House Adopts Rush Amendment to Energy Bill

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) released the following statement upon the successful adoption of his amendment to H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act:

“The coronavirus disease pandemic has drastically impacted our communities and the employment of hardworking Americans.  Prior to the destruction of this pandemic, clean energy was one of the fastest growing sectors within the U.S. economy — delivering well-paying jobs and reducing the burden of air pollution within our communities.

“This is why I am deeply troubled by the Department of Energy’s delays in producing the 2021 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), which would provide a road map to restore the energy sector jobs lost during 2020.

“My amendment to the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, ensures the timely collection of energy employment data for this year’s report, and future report installments, to put our communities back on a path toward recovery with these factors in mind.

“I thank my colleagues for their support of this amendment as we work to restore our nation’s workforce and to regain jobs for hardworking Americans.”

The USEER is an annual report of energy and employment data that is constructed from a survey that is administered to approximately 30,000 employers involved in 53 different energy technologies. The Rush amendment ensures the timely production of this report.

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