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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 hearing titled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending."  “I am pleased to welcome our sole witness today, the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency, Sean O’Donnell.  “Mr. O’Donnell has held the position of Inspector General since early 2020 and is here to testify before this Subcommittee on the spending and activities of the Agency, especially those connected to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA and the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA.”  MASSIVE INCREASE IN EPA BUDGET   “For context, the Environmental Protection Agency’s entire non-IIJA, non-IRA annual budget for fiscal year 2024 is $10.136 billion. This amount reflects an increase of 10.4 percent over EPA’s Fiscal Year 2021 funding level of $9.085 billion.  “The IIJA, alone, provided EPA $60 billion over five fiscal years or $12 million dollars in annual appropriations to EPA. Not only was it the single largest appropriation ever provided to EPA, but it also more than doubled annual spending at the Agency during the Biden-Harris administration.  “The IRA later came along and gave EPA another $41.5 billion dollars in new and expanded programs at EPA.  “That’s two bills, an additional $101.5 billion, and roughly ten times the amount of money normally dropped off at EPA to spend.  “This is a massive infusion of funding and outrageous level of spending and pressure on our national debt, particularly for many of my Republicans colleagues who represent almost two-thirds of congressional districts in America where the average median income is below the national average and whose children will be asked to pay for this spending.”  RIGOROUS OVERSIGHT PROTECTS AGAINST WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE   “Regardless of if you voted for these bills, though, I hope you will agree with me that it is imperative that Congress conducts robust oversight of all this money given to EPA and the other agencies—it is the right thing to do.  “That said, I realize that there may be some limits to how much information the Inspector General has for us today and may be able to get for us in the future.  “Congress clearly directed his office to oversee IIJA funding and gave his office $53 million a year to do it. Unfortunately, IRA provided the IG no requirement to police that spending and Congress has approved no funding to do it.  “Regardless, fulfilling these directives—or lack thereof—are dependent upon the willingness of EPA to allow real oversight to occur.  “The Committee has had uneven results in its own investigating of these programs.  Sometimes we have had success, sometimes we have met resistance, and usually we’ve been made to wait a long time to find out which it is.  “When Administrator Regan testified earlier this year, he assured us that he talks with the IG all the time when we asked him if he was fully cooperating on the oversight. I look forward to finding out if the Inspector General’s experience has been different than the Committee’s.  “If his experience is less than satisfactory, I would like to know what legal constraints he faces and what he needs from EPA to be successful.”  LEARNING FROM THE PAST   “I also think it is important to find out if EPA implemented any lessons that it should have learned from its spending experiences with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  “And, if EPA made any changes based on this experience, what difference, if any, it made.  “We should know more about how much of the allocated IRA funding has already been spent, what type of quality control EPA and its grantees are placing on this on the disbursement and use of this funding—including by third-party vendors on the use of the money, and what objective measurements are being used to measure the results.  “Finally, I hope we are able to explore some of EPA’s interactions with the States, which also have a significant burden with these funds.  “This is especially important in light of the aggressive regulatory push by this Administration and it’s non-governmental, ideological allies.  “I look forward to an insightful discussion with our witness.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee hearing titled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending.”  “American families are struggling to make ends meet.  “The Biden-Harris administration’s radical rush-to-green energy policies have fueled out-of-control inflation, which has driven up prices by more than 20 percent and destroyed the economic stability American families deserve.  “While American families are increasingly worried about unaffordable costs, the Biden-Harris administration is working relentlessly to expand its radical energy agenda.  “Today we’ll examine the Biden-Harris EPA—the most radical EPA to date—and its rush-to-green spending spree, as well as how we can hold them accountable for the American people.”  MASSIVE NEW EPA BUDGET   “In November of 2021, the Biden-Harris administration signed into law the so-called ‘Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,’ authorizing $1.2 trillion in spending.  “$60 billion dollars of this taxpayer funding was provided to the EPA—the single largest grant of funding EVER at one time to the agency—doubling their overall budget for five straight years.  “Not even one year later, in August of 2022, the Biden-Harris administration provided another $41.5 billion to the EPA in the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act.’  “As Republicans warned, the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ did not lower inflation. It made already surging inflation worse.  “Recently, President Biden admitted that the goal of the bill was to fund his radical rush-to-green agenda, calling it ‘the most significant climate change law ever.’”  LEARNING FROM THE PAST   “Spending at this pace and scale for any agency should raise concerns, but especially for an agency like the EPA with a known track record of waste, fraud, and abuse.  “Fifteen years ago, the Obama administration doled out $787 billion in taxpayer money to pay for a slew of left-wing programs and pet projects.  “The EPA was given roughly $7.2 billion—nearly doubling its annual budget at the time.  “Even at that level, the EPA was not able to responsibly manage the spending.  “The Inspector General at the time found funding that violated various federal requirements, poor guidance from the agency to states and recipients of the money, and problems with managing, monitoring and verifying where the money was being spent.  “That is why it is incredibly alarming that since President Biden took office, the EPA has been given $109 billion in additional funding and grown its workforce to over 15,000 employees.  “The amount of funding and the scope of these laws demand consistent and rigorous oversight by Congress and independent bodies like the Inspector General, especially considering the failures of the past.  “Anything less is a disservice to taxpayers.”  EPA’S RADICAL TAX AND SPEND AGENDA   “The EPA cannot continue to fund the most radical parts of a rush-to-green agenda—one that puts America on a dangerous path—threatens our economic and national security and enriches our adversaries, like China.  “Take, for example, the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is just a $27-billion slush fund of taxpayer money that is vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse.  “At an Oversight Subcommittee hearing we held earlier this year the EPA could not confirm whether or not the Chinese Communist Party could receive money from this fund.  “Additionally, the EPA has issued stringent and burdensome regulations on coal and natural gas-fired power plants, while also dragging their feet in processing carbon capture permits, which are needed to comply with these power plant regulations.  “The EPA is imposing harsh government mandates, and then making it even harder for plants to adjust to the new rules.  “There are countless examples of EPA’s radical rush-to-green spending and regulatory policies like these. “It is troubling that the Democrat-led Inflation Reduction Act did not provide the Office of Inspector General—the office that ensures accountability and integrity at the EPA—funding to conduct necessary oversight. “In addition to greater accountability and transparency, the EPA must also return to its core statutory functions, which do not include undermining the economic prosperity of the United States or driving costs up across the board for Americans. “Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and I look forward to shining more light on what is happening at the EPA during today’s hearing.”

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.”    CURRENT FTC IS BREAKING HISTORIC NORMS “A couple months ago, our subcommittee welcomed the five Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine the current state of the agency.  “The specific focus of that hearing being to examine how Chair Khan is using the budget that Congress has afforded the Commission to carry out its mission. “During that hearing, I spoke about the bipartisan concern of Chair Khan’s priorities, intended or not, which have torn down the historic norms, practices, and reputation of the FTC as a consumer protection agency. “The precedent now being set matters—and we should discuss what this means for the future of the FTC’s trust with both consumers and business.”  DETERIORATING FTC CULTURE “Over the last few years, we’ve seen staff morale plummet. Despite being an independent agency, career staff no longer have the independence they used to have, particularly in educating consumers about avoiding scams. “Staff hours and resources that could have been spent protecting seniors in my state and others from scams were shifted to press releases and expansive rulemakings and competition issues.   