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Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Environmental Protection Agency Budget.”  “Today we will discuss the President’s budget and priorities for the Environmental Protection Agency. “This committee plays a critical role in ensuring U.S. energy and economic security and leadership. “For decades, America has led the world in innovation and entrepreneurship, while continuing to maintain some of the highest environmental standards in the world. “We should be proud of this legacy and work together to advance smart policies that continue to build that legacy for generations to come.” ENABLING A RADICAL AGENDA “But sadly, the Biden administration and congressional Democrats are working to dismantle that legacy. “Their spending and regulatory policies continue to put America on a dangerous path that threatens our economic and energy security, while enriching our adversaries, like China, and making us beholden to them for critical materials. “The Biden administration and its allies have done this in ways that lack transparency and prevent accountability for their actions that threaten the American manufacturing and energy resources. “This is not acceptable in a free and democratic society. “Since President Biden took office, the EPA has been given $109 billion in additional funding and grown its workforce to over 15,000 employees. “President Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2025, contains almost $11 billion in new funding requests for EPA—an increase of more than 8 percent from the current year. “This is 16.3 percent more than when the Biden administration came into office. “His proposed budget also calls for more than 2,000 new employees—a 12 percent increase over this fiscal year and almost 20 percent—or a one fifth increase in EPA bureaucrats since taking office, all to accelerate his radical rush-to-green agenda.” HARMFUL TO AMERICANS “Americans are already feeling the impacts of this agenda. “Since the Biden administration took office, electricity prices have risen 30 percent. “That's 50 percent more than the overall pace of inflation. “Unilateral actions like those taken by the administration continue to drive out affordable, reliable baseload generation needed to keep energy prices low and the lights on. “Grid operators and others have been sounding the alarm for years, warning that the U.S. is on a dangerous and unsustainable path. “Continuing this trend will mean higher prices and what the grid experts have warned the committee about: catastrophic blackouts. “In addition, the auto waivers for California and other allied states, as well as the federal mandates on car makers, are taking away affordable and practical transportation from Americans. “Ask any car dealer. “Their lots are full of EVs that won’t sell, and they have limited access to the vehicle models people actually want.” EPA IS COMPLICIT IN ECONOMIC HARM “The Biden administration’s regulatory machine has finalized 125 rules resulting in over one TRILLION dollars of new regulatory costs on American businesses. “These are costs that eventually will fall on the American people. “EPA rules are a critical part of the Biden agenda, and the agency’s policies, like the new PM2.5 standards, will make permitting for new manufacturing and development nearly impossible across the country. “We want to understand why EPA thinks the U.S. will be able to maintain economic leadership with these anti-manufacturing, anti-American policies, all of which enrich and make us more reliant upon China. “If we are serious about growing our economy and not China’s, we need a predictable and realistic regulatory environment, we need EPA to actually meet statutory deadlines for new chemical reviews, and we need data driven decisions that appropriately balance a healthy environment with a healthy economy. “EPA must return to its core mission, which does not include undermining the economic prosperity of the United States or driving costs up across the board for Americans.” 

