Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to offer an amendment to increase funding for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account by $2 million, specifically for use in the SuperTruck II program.

The SuperTruck program was started by the Department of Energy under President Obama and former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to improve freight and heavy-duty vehicle efficiency.

The Appropriations Committee acknowledged in the committee report the success of the SuperTruck II program, noting these funds will help SuperTruck II to continue to dramatically improve the freight efficiency of heavy-duty class 8 long-haul and regional-haul vehicles through system level improvements like the hybridization of vehicles, saving more fuel while idling--that is something I saw in a field demonstration and it is pretty amazing how they turn off at intersections with lights, et cetera--engineering high-efficiency HVAC technologies, and more.

This amendment to increase funding for the SuperTruck II program will allow the Department of Energy to better achieve its freight efficiency goals, and the amendment is fully offset by decreasing the departmental administration account.

I would like to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their hard work on this bill and for including this amendment. The Rules Committee might have done that, but I don't think they would have if there were objections from the chair and ranking member.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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