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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled Legislative Improvements to Public Safety Communications in the United States.

“Important things like upgrading our 911 call centers, improvements to our wireless emergency alerting, and improvements to our outage reporting are crucial improvements that we now can look at through a legislative lens,” said Chairman Hudson. “Our public safety and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to help us in our times of need, and we must make sure they have the best tools to do their jobs.”

Watch the full markup here

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Subcommittee Vice Chairman Rick Allen (GA-12): “More than a year ago, Hurricane Helene—with over 100 mile per hour winds—ran through the entire stretch of my district and caused widespread damage and loss. We suffered multiple deaths and a loss of power for weeks in some areas. [...] We all learned the importance of resilient communication networks when commercial networks were severely disrupted. It was next to impossible for constituents to access information and resources.”

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “During natural disasters, when communication infrastructure is damaged, or in rural areas where it doesn't exist at all, like in my district, mobile service can be inconsistent. Not having access to emergency alerts can also mean the difference between life and death. Every member of this committee has learned this all too well, whether it was during wildfires that we've talked about today, or the flooding in central Texas at Camp Mystic, for which the bill I'm going to talk about is named after.”

Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Public safety communications is one of those rare areas where the technology is moving fast. The stakes are high, and Congress has a real opportunity to make systems work better in the moments that matter most. When I've met with first responders in my district in southeast Indiana, I consistently hear that clear, coordinated systems allow them to share information quickly, direct resources effectively, and keep both first responders and the public safe.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Legislative Improvements to Public Safety Communications in the United States.

Subcommittee Chairman Hudson’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning, and welcome to today’s legislative hearing on public safety communications in the United States. I’m glad we were able to convene this hearing in a bipartisan manner, and we have several bipartisan bills in front of us today.

“I am looking forward to hearing from our witnesses about how these bills will improve communications for public safety and give first responders additional tools to do their jobs so they can best serve our communities.

“This hearing will be the next step in advancing the important legislation before us. In September we held a hearing examining the broad state of public safety communications. Now, we’re looking at legislative improvements to that space.

“Important things like upgrading our 911 call centers, improvements to our wireless emergency alerting, and improvements to our outage reporting are crucial improvements that we now can look at through a legislative lens.

“Alongside my friend Representative Carter from Louisiana, I recently introduced the Next Generation 911 Act. This legislation would establish a grant program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, for Next Generation 911 technology. It would also establish a nationwide Next Generation 911 Cybersecurity Center and a Next Generation 911 Advisory Board.

“Upgrading our nation’s call centers to NG911 technology is crucial for public safety. This internet protocol-based system will open the door for advanced tools for both the public and our first responders to use.

“Further, this legislation will enable deployment nationwide. A patchwork of call centers that still have aging, outdated legacy systems risks a communications landscape that is uneven and non-interoperable. I have been a long-time supporter of NG911 deployment nationwide and I am proud to lead this legislation to do so.

“We have a few bills before us that look to improve our wireless emergency alerts, or WEAs. Wireless alerts to mobile phones can be powerful tools to quickly and directly disseminate warnings of dangerous weather, threats to public safety, national emergencies, and even missing children. However, these alerts can only be received if a phone is in range of traditional cell service. As we see mobile carriers moving toward innovative technologies like satellite direct-to-device connections, it is worth exploring how this technology can be used as another tool for public safety communications like WEAs when outside of a terrestrial cell service network.

“Our public safety and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to help us in our times of need, and we must make sure they have the best tools to do their jobs.

“Today, we will hear from our witnesses about the legislative improvements to public safety communications before us and how these bills can make our country a safer place.

“I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today about these issues and how Congress can stand ready as a partner.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s Committee on Rules hearing on H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.

Chairman Guthrie’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member McGovern for inviting me to testify today.

“Sixteen years ago, Democrats passed Obamacare and fundamentally changed how health care is offered in the United States. Democrats sold the bill by promising the American people that Obamacare would reduce health care costs, preserve plan choice, and lower premiums for the American people.