Washington D.C. —  Today, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement on H.R. 3950, the  Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act,  which passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 388 - 24: “This consensus legislation will end deceptive ticketing practices that frustrate consumers who simply want to enjoy a concert, show, or sporting event by restoring fairness and transparency to the ticket marketplace. After years of bipartisan work, we will now be able to enhance the customer experience of buying event tickets online. We look forward to continuing to work together to urge quick Senate passage so that we can send it to the President's desk to be signed into law.” The TICKET Act would increase transparency and fairness in the live event ticket marketplace by:  • Requiring the total price of an event ticket be displayed upfront, inclusive of all fees • Banning the sale of a ticket that a seller does not have (“speculative ticketing”) • Guaranteeing refunds for event cancellations and postponements  • Requiring clear disclosures and banning deceptive URLS to protect consumers from fraudulent ticketing websites • Requiring the Federal Trade Commission study and report on enforcement of the BOTS Act (Pub.L. 114-274)

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 National Telecommunications and Information Administration Budget.”  RATE REGULATION LETTER “The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for managing federal spectrum use and awarding funds to deploy broadband. “In December, following the last NTIA oversight hearing, Chair Latta and I sent a letter regarding your prior testimony suggesting that NTIA was allowing—and even encouraging—rate regulation by States participating in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program. “In your response, you stated that NTIA will consider any definition proposed by an 'eligible entity,' provided that it meets the standards laid out in the BEAD statute. “We agree that NTIA is bound to that statute when implementing the BEAD program. “And the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act explicitly states that NTIA is not authorized to regulate rates charged for broadband services. “Yet we continue to hear from states that NTIA is pushing them to include rate regulated options in their initial proposals for BEAD funding, which completely violates the intent of the law. “Because of NTIA’s decisions, some states have said that additional federal funding will be needed. “They’ve veered away from the technology-neutral principles mandated by law and even sought to engage in rate regulation of broadband service, despite them knowing that this will fail to connect all Americans. “Many of these proposals jeopardize the success of the BEAD program and hinder the program’s mission, to connect as many Americans as possible. “While this program is distributed by the federal government and state broadband offices, it will be the participating providers, both big and small, that will ultimately determine the BEAD program’s success. “It’s vital that NTIA follows Congressional direction, administers this program to the letter of the law and rejects state plans that stray from these goals, regardless of political leaning and leadership.” CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS “I am encouraged that NTIA is working with agencies to streamline the permitting process for BEAD recipients. “With billions of dollars made available for broadband deployment, interagency coordination on all levels is key to ensuring this money is not wasted and efforts are not duplicated. “But I caution the agency against creating a permitting regime that only benefits government funded projects, which will further discourage investment and widen the digital divide. “This Committee has taken decisive action to rollback similar permitting requirements for all broadband projects. “H.R. 3557, the American Broadband Deployment Act, would allow all broadband infrastructure to benefit from the same categorical exclusions that BEAD recipients will enjoy. “I hope NTIA and the Biden administration will support that bill and work with us to get it signed into law.” SPECTRUM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN “Another shared priority is making spectrum available for commercial use, which is essential to maintain American leadership in next-generation wireless technology. “In March, the NTIA released its National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan. “This plan provides a roadmap for ensuring America is leading in spectrum, including timelines for spectrum studies, and I commend NTIA for its transparency in this process thus far. “As the manager of federal government spectrum, I hope NTIA is collaborating with other relevant agencies to push for the most efficient use of spectrum and to identify spectrum that can be made available for commercial use. “Finally, I’m sure we will be hearing about the Affordability Connectivity Program today. There seems to be a lot of finger-pointing from the White House and Democrats on who is to blame. “The Senate, which is controlled by the President’s own party, has not yet acted to fund this program, or reached out to House Republicans to find a solution. “I will also note that as the funding cliff for this program approaches, we’ve seen a remarkable response from industry, offering low-cost options for broadband internet as low as $10 dollars per month, well below ACP’s $30 dollar floor. “We all share the goal of making sure Americans are connected. Hopefully we can move beyond trying to score political points and work together to find a viable, long-term, fiscally responsible way to make it happen.” 