U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

March 14, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar Votes for Veterans, NREL and Energy Independence

Washington, D.C. – As the Senate began deliberation of the FY 07 budget resolution, United States Senator Ken Salazar voted today to increase funding for Veterans health care, the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, CO (NREL), and energy independence and conservation initiatives.

Senator Salazar and several Senate colleagues offered an amendment to the budget to increase spending for energy independence, energy security and conservation initiatives. Most notably, this amendment will increase funding to NREL 10 times higher than the Administration’s request. The amendment failed on a party-line vote.

“We can’t drill our way to energy independence,” Senator Salazar said. “Ensuring NREL has the resources it needs to research and develop new energy efficient technologies is the most effective way to achieve our goals. By making investments in hybrid technology, cellulosic fuels, biodiesel engines, and the efficient use of fossil fuels, we can break America’s addiction to foreign oil. Our economic, national and environmental security depend on it.”

The amendment was offered by Senators Bingaman, Cantwell and Salazar. It includes a wide-range of initiatives, including:

  • Full funding for research of hybrid vehicle technologies, fuel cells and biodiesel engines
  • Full funding for hydrogen research and development
  • Full funding for renewable energy research and development
  • Full funding for energy efficient public buildings
  • Production incentives for biomass cellulosic fuels
  • Residential and small business renewable energy rebates
  • Additional funding for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
  • Funding for clean and advanced coal research and development

In addition, Salazar offered a Veterans amendment which would have added $1.5 billion to the VA’s budget and would stave off benefit cuts and premium increases. It would ensure adequate funding for VA healthcare without increasing costs for Priority 7 and 8 veterans, and would have provided needed resources for the specific areas of mental health, readjustment counseling, and rehabilitative care. If premiums and co-pays for Priority 7 and 8 veterans were raised, more than 27,000 veterans in Colorado would be forced out of the system. The amendment failed on a party-line vote.

Sen. Salazar argued in support of the amendment on the Senate floor, stating, “As our nation struggles with a growing healthcare crisis, we can all agree that the VA healthcare system serves as an example for how healthcare should be provided. In addition, through its medical research programs, the VA is frequently responsible for great strides in medical science that contribute significantly to the quality of healthcare services across the country. We owe it to our service members, our veterans, and our nation to be honest about our needs, and to provide funding adequate to meet those needs.”

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