Washington, DC - Rep. Peter Welch succeeded in passing three amendments on two different bills in the U.S. House yesterday evening.  Two of the amendments help small businesses with energy efficiency and green technology, and a third requires that FEMA consider the impacts of climate change when updating the mapping of floodplains.

Welch and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) amended the Small Business Investment Expansion Act of 2007, H.R. 3567, with two amendments. The first expands federal assistance for small businesses for improving energy efficiency and reducing their use of fossil fuels.  The second directs the Small Business Administrator to support small businesses that are creating new technologies, manufactured goods, or providing services to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental impacts.

"We can develop pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-environment policies that boost our economy and address global warming.  These amendments will help the small businesses in Vermont and around the country who are leading the way by developing efficient and renewable technology solutions for the future," said Welch.

Welch also joined with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) in amending the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act, H.R. 3121, to require that FEMA consider global warming impacts while assessing flood risks, improving flood preparedness and community planning.  The overall legislation makes important reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increasing the ability of the program to protect people and property.

"Congress must aggressively tackle the challenge of global warming.  And part of addressing this challenge squarely is accounting for the real world economic, safety, and environmental impacts global warming will have on the public," Welch added.