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Environmental Protection Agency Budget.” RUSH-TO-GREEN AGENDA IS DESTROYING AMERICAN MANUFACTURING   “I recently assumed the gavel of this subcommittee and am privileged to be able to lead this panel’s important work to advance policies which provide for environmental protection while also growing our manufacturing and industrial base.  “My district in southeast Georgia features over 100 miles of pristine coastline, the Okefenokee Swamp, and thriving forestlands.  “These are resources we cherish and strive to protect for future generations.  “We are also one of the fastest growing economies in the country.  “Billions of dollars of investment are flowing to my district, fueled by Georgia’s pro-business policies, low-electricity rates, and access to the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick.  “To the detriment of my district and the stated goals of this administration, the EPA’s regulatory agenda is poised to choke the prospects for increased prosperity.  “The recently finalized Particulate Matter—PM2.5—standard will gridlock permitting at new and expanded manufacturing facilities.  “By placing the standard so close to the natural background level, studies indicate that nearly 80 percent of manufacturing projects would fail to obtain a permit, including the $5.5 billion Hyundai EV battery plant in my district.  “Luckily, this investment received its permit before the standard was revised.  “China controls over seventy-five percent of the EV battery supply chain and actions like the PM2.5 standard threaten to tighten their chokehold on battery manufacturing.  “Meanwhile, the EPA, in its zealous rush to green agenda, has mandated that almost 70 percent of new passenger vehicles sold by 2032 be electric.  “I am not anti-EV. I believe there is a market for EVs, and we should be building up our entire supply chain, including in Georgia, to reduce reliance on China.  “However, I am anti-mandate. The EPA’s EV mandate reduces consumer choice, and its efforts to limit new critical mineral refining ties us to China and threatens grid reliability.”  EPA’S ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH DOESN’T WORK   “While the administration pushes grandiose electrification visions, the EPA seems to have forgotten that electricity does not come from the plug.  “The illegal Clean Power Plan 2.0 threatens to shutter 16 percent of our reliable, baseload generation that comes from coal-fired power—stranding assets, raising rates, and increasing blackouts.  “Section 111 of the Clean Air Act requires the 'best system of emission reduction' to be ‘adequately demonstrated.’  “By mandating that states require coal-fired plants with a useful life beyond 2039 achieve 90 percent carbon capture by 2032, the EPA overstepped its authority and will land itself back in crosshairs of the Courts.  “No coal-fired power plant in North America has achieved a 90 percent capture rate. There are no projects to demonstrate this even close to deployment. Guesswork is not a basis for telling states what standards to set.  “The EPA does not even have a history of timely permitting the injection wells necessary for carbon sequestration.  “I note, two states EPA has finally allowed to do this have permitted more injection sites in just two years than the EPA has in a decade—not a sign that EPA is serious about relying on this technology.”  IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITH STATE REGULATORS   “I am surprised, that since you are a former State regulator, the administration has not more effectively leveraged your experience and relationships with your co-regulators, the States.  “Unfortunately, a much different relationship has been fostered and it is my view that the agency has drifted far from the statutory principle of cooperative federalism. “Last year’s Interstate Transport Rule underscores this sad situation. “In the rule, the EPA denied 21 State Implementation Plans for ozone standards and less than one month later, the agency imposed Federal Implementation Plans on 23 states, nearly half of the country. “Now, the agency finds itself again in the Supreme Court. Something that could have been avoided if the agency had worked with its co-regulators. “Today, we will explore these regulatory topics, as well as the agency’s activities with its massive infusion of funding from the IRA. “It is imperative that Congress conducts robust oversight of the more than $41.5 billion given to EPA in the IRA, including the $31 billion in taxpayer funds the EPA was provided for its green bank and environmental justice block grant programs.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following joint statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced suspension and proposed debarment of EcoHealth Alliance from receiving federal funding. “This announcement is welcomed but long overdue. Not only did EcoHealth Alliance intend to mislead the federal government through research proposals, but EcoHealth’s President Peter Daszak also lied to Congress. This deception and obstruction alone are enough to merit debarment and come in addition to EcoHealth’s mishandling of taxpayer-funded grant money and failure to conduct meaningful oversight of the now-debarred Wuhan Institute of Virology. “We commend the U.S. Right to Know for uncovering the notes from the DEFUSE Project grant application that revealed Daszak’s deception, as well as members from both sides of the aisle who worked to hold him accountable.”

