United States Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) spoke on the House Floor today in support of the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act, which continues this Congress’ steadfast commitment to driving a clean energy revolution in our country and stimulating near-term growth in our struggling economy.
“With gas prices approaching $4.00 per gallon, and climate change a clear and present danger, the need to wean ourselves off largely imported foreign sources of fossil fuel has never been clearer.
“This bill charts a new course — the right course — with critical incentives for accelerated energy production from wind, geothermal and hydropower sources, investment tax credits for solar and fuel cell properties, “next generation” transportation and heating fuels from cellulosic feedstocks and renewable biodiesel, and the rapid deployment of energy efficiency technology across the commercial, residential and industrial sectors.
“To give our economy a boost, this legislation extends pro-growth policies like the R&D tax credit while cutting taxes for millions of middle-class families through a host of provisions including an expanded child tax credit, the college tuition deduction and meaningful property tax relief.
“Madam Speaker, this is a pro-growth, forward-looking, fully paid-for tax package broadly supported by stakeholders ranging from General Electric to the Children’s Defense Fund.
“It deserves our support, and I yield back the balance of my time.”