by example. Giving them the possibility of having funds to actually implement programs would be a very good thing.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 615 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. For the purpose of debate only, Mr. Speaker, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the House is in session on a Saturday, a rare event. And why we do that, of course, is to finish up the work that is the culmination of the efforts of our committees that have then brought legislation to us to consider. In this past week, we passed important legislation on employment discrimination, fair pay, an Iraq planning bill, Agriculture appropriations, and, very important, critical, actually, a children's health care bill. Today, we are here to continue the business at hand, and that is to turn a new course for an energy future in this country that meets the needs and demands of the 21st century for a pro-jobs, pro-growth, pro- high-tech approach to solving our environmental challenges and our energy security issues. H. Res. 615 provides a single rule for consideration of H.R. 3221, the New Direction For Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act and H.R. 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007. This will be a single rule. The rule provides a structured rule for H.R. 3221. It provides a closed rule as is customary in tax matters on H.R. 2776. Today's legislation is about energy independence and creating a new economy around facing directly the energy and environmental challenges before this country. This year more than a dozen of our committees began the challenging task of drafting energy legislation that, in a wide array of jurisdictions, can challenge the growing energy crisis. I certainly commend all of the committee Chairs, all of the Members on both sides of the aisle, particularly the long-term efforts of men like Chairman Dingell, Chairman Rangel, Chairman Waxman and others who have presented to us for the consideration of the whole body this comprehensive package of energy legislation. Early in January, as you remember, the House passed H.R. 6. That repealed nearly $14 billion that were tax breaks granted to oil companies. Those tax breaks have been granted to oil companies at a time when they had record profits of $125 billion. Mr. Speaker, this House has made a different decision. What we have done is decided to repeal those tax cuts and invest that money instead in projects that are critical for renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives. This bill will provide long-term incentives for the development of renewable energy, and it will set the stage for a growing industry that requires investment in order to thrive. One of the debates that we have been having is this: If we undertake the challenge of energy independence, will that harm our economy? This bill says that will promote our economy and create good jobs. We have seen across this country, in every State, entrepreneurs taking on the challenge of energy efficiency and energy efficiency in new technologies. To give an example, in my own State of Vermont, we have a small company that began about 20 years ago, Energy Systems in Heinsberg, Vermont. They began developing technologies to help measure wind velocity for purposes of determining the feasibility of wind energy. It has emerged as one of our most prosperous businesses, creates good jobs, high-paying jobs, and it has been very beneficial to the economy of the State of Vermont, all-clean jobs, all-clean energy. That example has been replicated across this country. This bill promotes that effort. The idea here in this legislation is very simple: If we make a commitment now to investing in our energy future, we can have that pro-growth, pro-high-tech, pro-environment economy. We can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and we can protect our environment. One of the potential opportunities that we have is the expansion of renewable energy development through carbon offsets. If that is going to be successful, it requires that these carbon offsets meet standards that are real, that are additional, verifiable and enforceable. This legislation presented by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee is going to allow us to put in place that methodology to help us offset our carbon emissions and create jobs in clean energy future. There are many other parts of this legislation, since we have had 12 committees that have been involved: the Renewable Energy Worker Training Program, to help create a workforce of green jobs; the $2.5 billion investment to help rural communities, farmers and small businesses by reducing their energy costs through efficiency; the new efficiency standards for appliances, which require more efficient lighting and promotes green buildings in the public and private sector; and, of course, we have an effort under way here in Congress to green the Capitol and offset our carbon footprint by the year 2030. That is, at this stage, a bipartisan effort reflecting the mutual commitment to use less rather than more. The committee has done a very good job in crafting a bill that we can be proud to support. It doesn't do everything. The CAFE standards are not a part of this, as that continues to be a debate. Renewable electricity standards are something that the body will be able to consider in an amendment that has been made in order. But, taken together, all of the components of this bill mark a very serious and perhaps seminal change in the approach by this Congress towards energy, moving away from our excessive dependence on fossil fuels and moving towards a self-sustaining renewable energy future. I look forward to working with my colleagues to finishing the job that we have started here today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and has yielded back his time.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, there are two points I would like to make, one about the rule and one about the process. I served 13 years in the Vermont State Senate, a small body, 30 members, sometimes in the minority, sometimes in the majority; and we had fierce fights about issues of enormous public concern, tax policy, environmental policy. In all of the time that I served in that State Senate, winning fights, but losing as many as I won, I never, ever saw the other side leave on an appropriations vote. Never. When you lose, you get up and you fight another day. That is what we learned. That is what all of us have learned. There is a use of process here that has an effect of avoiding discussing substantive issues that are really of vital concern to the people of this country and the people that we represent. None of us can certify that the position we take at any given moment is guaranteed to be the right one. We have to debate that, we have to listen to the other side. But we don't stop listening when it comes to our final decision, the ultimate responsibility that we have been given by the people who have elected us to stand in this well and to vote ``yes'' or ``no'' and to accept accountability for the ``yes'' or ``no'' vote that we take. I do not understand, Mr. Speaker, walking out on a vote, most importantly, one involving appropriations for rural America. I don't understand the excessive use of motions to adjourn when it has no purpose, no purpose whatsoever other than to bring down the respect that the American people should have in this institution. I don't understand that. Maybe in time I will. This bill brought forth by this rule is going the allow America to have a new debate on energy. It is