Politics

Home Star Passes - Creating Jobs While Saving American Families Money

By Karina

Today, the House passed the bipartisan Home Star Energy Retrofit Act (HR 5019) by a vote of 246-161 to provide immediate incentives for consumers who renovate their homes to become more energy-efficient?rapidly creating jobs here at home, while saving money for American families.

Through up-front rebates of up to $3,000 for insulation, duct sealing, windows and doors, air sealing and water heaters and incentives for complete home energy-saving renovations, Home Star will:

Create an estimated 168,000 American jobs in construction, manufacturing and retail?industries that have been devastated by the Bush economic crisis

Save about 3 million American families an estimated $200-500 per year on their energy bills, totaling $9 billion over the next 10 years

Reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil?cutting the use of natural gas and home heating oil in an amount equivalent to nearly 7 million barrels of heating oil in 2011

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), author of the bill, explains “it’s practical, it’s common sense, it’s a partnership between the public and the private sector”:

Speaker Pelosi on passage:

Today, the House took another step forward to create good-paying, American jobs that cannot be outsourced, to lower energy costs for consumers, and to build our clean energy economy.

The Home Star jobs bill is about building a stronger economy that works for Main Street and the middle class. The legislation will create nearly 168,000 jobs in construction, manufacturing, and retail ? some of the hardest hit sectors during the Bush recession. It will cut costs for consumers, decreasing energy bills by up to $500 per year for 3 million families. And it will reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and dirty fuels, cutting energy use equal to roughly 7 million barrels of heating oil in 2011.

It?s not surprising that Republicans offered a poison pill in their motion to recommit ? demonstrating, once again, that they are not serious about addressing the top concerns of the American people: job creation, economic security, and energy independence. We will work with the Senate to fix this flawed language and focus.

Learn more about the bill»

Read the bill»

Full post as published by The Gavel on May 06, 2010 (boomark / email).