Information about the vote from special interest groups and other information providers in our Report Cards:
National Taxpayers Union
Energy Efficiency & Weatherization.
Energy Efficiency & Weatherization. Government spending reduction: $4 million.League of Conservation Voters
Energy and Global Warming - Energy Efficiency.
America increasingly relies on fossil fuels—oil, coal, and natural gas—to power its industries, cool its homes, and provide transportation for its people. This widespread dependence extracts a huge environmental and public health cost. In the United States, fossil fuels account for 98 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions—the major contributor to global warming—and 95 percent of all other air pollution. Fossil fuel emissions have also been linked to premature deaths and chronic respiratory illnesses.
The quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to reduce America's dependence on these polluting and unstable energy sources is to promote energy efficiency. Over the last 25 years, U.S. energy consumption has grown by only 40 percent—less than it would have without efficiency improvements—and even conservative estimates project similar progress over the next 25 years. Environmentalists have been particularly supportive of programs to reduce fuel costs and increase efficiency by weatherizing homes.
During House debate of the Fiscal Year 2002 Interior appropriations bill, Representative Bernard Sanders (I-VT) introduced an amendment to increase low income weatherization assistance by $24 million and add $12 million for other energy conservation programs, paid for by a $52 million cut in funding for fossil fuel development. The House rejected the amendment. The Interior appropriations conference report, which included more money for weatherization and energy efficiency as approved by the Senate, was passed by both the House and Senate in October and was signed by the President in November.
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Clean Energy/Shift $52 Million Fossil Fuel Subsidy to Energy Efficiency.
The burning of coal and oil is a major source of smog forming nitrogen oxide, soot producing sulfur dioxide, the global warming gas carbon dioxide, and toxic mercury. Yet, every year, coal and oil companies receive hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to continue producing these dirty energy sources. Reps. Sanders (I-VT), Quinn (R-NY), Oberstar (D-MN), Gilman (R-NY), Blumenauer (D-OR) and Kind (D-WI) offered an amendment to shift $52 million from the fossil fuel industry to energy efficiency. The House rejected the amendment.Taxpayers for Common Sense Action
Cut Fossil Energy Research.
Under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fossil Fuel Research and Development program, taxpayers fund the research and development programs for oil, coal, and utility companies. Much of the research conducted in these programs concentrates on oil and coal exploration, production, and refining – research these industries have significant market incentives to pursue with their own money. The coal portion of the program is duplicative as it is also conducted under the DOE’s Clean Coal Power Initiative (formerly known as the Clean Coal Technology Program or CCTP).
When the House considered the Fiscal Year 2002 Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 2217), Reps. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jack Quinn (R-NY), James Oberstar (D-MN), Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Ron Kind (D-WI) offered an amendment to increase funding for weatherization programs by $24 million; to increase the account for Payments In Lieu of Taxes by $12 million; and to increase the account for energy conservation programs by $24 million. Increases would be offset by reductions in fossil fuel energy research.
The House rejected the Sanders amendment.