Subject: RELEASE: Clinton Calls On Budget Committee To Make Funding For Green Collar Jobs Initiative A Priority In Budget Resolution
From: "Clinton, Press Office (Clinton)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 11:48:36 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           

March 04, 2008

 

CONTACT: Press Office

(212) 688-9780

CLINTON CALLS ON BUDGET COMMITTEE TO MAKE FUNDING FOR GREEN COLLAR JOBS
INITIATIVE A PRIORITY IN BUDGET RESOLUTION

Full Funding of Green Collar Jobs Programs Authorized In 2007 Energy
Bill Is Vital To Ensuring America's Economic Growth and Global
Competitiveness

Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton joined several of her
colleagues in calling on the Senate Budget Committee to show their
commitment to the future of energy independence and new job growth by
fully funding a Green Collar Jobs Initiative in the upcoming budget
resolution. In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Budget
Committee, the senators stressed that a strong Green Collar Jobs
Initiative to fund priority energy policies would be a catalyst for
creating new, good paying jobs, a cleaner environment, and would be a
key step in asserting our nation's energy independence. With these goals
in mind, the lawmakers are requesting that a full $7.5 billion in the
budget be provided to fund priority alternative and renewable energy
policies from the Energy Bill.

"Growing green collar jobs doesn't just move America towards the
benefits of energy independence, and a cleaner environment; it opens a
whole new growth sector of the economy that will produce new, higher
paying jobs that are positioned to be the careers of the future," said
Senator Clinton. "By providing full funding for this initiative in the
Energy Bill, we are opening the door to new economic opportunities and a
host of new possibilities that will help ensure that our nation remains
a global leader in this promising industry."

Last year, Senator Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) secured
Senate approval of their green job training proposal, which would
authorize new programs to train workers for "green collar jobs" that
involve the design, manufacturing, installation, operation, and
maintenance of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The
Sanders-Clinton initiative, which is highlighted in the letter to the
Senate Budget Committee, would establish an Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy Workforce Training Program
<http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=276854&&>  to
be administered by the Department of Labor in coordination with the
Department of Energy. 

The recently enacted Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
provides Congress with opportunities for a Green Collar Jobs Initiative
that will help move the country towards energy independence and will
build a new and growing sector of the economy. Providing full funding at
a level of $7.5 billion is critical in ensuring that we can create green
jobs at home, in a growing sector that produces clean and efficient
homes, appliances, vehicles, fuels, and energy.

A copy of the letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member is attached - 

 

The Honorable Kent Conrad

Chairman

Senate Budget Committee

624 Dirksen Building

Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Judd Gregg 

Ranking Member

Senate Budget Committee

624 Dirksen Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Conrad and Ranking Member Gregg:

 

The recently enacted Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
provides this Congress with a great opportunity for a Green Collar Jobs
Initiative to fund priority energy policies.  It is time for Congress to
turn its attentions to the vital policies within that can move this
country towards energy independence and create new green collar jobs.
With this in mind, we are writing to request that the budget provide
full funding-$7.5 billion-for a Green Collar Jobs Initiative which will
fund priority alternative and renewable energy policies from the Energy
Bill.

Funding a Green Collar Jobs Initiative will not only move us towards
energy independence and provide a cleaner environment, but it can also
bring about another important benefit:  new, good-paying jobs.
Investing in new green job opportunities will result in more energy
efficient buildings, solar panels, wind turbines, advanced technology
vehicles with advanced electric batteries, and renewable biofuels and
energy.  

The United States has the opportunity to improve our economy and global
competitiveness by creating green jobs at home, in a growing sector that
produces clean and efficient homes, appliances, vehicles, fuels, and
energy.  Investing domestically now will ensure we do not have to import
renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, and advanced
biofuels.  Moreover, with the right incentives we will have American
workers and manufactures building the next generation of automobiles and
advanced technology batteries.  Overall, with all these new green
industries, green job training can help many unemployed/underemployed
workers find new and better-paying jobs.  

While there are many programs in the Energy Independence and Security
Act of 2007, fully funding these priority areas will make a Green Collar
Jobs Initiative a reality for 2009: 

*	Weatherization, Commercial Building Initiatives & Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants 
*	Incentives for Advanced Battery Production and Storage
Capability (vehicles, solar, wave and wind) 
*	Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program 
*	Loans for retooling factories for the production of advanced
technology vehicles (i.e. hybrids, plug-ins hybrids and fuel cells) 
*	Advanced Biofuels Production and Infrastructure) 

We sincerely appreciate your consideration of this request in addition
to existing research and deployment initiatives.  We look forward to
working with you to provide a real commitment to energy independence and
a clean environment, as well as, to spur the green jobs that will
benefit our great nation.

Sincerely,

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