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 National Telecommunications and Information Administration Budget.”  NTIA MUST RESPONSIBLY MANAGE THE BEAD PROGRAM   “Today, members of this committee expect an update on America’s largest investment to bridge the digital divide: the BEAD program.  “This $42.45 billion dollar fund is statutorily obligated to connect unserved and underserved Americans to reliable broadband Internet so that they are able to reap the benefits that come with connectivity.  “Since we last spoke, states submitted their initial proposals for this funding.  “Louisiana, the first state to submit their Volume II application, celebrated the approval of their initial proposal on December 15, 2023.  “Now, over four months later, NTIA has only approved the Volume II applications for three additional states: Kansas, Nevada, and West Virginia.  “I hope NTIA will not miss the statutory timeline for this program. It is essential for you to work diligently to keep this program on track to close the digital divide.  “While it is important to have reasonable processing timelines for this program, ensuring that BEAD is a program that broadband providers will be willing to participate in is also essential.  “In February, the Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General echoed the sentiment that Republicans have stated since the passage of the infrastructure law: the BEAD program must be technology neutral to fit the broadband needs of the different states and territories.  “The OIG warned that NTIA must relax the fiber preference and Extremely High-Cost threshold to take into consideration the limited availability of resources to support a fiber preference.  “Ignoring innovations in unlicensed fixed wireless and satellite technologies will make the BEAD program a 'deploy as much fiber as possible' program instead of the 'connect every American' program that Congress directed.” WORKING WITH STATE REGULATORS “In addition, members of this committee have expressed concern about NTIA forcing states to regulate broadband rates, imposing burdensome labor requirements, and ignoring other congressional directives. “Now that OIG has confirmed our earlier fears, we hope you will finally listen to the other concerns we have raised. “I expect that we will hear today from the Assistant Secretary and my Democrat colleagues about the need to provide funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. “I will just note that the Senate is controlled by your party and has yet to send a solution to the House. “We have also not been asked to work on reforms to the program that would earn our support to fund. “However, I am actively participating in the bipartisan, bicameral USF Working Group, which is working on a long term, sustainable solution to ensuring that the Affordable Connectivity Program is sustainable long term, and I would encourage all of my colleagues to support that effort. “Broadband is only one facet of our conversation today. “NTIA’s work spans from leading the executive branch in studies on federal spectrum use, reports on artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to spurring innovation in public safety and open radio access networks.” NTIA REAUTHORIZATION “As NTIA’s mission continues to expand, it is important Congress’ intent for the agency remains clear. Reauthorizing the NTIA is still a top priority for this committee, and I look forward to my bill with the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee being considered by the full House this week that will do just that. It has now been over 30 years since NTIA was last authorized.  “It is our duty to provide direction to the executive branch agencies within our jurisdiction and this committee takes that role seriously.  “We must move H.R. 4510, the NTIA Reauthorization Act through the Senate and to the Presidents desk.  “I must note I was disappointed, following our December oversight hearing, that we did not receive answers in the 30 days we requested on the additional questions we sent you, and instead, got a response months later on April 19th.  “This delay is unacceptable.  “As Members of Congress, and your oversight committee, you have a responsibility to respond to inquiries in a timely manner.  “Following this hearing, we expect prompt responses to our questions.” 

Washington D.C. — Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4510, the National Telecommunications Information and Administration Reauthorization Act , led by Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA). Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement upon passage: “For continued American leadership, we must ensure the NTIA’s mission, structure, and responsibilities reflect the modern communications ecosystem. This legislation reauthorizes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the first time in over 30 years and modernizes the mission of the agency. NTIA plays an important role in our ongoing efforts to close the digital divide and secure connectivity for every American. I thank Reps. Latta and Matsui for leading on this legislation to give the NTIA clear direction and ensure the U.S. is dominating in everything from responsible management of our spectrum resources to broadband and artificial intelligence.” 