“However, here we are, a decade and a half later and it is obvious that the Democrats’ promises have not proven true. Health care spending has only increased, plan options have been depleted, and the American people are being crushed by the unaffordability of the one-size-fits-all, government-first approach Obamacare codified.

“Since its passage, health care premiums in the Obamacare marketplace have increased by 80 percent, deductibles are now on average $5,000, and the average out of pocket maximum sits at over $20,000. All the while, Obamacare policies redirected trillions in taxpayer dollars to big health insurance plans.

“Without a doubt, Obamacare has proven to be unaffordable.

“Seizing the opportunity of COVID-19, Democrats passed temporary ‘enhanced’ taxpayer-funded subsidies that go to big health insurance plans. These temporary COVID Credits were designed to mask the unaffordability of Obamacare, and they were passed not once, but twice, without a single Republican vote of support.

“Democrats have now argued that these additional subsidies should be permanent, but let’s not forget how we got here. It was Democrats that set up these credits to expire at the end of this year.

“When they were in charge, they chose not to make them permanent. If these subsidies are as essential as the rhetoric today would suggest, why would they choose to allow them to expire?

“In that same legislation, again passed with only Democrat votes, they chose to prioritize tax credits for the wealthy to buy electric vehicles and sent $27 billion dollars to Democrats’ politically connected friends through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction slush Fund (including $2 billion to a group that only had $100 in previous revenue), instead of making these enhanced tax credits permanent.

“Since the Democrats created these temporary COVID Credits we’ve seen an explosion of waste, fraud, and abuse that has exacerbated a major affordability crisis and hurt millions of Americans across the country.

“How have Democrats responded to this? By shifting the blame of their own failed policies onto Republicans, attempting to force legislation that would continue to send hundreds of billions straight to the coffers of big health insurance plans, and turning a blind eye to the growing evidence of widespread Obamacare fraud.

“They would rather put a Band-Aid on rising health care costs, masking their true impact on American families, rather than focus on policies to actually address the issue.

“The most frustrating part about this is that health care affordability is a real issue impacting all Americans, and in the past, Republicans and Democrats have worked together to pass policies that would have a real impact on lowering costs for everyone.

“Instead of working to pass policies that would implement real, lasting solutions to lower health care costs for all Americans, Democrats have chosen the partisan path in an attempt to turn their own Obamacare policy failures into political points.

“I am proud of the policies that Republicans have worked on as a part of the Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans Act because they do exactly what the title of the bill says: advance real policies that lower costs for all Americans.

“The bill includes bipartisan policies that would finally take the first steps to hold drug industry middlemen, pharmacy benefit managers, accountable to their own customers: the American people. Policies in the Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans Act would shine a light on nefarious practices perpetrated by these middlemen and lower drug costs for all Americans.

“The Lower Health Care Costs for All Americans Act would also finally appropriate funds for Cost Sharing Reductions. This policy would reduce ACA premiums by 11 percent – an even greater savings than extending the Democrats’ temporary COVID Credits. Funding CSRs has also enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the past, and it is a policy that was previously endorsed by my friends Ranking Member Pallone, Ranking Member Neal, and Ranking Member McGovern.

“I hope that we can work across the aisle to support this commonsense bill that would—without a doubt—increase health care affordability for all Americans.

“I also hope that, in 2026, Democrats will choose to rise above the politics and work with Republicans to advance real policy solutions that build on provisions included in the Lower Health Care Costs for All Americans Act to make health care even more affordable for the American people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding three Subcommittee Hearings. Read more below.

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to discuss public safety communications in the United States.

• DATE: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
• TIME: 10:15 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing to examine how AI and biotechnology advancements affect biosecurity and efforts to mitigate risks.

• DATE: Wednesday, December 17, 2025
• TIME: 10:15 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment is holding a hearing to discuss the current statutory and regulatory landscape for PFAS.

