Issue Update | FY 2008 Appropriations for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

The House passed the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill of 2008 (H.R. 2641, H. Rept. 110-85) July 17 by a vote of 312-112. The House Bill appropriates $1.98 billion for Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE/RE) programs for FY 2008, $742 million (60%) more than the Administration's FY 2008 request of $1.23 billion and $504 million more than FY 07 enacted. Congressionally directed activities were funded by the House at $104.3 million.

Ten amendments to H.R. 2641 were considered. Only one (H.Amdt.500) passed on a voice vote to eliminate an $0.5 million earmark. Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) offered an amendment (H.Amdt.509) to prohibit use of funds for each earmark listed in the bill. Rep. Campbell said “This particular amendment would eliminate all the earmarks in the bill, all 800 of them, all $1.1 billion of them.... the fact is, Mr. Chairman, that the process by which these earmarks happen stinks. And I believe that this process is terrible and that until we reform this process, we should eliminate all earmarks.” The amendment failed 39-388.

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