U. S. Troops Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007

Floor Speech

U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007 -- (Senate - March 29, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

The Senator from Vermont [Mr. SANDERS], for himself, Mr. Reed, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Kerry, and Mr. Harkin, proposes an amendment numbered 737.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To provide funds for the weatherization assistance program)

On page 99, line 4, strike ``ties'' and insert ``ties:

Provided further, That $229,500,000 of the amount provided shall be used for the weatherization assistance program of the Department of Energy''.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, this amendment is a bipartisan amendment cosponsored by Senators Sununu, Bingaman, Menendez, Kerry, Harkin, Dodd, Wyden, and Clinton. It is also strongly supported by the AARP.

This modification, which has the bipartisan support of the Appropriations Committee, would partially restore funding for weatherization programs. The amendment does not use new money. It simply instructs the Department of Energy to use its fiscal year 2007 appropriations to increase the amount it will spend on weatherization by $25 million over its current plan.

I think all of my colleagues know the weatherization program is important for a number of reasons. First, when people have a limited amount of money, it is absurd that their scarce resources simply go up into the air because they do not have the money to adequately insulate their walls or their roofs.

Secondly, if we are serious about global warming, we had better move toward energy efficiency. We are wasting huge amounts of energy by seeing people living in homes with inadequate weatherization.

I would ask strong support from my colleagues for this amendment.

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