• DATE: Thursday, December 18, 2025
• TIME: 10:00 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, announced a hearing titled Examining the Impact of EPA’s CERCLA Designation for Two PFAS Chemistries and Potential Policy Responses to Superfund Liability Concerns.

“We’ve heard from many stakeholders who do not produce or use PFAS, but encounter these substances passively through their essential work managing residential waste, growing food, or bringing clean water to our homes,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Palmer. “Federal actions have caused concerns about potential liability in the wake of EPA’s designation of two PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances under the Superfund law. This hearing is an opportunity to assess the current statutory and regulatory landscape for PFAS and consider what steps Congress may need to take to respond to these concerns.”

Subcommittee on Environment hearing titled Examining the Impact of EPA’s CERCLA Designation for Two PFAS Chemistries and Potential Policy Responses to Superfund Liability Concerns.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Environment hearing to discuss the current statutory and regulatory landscape for PFAS.

DATE: Thursday, December 18, 2025

TIME: 10:00 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Jackson Rudden with the Committee staff at Jackson.Rudden@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Mike Johnson (LA-04), Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08), celebrated the passage of three bills advanced by the Committee on Energy and Commerce to make our grid more reliable, lower energy costs for hard-working families, and get America back to building infrastructure.

H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act, introduced by Chairman Latta (OH-05), H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, introduced by Chairman Hudson (NC-09), and H.R.3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, introduced by Rep. Evans (CO-08), would help to provide essential information about our bulk power system, modernize the federal permitting process to expand our natural gas pipeline capacity, and ensure states are prioritizing the baseload power needed to keep the lights on.

Attributable to Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce:

“Since the beginning of this Congress, our Committee has fought to unleash the reliable and affordable energy that American families need,” said Chairman Guthrie. “These bills will help safeguard our energy security by bringing more baseload power online, strengthening our grid, and modernizing the federal permitting process. Thank you to Subcommittee Chairmen Latta and Hudson, and Congressman Evans, for your work on these vital pieces of legislation.”

Attributable to Congressman Mike Johnson (LA-04), Speaker of the House of Representatives:

“House Republicans continue to implement a pro-growth agenda that puts hard hats back on American workers, gets shovels in the ground, and unleashes the economic potential our nation has been denied for years by Democrats’ waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Speaker Johnson. “Republicans are ending the era where unelected regulators and radical activist lawyers weaponize bureaucracy and misuse laws like the Clean Water Act to block economic development and restrict opportunity in America.

“For too long, Washington’s paralysis and partisan climate red tape has driven up costs, drawn-out reviews, and delayed construction of roads, pipelines, factories, and critical infrastructure. This week, House Republicans delivered commonsense deregulation and long-overdue reforms to repair a broken permitting system and remove barriers that have held America back. These bills codify more of President Trump’s executive orders and help unlock the full benefits and historic investments within our Working Families Tax Cuts. Republicans continue to advance pro-growth policies that expedite development, empower American industry, and create conditions for long-term competitiveness and prosperity.”

Attributable to Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy:

“Energy security is national security, and this bill brings us one step closer to unleashing American energy dominance,” said Chairman Latta. “The Electric Supply Chain Act will strengthen the reliability of our electric grid, secure our electric grid supply chains, and ensure we can power the artificial intelligence data centers of the future. Together, these efforts reinforce American-led energy production and security across the board. I’m grateful to my House colleagues for supporting this bill, and I urge the Senate to act on this critical legislation.”

Attributable to Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology:

“Delays in the construction of new natural gas pipelines drive up energy prices,” said Chairman Hudson. “My bill makes long-overdue modernizations to the permitting process by streamlining the regulatory authority of FERC. This makes sure the environment is protected, but no single state can arbitrarily block the construction of new pipelines.”

