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Will Cash for Caulkers Pass The Senate in 2011?

Cash For Caulkers — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:05:17 +0000

Contrary to what many websites are proclaiming, Congress has not passed the Homestar, commonly known as Cash for Caulkers, legislation. The House of Representatives did pass their version of the bill in May 2010. However, the Senate has yet to debate a Cash for Caulkers piece of legislation. If both areas of Congress were to agree on a bill, then it would be sent to the President to sign.

A lot has changed since the proposed Homestar legislation was sent to the Senate.

The Homestar plan was a proposal from the Democrats, not the Republicans. With the Democrats losing many seats in the November 2010 elections, it is unlikely that Cash for Caulkers legislation will be considered by the Senate in 2011.

At this time, the top priorities of Congress appear to be reducing the alarming federal deficit and debating healthcare legislation. There has been very little discussion of energy savings initiatives, such as Cash for Caulkers, over the last few months.

Keep in mind that the Presidents State of the Union address is expected later this month, and we should have a better idea then if he will champion the Cash for Caulkers legislation like he did in his 2010 State of the Union address.

What Happened to the Cash for Caulkers Program?

Cash For Caulkers — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:35:08 +0000

The Senate returned from their recess back on September 10th. Contrary to the goals of some in the Senate, there has been very little discussion of the proposed HomeStar program (commonly known as Cash for Caulkers). With the possibility that the democrats would lose control of the House of Representatives in the elections on November 2nd, it is unlikely that any Senators would publicly campaign for the Cash for Caulkers program. With a projected deficit of over $1.4 trillion this year, the electorate simply does not want to see increased government spending, as evidenced by a recent Gallup poll which listed the economy, jobs, dissatisfaction with government, and the budget deficit. So, if the Republicans do strengthen their presence in Washington, it is unlikely that the HomeStar program will ever get passed. However, we’ll continue to monitor the Cash for Caulkers effort, and will post updates as they are available.

Senator Reid to Introduce Home Star Bill to the Senate Today

Cash For Caulkers — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:01:27 +0000

According to the Financial Times, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released details of an energy bill on Tuesday, July 27th. However, at the time of this post Senator Reid’s website does not contain comment or details on the energy bill. The Financial Times article states the bill will provide $5 billion in incentives for the Home Star program, which will give rebates to homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient.

According to CNBC, Senator Reid will introduce the Home Star bill today in the Senate, and hopes to get this bill passed next week before the Senate takes its August recess.