Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is seeking answers from Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu on the impact the administration's $800 billion stimulus package had on jobs.  Despite repeated claims that the stimulus would keep the nation's unemployment rate below 8 percent, it has remained at or above 9.5 percent for 15 consecutive months. 

In the letter to Secretary Chu, Upton wrote, "The Obama administration and congressional Democrats narrowly passed a $862 billion stimulus package (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) in February of 2009 on the promise that money would go out the door immediately to shovel-ready projects and that the unemployment rate would stay below 8 percent. ... It is clear that the President’s economic team was wrong about unemployment staying below 8 percent.  It is also now clear that the President was incorrect in his assertion that money would go out the door immediately to shovel-ready projects.  President Obama has recently been quoted as saying, 'there’s no such thing as shovel-ready projects.'"

Upton submitted the following questions to Secretary Chu regarding Department of Energy’s approximately $40 billion portion of the stimulus:

1.       Were any changes made to federal regulatory requirements since February 18,
          2009 that would shorten the amount of time for money to go out the door for
          shovel-ready projects?

            a.       If yes, please describe each change made to the federal regulatory
                      requirements.

            b.       If no, please explain why not.

2.       Is it true that as of the date of this letter, less than $10 billion of the
          approximately $40 billion has been paid out?

3.       Why have less than 25 percent of the available funds been paid out, 20 months
          after the Stimulus was signed by the President?

4.       How many jobs were created as a result of the grants awarded by the
          Department of Energy listed below?  Please provide documentation proving that
          such jobs were actually created as a direct result of Stimulus funding.  Please do
          not include jobs “saved” in your answer.

            a.       $5 million geothermal grant to Oak Ridge City Center in Oak Ridge,
                      Tennessee for a mall to install a geothermal energy system.

            b.       $2.6 million geothermal grant to the Denver Museum of Nature and
                      Science.

            c.       $157,800 solar panel grant to the Movement Climbing and Fitness gym
                      in Boulder, Colorado.

            d.       $25,000 energy efficiency grant to the town of Sykesville, Maryland.

            e.       $935,000 weatherization grant to the African Heritage Dancers and
                      Drummers of Washington, DC. 

5.       How many jobs have been created for every Department of Energy Stimulus
          grant made that was over $500,000?  Please provide supporting documentation.

6.       Why did Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. receive $72.6 million for building a wind
          farm that was completed before the Stimulus became law?  Please confirm that
          the Department of Energy is not claiming that any jobs were created or saved as
          a result of this particular grant, or for that matter any grants that were awarded
          after a project’s completion, as the completion of such a project could not have
          been dependent on the receipt of Stimulus funding.

7.       Do you agree with President Obama that there are no such things as shovel ready
          projects?

            a.       If yes, will you stop using the term “shovel-ready” going forward because
                      it is misleading to claim that something is shovel-ready if, by definition,
                      there is no such thing as a shovel-ready project?

            b.       If no, please explain why not.

 
For a copy of Upton's letter to Secretary Chu, visit HERE.