Attributable to Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08):

“For years Colorado’s ruling Democrats have pushed out-of-touch policies and burdensome regulations that have led to skyrocketing energy bills and increased financial strain, resulting in further mental and physical stress on hard-working families across the state,” said Congressman Evans. “This legislation puts Coloradans first by holding state regulatory entities like Colorado Public Utilities Commission accountable by new federal standards, to ensure they are focused on considering energy reliability and affordability. I’m proud to lead the charge on legislation that lowers costs, uplifts working-class Americans, and strengthens our nation's energy dominance.”

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BACKGROUND:

H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act – Rep. Latta (OH-05)

• The bill would direct the Department of Energy to conduct periodic assessments of supply chain constraints or vulnerabilities that could impact the bulk power system.
• The Biden-Harris Administration’s misguided energy agenda furthered our reliance on adversarial nations like China for critical materials and manufacturing for wind turbines, solar panels, and grid components that are needed for intermittent generation resources.
• As our nation’s electric system is under strain from premature retirements of baseload power and historic demand increases from manufacturing and technology, we must ensure our federal government and policy makers are equipped with the necessary tools to protect the affordability and reliability of the bulk power system.

H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act – Rep. Hudson (NC-09)

• Under current law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is designated as the lead agency for coordinating necessary environmental reviews and associated federal authorizations for interstate natural gas pipelines.
• Unfortunately, pipeline infrastructure approvals are often delayed due to a lack of coordination—or inaction—among states and other federal agencies involved in the process. In 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects natural gas demand to reach an all-time. Now more than ever, it is critical we expand our natural gas pipeline capacity to meet that demand.
• This legislation modernizes the federal permitting process for interstate natural gas pipelines by bolstering FERC’s role as the lead agency for environmental reviews as the coordinator of Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality reviews. This legislation will help lower energy costs, provide natural gas to power our economy, and strengthen our nation’s energy security.

H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act – Rep. Evans (CO-08)

• This legislation would require state Public Utility Commissions to consider requirements for utilities to have sufficient generation from reliable and dispatchable energy sources, such as natural gas, nuclear, coal, and hydropower, over a 10-year period.
• The ongoing reliability crisis facing our nation stems from Democrat policies designed to drive out baseload generation in favor of intermittent wind and solar, harming our ability to onshore manufacturing and burdening households with higher costs.
• Running a grid on wind and solar is akin to paying for two parallel grids, in part, because these energy sources require backup resources when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine. Residential ratepayers bear the financial burden of these choices.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s Member Day hearing.

Chairman Guthrie’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning and welcome to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

“Our hearing today is the Committee’s Member Day hearing. It is an opportunity to hear from our friends and colleagues across the House of Representatives who have legislative priorities that fall within our Committee’s broad jurisdiction.

“The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest authorizing Committee in Congress. Last Monday marked the 230th year of the Committee and another opportunity to reflect on and celebrate its rich legislative history. In just the last year alone, we have had 53 bills pass out of the House, and ten bills signed into law by the President.

“Much of our Committee’s work is done in a bipartisan manner. In fact, we held an important subcommittee markup yesterday discussing bills to keep our children safe online. I want to thank Ranking Member Pallone and his Members for working with us on that important legislation. But also—despite some of our policy disagreements—Ranking Member Pallone and I have found several ways to work together on Committee priorities to deliver solutions for the American people. This bipartisanship is another deep tradition of the Committee.

“I want to thank my colleagues before us today for coming before the Committee to share your hard work, your perspectives, and your legislative ideas. We know the matters you are presenting to the Committee are not only important to you, but also to the hundreds of thousands of constituents whom you serve.

“The Committee looks forward to listening and learning from you today as we all work together on behalf of the American people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today's markup of 18 bills to protect children and teens online.

Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning, and welcome to today’s subcommittee markup, another important step in advancing legislation to protect children online.

“Our children are facing an online epidemic. Around 95 percent of teenagers use social media, and far too many have been cyberbullied or faced other harms online. This issue is personal – we have parents on both sides of the aisle, and all of us represent families back home who have been affected.

