President Obama addressed the nation in the State of the Union address this evening.  However, he didn’t mention the proposed Homestar, commonly known as Cash for Caulkers, program.

In Obama’s 2010 State of the Union address he stated his support for giving homeowners rebates for energy efficiency.  Approximately four months later the House of Representatives passed their version of the Homestar bill.

In 2011 the polical climate is much different.  The Democrats no longer have the majority in the House.  Public pressure is on to reduce the deficit and Obama has responded by proposing a 5-year freeze on discretionary spending and by stating he’ll reject any bills that come to him with earmarks.  Obama also called for investment in science, education, and infrastructure. 

Obama’s only mention of energy was to set a new goal of having 80% of America’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.  

With deep spending cuts on the horizon, a climate where earmarks will be challenged, no mention of Cash for Caulkers in the State of the Union, and Republicans ready to challenge the agenda put forth by the Democrats, it appears unlikely the Cash for Caulkers program will be discussed further anytime soon.

The question we ask is how does the Home Star program fit in with any potential economic stimulus package from the White House?

Perhaps the stars are aligning for the Cash for Caulkers program.  The House has already passed their version of the Home Star program.  The Senate is back in session on September 10th.  And now President Obama has a news conference scheduled for Friday, September 10, 2010.  Will the President be promoting the Home Star program during his news conference?

President Obama said that jobs must be the #1 focus in 2010 and that he wants a jobs bill on his desk without delay.  Questions now include what the details of the jobs bill will be, what type of tax credit will be given to homeowners that implement energy efficiencies, and how long it will take for the bill to work its way through the House, the Senate, and to the President.

Energy efficiency was also a repeated theme of the President’s speech, including creating incentives for new clean energy jobs, building nuclear power plants, offshore gas development, and investment in biofuel technologies.

We will continue to follow the progress of the proposed Cash for Caulkers program and publish updates as more details of the bill emerge.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/ / CC BY 2.0

On one hand, now that Scott Brown has been elected as a Massachusetts Senator, one could argue the odds of the Cash for Caulkers program becoming a reality probably have decreased. With Brown’s victory, the Democrats no longer have their supermajority which is needed to overcome any GOP filibusters. The number one priority for the Democrats right now is trying to deliver on the President’s desire for health care reform, which is distracting from any progress with Cash for Caulkers.

On the other hand, the White House may seek to do something about the unemployment rate and promote the Cash for Caulkers plan as a way to not only increase energy efficiency in our country, but also put people to work.

What do you think?  Will the President reveal more about his intentions for Cash for Caulkers next week?  Leave a comment with your opinion below.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/ / CC BY 2.0