that simple. The old approach on energy has been oil and fossil fuels. It has had a place and will have a place, to be sure. But the question is, are we going to continue with the public policy of this country, with subsidies as we have for mature industries like oil and nuclear, which in the 2005 legislation received $15 billion in taxpayer subsidies. That is real money from real Americans. Yet, as that happens, global warming expands, the price of gasoline increases. It is a dead-end policy, Mr. Speaker. And the question that is going to be raised in this legislation for the decision of each and every one of us is whether we are going to turn a page on the old energy policy to a new one that is going to allow efficiency to matter. Using less, not more, saves money. The efficiency provisions in this bill will save tax ratepayers $300 billion. Whether we are going to use the power of tax incentives, a tax incentive budget to unleash the entrepreneurial skills, the engineering skills of people across this country in local communities, to harness wind, solar, renewable sources of energy, whether we are going to unleash the opportunity to create 3 million new jobs. Let me say this: for all the good that is done by some of the energy policies that we have had, let's make the acknowledgment that there are many good things out there, every time a consumer in a local area, my town of Hartland, pays the light bill, most of the time that dollar that I pay gets sent hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away to a generator. And what we are trying to do in our State, what we are trying to do in many other States around the country is to have an energy policy that is going to allow consumers to spend their money locally so that the repair person that was mentioned that fixes the air conditioners, more of those people are going to have jobs. Every dollar that we keep in our local economy is strengthening our local economy. Energy efficiency, renewable energy is about creating jobs, not just improving and cleaning out the environment. It is about independence and strengthening of local communities, not just shipping local money to faraway corporations. Mr. Speaker, if we needed any wake-up call about why we have to turn a page and move in a new direction, it is in this morning's newspaper report about Toyota. Let me just read one paragraph: ``Booming sales of fuel efficient cars helped lift Toyota to its biggest quarterly profit ever, and kept the maker of Prius Hybrid on pace to pass General Motors as the world's number one automaker.'' That is not good news for us. What is good news for us is that we accept the challenge that is there, not run from it. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this rule and support this underlying legislation. The material previously referred to by Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida is as follows: Amendment to H. Res. 615 Offered by Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida At the end of the resolution insert the following new Sections: Sec. 5. Upon adoption of this resolution, House Resolution 622 is hereby adopted.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee from Ohio. First of all, I want to congratulate the outstanding work of the Science Committee under the leadership of Mr. Gordon and Mr. Hall. That committee has produced more bipartisan useful legislation, maybe, than any other committee so far in this body. They are to be commended. Mr. Speaker, this bill is yet another nail in the ladder of creating opportunity and making this country competitive in the 21st century global economy. I want to talk a little bit about what can happen if you have companies, large and small, that make a difference and commit themselves to training the workforce, commit themselves to participating in a local community to advance science and math. We have small companies in Vermont that have done this. We also have a big company, IBM. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Vermont, and that will be later this summer. IBM is a major employer. It is a company that transformed itself from computers to services in a whole array of activities that has been beneficial and relied on having the best training for new employees, the best science and math. That company has not only helped provide good jobs to Vermonters as well as people around the world, it has participated very actively in our State efforts to improve science and math training. This legislation is going to focus resources on that effort in Vermont and across the country. My congratulations to the Science Committee for the good work that it's done and to the companies large and small across this State that have helped be a partner on these policies that are essential for the future.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. The question before the House today is really very simple: Will the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the world, pass legislation that guarantees access to health care for all the children of the citizens of this country? Many of our States, including Vermont, have taken the lead. They answered that question in the affirmative: The children of working parents, children whose parents are doing the right thing, should have the health care they need when they need it. That has been done on a bipartisan basis. Republican and Democratic Governors in my State of Vermont have supported access to health care for our kids; 98 percent are covered in Vermont. Why is it that this Congress has been unable to take that step until today? We will change that. It is the right thing to do. It is good for our kids. It is good for our country. It is well within the reach of this Congress to do. Madam Speaker, I hope that our friends on the Republican side will join us in what will be a historic day for our kids.

Mr. WELCH of Vermont

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his extraordinary leadership, along with the Chair of the subcommittee, my colleague from Connecticut, for her lead on nutrition. We are in the process of changing priorities in this country. Today, the House will be taking up the 11th of 12 appropriation bills where we will continue the process of taking this country in a new direction. This agricultural appropriations bill makes a solid statement of confidence in the future of rural America, and it makes a solid statement of recognition about the diversity and vitality of our rural economy. Let me just mention a few things that highlight what this program is doing. Number one, a strong farm economy where we have our farmers being the custodian of our landscape requires conservation; $980 million is in this bill for conservation. Rural development is critical to our economy. Broadband, among other things, is a major investment in this bill, and we are treating the rural economy with broadband, much like we did with electricity. That has to be a full partner, not a second-class citizen when it comes to the development of the infrastructure that is essential to building our economy. A strong rural economy is based on a well-fed country, and that means prosperous farmers. There is a record $13.9 billion for school meal programs, $39.8 billion for food stamps, and $5.6 billion for the Women, Infant and Children program. There is also in this bill, as the gentleman from California has said, a major investment in nutritious food, vegetables and fruit. And I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership on that. This bill and this rule is going to take America forward. A strong rural economy is essential to America.