“In my home district in Tampa Bay, we lost 16-year-old McKenna Brown after relentless online bullying. Her tragedy—and the heartbreak of her family—is a constant reminder of why we must act.

“It’s because of countless stories like this, that we’re here today.

“We’re considering nearly twenty bills, that together form a comprehensive strategy to protect kids and teens online. Our approach is clear: protect kids, empower parents, and future proof our legislation as new risks and technologies emerge. Families deserve clarity. Parents deserve control. And bad actors must face real consequences.

“The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, is among these bills—a strong proposal with concrete safeguards and obligations for companies, and one I am proud to lead.

“But no single bill is a complete solution. These proposals work together, complementing and reinforcing one another to create the safest possible environment for children. There is no one-size-fits-all bill to protect kids online—and our plan reflects that.

“Parents must be empowered to safeguard their children online. Just as a parent can guide their kids’ activities at home and in school, they should be able to guide their children’s activities online. Our bills ensure parents have the tools and information they need to keep their kids safe in a modern, increasingly complex environment.

“The status quo is unacceptable, and we are here to change and ensure meaningful consequences for platforms that fail to protect our kids.

“Today is about progress. It’s about setting aside differences and doing right by the families who are counting on us. I’m confident that, working together, we can advance meaningful, bipartisan solutions that give parents peace of mind and make the online world safer for every child. I appreciate the hard work of my colleagues, and I look forward to continuing this effort in the days ahead.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, led a markup of several kids internet and digital safety bills.

“Today we advanced 18 measures to empower parents with stronger, smarter tools to help them keep their kids safe online,” said Chairman Bilirakis. “Protecting children in the digital age is not optional—it is a moral imperative and today was an important step forward in achieving this goal.”

Legislative Vote Summary

• H.R. 6290, Safe Social Media Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6259, No Fentanyl on Social Media Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6289, Promoting a Safe Internet for Minors Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6437, Kids Internet Safety Partnership Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 5360, AI Warnings And Resources for Education (AWARE) Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6499, Assessing Safety Tools for Parents and Minors Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 2657, Sammy’s Law, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6265, Safer Guarding of Adolescents from Malicious Interactions on Network Games (GAMING) Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6273, Stop Profiling Youth and (SPY) Kids Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6253, Algorithmic Choice and Transparency Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6489, Safeguarding Adolescents From Exploitative (SAFE) Bots Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 1623, Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6257, Safe Messaging for Kids Act of 2025, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 3149, App Store Accountability Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6333, Parents Over Platforms Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6292, Don’t Sell Kids’ Data Act of 2025, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 6484, Kids Online Safety Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 13 Yeas to 10 Nays.
• H.R. 6291, Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 14 Yeas to 10 Nays.

Below are key excerpts from today’s markup:

Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09) on H.R. 6489, the Safeguarding Adolescents From Exploitative (SAFE) Bots Act: “Kids aren’t just scrolling feeds. They’re forming real emotional attachments to AI chatbots that can mimic authority, appear trustworthy, and respond at all hours. [...] Parents are, quite simply, outmatched, and the status quo is not acceptable. The SAFE Bots Act creates clear baseline guardrails. It prohibits AI from impersonating licensed professionals—no chatbots should act like a doctor or a therapist to a child. It requires age-appropriate disclosure so minors know they are talking to AI, not a human, and that the chatbots cannot provide licensed professional advice.”

Congressman John James (MI-10) on H.R. 3149, the App Store Accountability Act: “App stores should follow the same commonsense rules we expect from every small business. If a corner store can’t knowingly sell adult or addictive products to minors, then neither should the world’s largest digital storefronts.”

Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) on H.R. 6484, the Kids Online Safety Act: “KOSA protects kids across America by mandating default safeguards and easy-to-use parental controls to empower families. [...] KOSA will broadly protect kids and teens, while the other bills before us address particular harms or take specific approaches to help ensure no existing threat is left unaddressed. In many ways, those bills make KOSA even stronger by working alongside them. [...] It is the foundation and the safety net with concrete safeguards to keep kids and teens safe.”