mr. latourette: correct. are you the last speaker? mr. dicks: no, i'm not the last speaker. mr. latourette: i'd like to reserve until your last speaker. mr. dicks: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. lewis. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. lewis: i appreciate my colleague yielding me this time. it has been suggested by more than one person, not just today but just a moment ago, also, that we are headed towards a cliff in terms of our financial circumstances. it could take our country to bankruptcy and create a circumstance from which we perhaps would never be able to come back. to suggest that this substitute makes sense really baffles me. i've been told by the speaker that the gentleman from ohio is a very thoughtful member and has contributed a great deal to our committee. which he has, but across the board cutting in an effort to make sense out of our spending process makes no sense at all. and indeed, we are elected to look at the whole mix, and indeed to pick winners and losers, decide what programs should be cut significantly

mr. latourette: i congratulate mr. pompeo for a thoughtful amendment and he is jumping right into the fray of some 45 days he has assumed office here. i was here for two years before i gave my first floor speech. sadly, we have to oppose your amendment and this was an account that the committee and staff looked at hard as the c.r. was being prepared. it has been reduced by $5 million in the continuing resolution. and the feeling continues to be that cutting it further would be irresponsible because cutting the funding does nothing to change the mandate that's in law of march 31 of this year that the industry has to report their emissions by that date. since this is the first time through this reporting requirement, there are a lot of questions that businesses and industries all across the country have and they are calling the e.p.a. for technical assistance on how to be in compliance. if the program is reduced, as the gentleman's amendment would suggest, would leave companies high and dry with the reporting requirement

mr. latourette: amendment number 259 will cuss dollars from renewable energy office. currently h.r. 1 funds the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy at $1,467,400,for the remainder of fiscal year 2011. this amendment reduces that amount to $1 billion. this authority receives $28 billion in stimulus funds and it was appropriate in fiscal year 2010. while citizens are struggling to pay their bills, it would be difficult not to cut $70 million from this office. with americans struggling with higher gasoline prices and other fuel costs rising, congress should focus on legislation to utilize resources we have available to drive prices down. the free market is the best price for technological and reducing burdensome regulations to have companies bring new technology when it comes to be cost effective with a deficit and the share of the national debt scheduled to triple, i have serious concerns with spending funds that have massive increases from stimulus spending. the president released his budget proposal which reflects a pattern of record spending and higher t