Washington, D.C. – May 7, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06) took to the House floor in support of her amendment to H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010. Rep. Bachmann’s amendment passed unanimously by voice vote with strong Democratic support leading up to the vote. Her amendment requires the Inspector General of the Department of Energy to submit a report to Congress measuring the amount of waste, fraud, and abuse occurring in programs created by H.R. 5019 and recommendations to prevent them from occurring again.
H.R. 5019, otherwise known as “Cash for Caulkers,” creates a new federal program administered through the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. It is aimed at providing homeowners rebates to conduct energy efficiency upgrades for home improvement projects costing taxpayers $6.6 billion.
Many are concerned though that this bill creates yet another multi-billion dollar government scheme directed at picking winners and losers with cash hand-outs at a time when the federal government is already running more than a $1.4 trillion annual deficit.
Below are Representative Bachmann’s remarks in support of her amendment:
“Madame Speaker, today I rise in support of the Bachmann Amendment. My amendment is founded on the principle that Congress has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are not wasted on ineffectual and inefficient government programs.
“My amendment will require the Department of Energy’s Inspector General to independently report to Congress on incidents of waste, fraud, and abuse occurring in programs created by this bill. Further, the Inspector General will be required to include recommendations to prevent additional waste, fraud, and abuse.
“This amendment will require the Inspector General’s report be submitted by July 1, 2012. As such, Congress will have the opportunity to re-evaluate the programs in this Act and correct or eliminate them if necessary. Utilizing Congressional Budget Office estimates, this amendment could enable the effective oversight of over $1.9 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars.
“Madame Speaker, to improve government accountability and restore a measure of fiscal integrity in Washington, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.”
