Matsui Statement on House Vote on Incandescent Light Bulbs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 12, 2011

CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163

Matsui Statement on House Vote on Incandescent Light Bulbs
Unnecessary Legislation Would Repeal Efforts to Save Energy, Money for Consumers

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued a statement in opposition to H.R. 2417, the BULB Act, which would repeal provisions in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 relating to light bulbs, and voicing her concerns about the lack of legislative hearings on this matter. The existing law is scheduled to take effect in January, and would save Americans an estimated $12.5 billion in energy costs. In California, estimated savings as a result of the law would be $124 per household, totaling $1.94 billion statewide.

In 2007, the Energy and Commerce Committee adopted standards on a bipartisan basis to make incandescent light bulbs 25 to 30 percent more efficient. It was added as an amendment to a bill that passed the Senate by a vote of 86-8, the House by a vote of 314-100, and was signed into law by President George W. Bush. Legislation to repeal these provisions was introduced in the House only last week, and the Committee has not held a single subsequent hearing on the legislation. Moreover, the Committee has not held any hearing legislative or oversight on the subject of the legislation.

Congresswoman Matsui joined several of her colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee in a letter to Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), who co-sponsored the initial amendment in 2007 supporting efforts to make light bulbs more efficient, and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Whitfield (R-KY) Friday, asking that the bill be considered in Committee before going to the floor for consideration.

Congresswoman Matsui also announced her intention to vote against H.R. 2717, releasing the following statement:

Instead of focusing on pressing issues like reducing the deficit and creating jobs, the House leadership has decided to spend this week considering the BULB Act a bill to eliminate important lighting efficiency standards standards that were passed in the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis and signed into law by President Bush. The existing law does not ban incandescent light bulbs as some have claimed, but does promote more efficient light bulbs that not only save energy, but save consumers money.

I will be voting against this repeal legislation, which I believe is both unnecessary and unhelpful. Instead, I will focus my efforts on continuing to fight to create jobs for Sacramento families, and encourage my colleagues to bring substantive, long-overdue job creation legislation to the House floor.

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