Senate Floor: SENATE RESOLUTION 148--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 30, 2001, AS ``NATIONAL WEATHERIZATION DAY''

Madam President, today I am proud to submit a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that October 30, 2001, be designated as "National Weatherization Day." By doing so, we will anchor a national effort by States, localities, and community groups to raise the awareness of all Americans concerning the importance of weatherizing the Nation's housing stock to conserve energy, thereby reducing consumption of all forms of energy.

October is already designated as Energy Awareness Month and will serve as the ideal host month for this day. Why, then, do we need a day specifically devoted to supporting weatherization efforts? Although some people today know of the benefits of weatherizing a home, most unfortunately do not. Weatherization Day, then, will help bring targeted recognition of these efforts, and specifically those of the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program, which uses Federal, State, local, and private dollars to provide cost- effective, energy-efficient retrofits to homes occupied by low-income families.

The average family in the United States spends more than $1,300 annually on utility bills. For low-income families, that can take away almost 15 percent of their entire annual income, and 18 percent if fuel costs rise as they have been for the past year. That is unacceptable and that is why the Weatherization Assistance Program exists today. The average energy cost savings for each home that is weatherized is more than $250 annually. This gives these families the ability to purchase essential items like groceries and prescription drugs, pay for medical bills, and make themselves more self-sufficient. At the same time, weatherizing a home also provides a substantial economic and environmental boon to local communities, by adding an average of 52 jobs for every $1,000,000 invested and by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 1 ton per weatherized household.

I think that we owe it to ourselves and, more importantly, to our future generations, to continue to improve the awareness of all Americans of the importance of energy conservation, pollution reduction, and safer homes. By having a designated Weatherization Day, we will provide much-needed attention to this issue.