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Reagan, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA), on behalf of the Oversight and Environment Subcommittee Republicans, are pressing for answers about the recently-awarded Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS :  “As you know, the Committee has questioned how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) planned to distribute the $20 billion available to selected recipients under the new GGRF program, including the $14 billion for the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF). Specifically, the Committee cited warnings that the EPA could use these large awards to subsidize favored organizations. At a January 30, 2024, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing, Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers highlighted examples of former Biden administration officials and Democratic campaign staff in leadership roles of organizations vying for NCIF funding. Predictably, the EPA’s April 4, 2024, announcement of NCIF recipients confirmed our fears that this program would funnel taxpayer dollars to political allies.” [...] “Other individuals with ties to Democratic politics also lead organizations partnering with these recipients. While the EPA insists it had ethics rules and a fair competition policy in place, doling out billions of dollars to organizations led by politically connected individuals undermines public trust in the legitimacy of the federal financial awards process. It also furthers the concern that this program was created as an excuse to hand out funding to political allies.” The Chairs cited more than a dozen examples of politically connected leaders of organizations to which EPA plans to distribute billions of taxpayer dollars, and have requested a list of all of the nearly two dozen stakeholder meetings the EPA held in designing the program, including the dates, names of the individuals and organizations participating as well as any related minutes or memoranda by May 28, 2024. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

Highlights from the Communications and Technology Subcommittee Field Hearing on Increasing Rural Broadband Access The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a field hearing in Bakersfield, California, last week. Members spoke with local leaders about ongoing challenges with meaningful connectivity in rural communities and how we can close the digital divide. In Bakersfield specifically, rural farmers use internet access to enhance their farming process. As Communications and Technology Vice Chair Randy Weber (R-TX) said , “Broadband connectivity enables some of the greatest technologies that we have today. Precision agriculture is increasing crop yield and decreasing the resources required for all sorts of farming. Access to broadband internet is providing new opportunities to rural communities for innovation: from drones used to monitor crop health to autonomous tractors.” Check out these stories from the hearing: “At a nearly two-hour field hearing inside the Mechanics Bank Convention Center, Central Valley farming representatives joined rural internet service providers in highlighting the importance of high-speed connectivity to precision agriculture as well as poor communities reliant on computers for health care, education and remote work.”  [...]  “Two farming industry representatives called to testify before the committee explained how so-called precision agriculture requires high-speed internet to sustain technological advancements that have increased yield while reducing need for water and materials such as pesticides.  “‘None of it would be possible without broadband and high-speed broadband,’ said Don Cameron, vice president and general manager of Terranova Ranch, a specialty crop operation located southwest of Fresno. Beyond its value in ag, he noted, broadband access helps deliver lessons to schoolchildren.”  “A delegation of U.S. congress members part of the Congressional Western Caucus and House Energy and Commerce Committee was in Kern County Friday.   “Friday morning, in Bakersfield, they held a field hearing to discuss how to expand broadband — or high-speed internet — access to rural communities, like many in Kern.”   [...] “Rep. Jay Obernolte: ‘Our children are not going to succeed in 21st century America with the knowledge necessary and the job skills necessary,’ said Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake). ‘We’re not going to be able to do that without finishing the job of extending broadband.’ “Obernolte also noted with AI being an inseparable part of the near future, children must be adapted to modern technology.” “Don Cameron, General Manager for Terranova Ranch was one of the four people that testified on Friday. In his eyes, as the world progressively gets smarter, so has farming, which means internet connectivity needs to keep up. “‘The hope is that we will have high-speed internet, the money that's being allocated will get to the last mile, that will get to the farm and we will be able to join the rest of the world with high-speed internet,’ said Cameron. [...] “In turn, the federal government is putting money towards bridging that digital divide, but all across the country, the question now is how that money gets spent.”   From left to right: Reps. Randy Weber (R-TX), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), and Jay Obernolte (R-CA)   From left to right: Reps. John Duarte (R-CA), Burgess Owens (R-UT), and David Valadao (R-CA) CLICK HERE to watch the hearing. CLICK HERE to read Rep. Weber’s opening statement.