Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2014 Energy and Water appropriations bill to increase funding for the Vehicles Technologies Program. My amendment increases funding for the Renewable Energy, Energy Reliability, and Efficiency account by $20 million to fully fund the Zero Emission Cargo Transport grant program.

The Vehicle Technologies Program is an important asset in the effort to decrease the impact of high gas prices on American drivers by investing in technologies that make vehicles more fuel efficient and less harmful to air quality. One critical piece of this program is the Zero Emission Cargo Transport grant program that helps to incentivize zero emission goods movement, especially in areas with high air pollution and traffic congestion, such as my district in Riverside, California, which is a logistics hub for southern California. I believe these funds are better spent reducing our emissions, improving air quality, and investing in energy-efficient technologies.

The bill does take from the National Nuclear Security Administration's account, which is funded at $11 billion. The modest reduction we're asking in that account to fully fund this program is an investment we believe is wise. More efficient freight will save money, create jobs, and make products cheaper. Cleaner air improves quality of life and lowers the cost of health care.

If we pay for this today by decreasing spending on our bloated nuclear weapons programs, we will see major savings down the road. This is a smart investment, and I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2014 Energy and Water appropriations bill to increase funding for the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program.

My amendment increases funding for the Renewable Energy, Energy Reliability and Efficiency account by $40 million to ensure we provide adequate weatherization assistance.

The Weatherization Assistance Program provides much-needed funding that enables low-income families, homeowners with disabilities, and seniors to permanently reduce their energy bills, making their homes more energy efficient.

For 36 years, the Weatherization Assistance Program has provided weatherization services to more than 7.3 million low-income households. The energy conservation efforts promoted through this program have helped our country reduce our dependence on foreign oil, while lowering the cost of energy for families in need.

This program benefits households across the Nation, from my district in Riverside, California, where temperatures can rise to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, to the Northeast, where it is below freezing in the winter.

The Weatherization Assistance Program has helped reduce the energy bills for America's neediest families by hundreds of dollars, which can be used to purchase more groceries, daily necessities, and child care.

The reduction in funding for nuclear weapons means that a larger investment can be made in our Weatherization Assistance Program to help American families reduce their energy costs. The underlying bill provides more than $11 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration. I believe the modest reduction of $40 million to the nuclear weapons account is money that is better spent on programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program. It supports jobs, businesses, homeowners, and reduces our energy dependence.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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