Meanwhile, our constituents continue to be defrauded on a daily basis. “It just sends the wrong message when for decades, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, career experts were able to work with their economist counterparts to assess the cost and benefit of a proposal. “Instead, sadly that once commonplace approach was upended and powers consolidated under the Chair’s general counsel office. “This kind of approach isolates the commissioners from their value and expertise within the agency and further ups the ante on partisanship, rather than faithfully executing the law. “The whole process gets corrupted this way, as too often left out of FTC proposals is important economic analysis and thorough stakeholder collaboration and—of course—what impact may be had on the backbone of our economy otherwise known as legitimate businesses. “This shift of actively seeking civil penalties and sending warning letters to have the judicial standing to seek them is inappropriate and predatory and must be abandoned. “The FTC should seek to encourage compliance of their policies, not bank on enforcement. “We cannot allow this FTC to continue to ruin its prior reputation as the premier consumer protection agency for the country.” RETURNING FTC TO THEIR MISSION “Their task to protect consumers from fraud and scams is too important to dedicate resources on legal theories and gotcha schemes. “My words may be harsh, and I may be upsetting some of my colleagues, but every day my constituents are plagued by scams: examples such as bad actors stealing seniors’ hard-earned money by pretending to be a loved one in search of help or claiming they’re a government agency warning of impending legal trouble that only a 500-dollar gift card could solve. “And in this economy, according to reports, Florida ranked third in most scams reported by residents: 1,393 per 100,000 residents. “This hearing serves to take a fresh eye to older reform proposals, to start thinking about new ones, and get the FTC back to its tried-and-true approaches and its essential consumer protection role. “Americans every day are getting ripped off. “I know each of us want the FTC to have the tools they need to go after these bad actors, and we must be responsible when legislating to prevent history from repeating itself from when much earlier iterations of the FTC tried to enact expansive rulemakings. “Let’s use this discussion today to learn what we can be doing to reform the FTC and turn it back into an agency each of us, on both sides of the aisle, would be willing to go to bat for.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.”  “Thank you to our distinguished witnesses who are here today to discuss the current state of an agency we all want to be there for us if we’ve been defrauded or deceived.  “The FTC’s core mission is to be at the forefront of protecting Americans, making it critical that they earn and keep the public’s trust and respect.”  DECADES OF BIPARTISANSHIP AND FOCUS   “I have been clear from the start of this Congress about my concern that the current FTC is heading in the wrong direction.  “Prior to the Biden-Harris administration, the FTC always worked to build consensus and champion bipartisanship.  “Certainly, there were differences of opinion—not every decision ended in a five to zero vote.  “However, at that time, commissioners and staff embraced a culture where they could freely exchange ideas and feel heard.  “Those open and honest discussions allowed the FTC to act in the American people’s best interest and garner the public’s trust.  “Disappointingly, this 40-year tradition and culture has been lost.  “The FTC has long acted as a ‘cop-on-the beat,’ not as a sector specific regulator in the way the Food and Drug Administration is, for instance.  “Unfortunately, the Commission has assumed more power and become a heavy-handed economy-wide regulator.  “This change in direction has led to many contentious and expensive court battles.  “I worry that the time spent in courtrooms—defending departures from past practices—is undermining the FTC’s core mission and overall success.  “I’m not alone in this view. The Supreme Court has concluded in unanimous decisions that the FTC’s historically commonly used tools have been expanded to become controversial and exceed their statutory authority.”  FTC NORMS AND PRACTICES   “Most notably, we have seen a breakdown in norms and practices that were considered commonplace in previous Democratic and Republican administrations.  “By removing ‘without unduly burdening legitimate business activity’ from its mission statement, the Commission has sent a clear message that it wants to be feared, instead of being a good-faith regulator.  “Job creators across the country now live in fear of receiving a letter out of blue threatening them on behavior they may not even be engaged in.  “Additionally, FTC Commissioners' rights have steadily eroded and access to important FTC business has been more shielded than ever.  “The Commission must take simple steps to start correcting course.  “For example, a cost benefit analysis should be done for all rules, 6B reports, and enforcement actions and commissioners and staff should have direct access to the economists working on it.”  DANGEROURS BRIAN DRAIN   “I’m hopeful that with a full set of commissioners, such access to the Econ Bureau and its specialists will again be the norm.  “Sadly, many career staff have chosen to leave or retire due to the decline of the agency's culture and disregard for its true mission.  “Respected surveys have shown employee morale and confidence in senior Commission leadership has steeply declined.  “Prior to Chair Khan’s appointment to the FTC, 87 percent of surveyed FTC employees agreed that senior agency officials maintained high standards of honesty and integrity.  “That number quickly dropped to 53 percent after just one year, then down to 47 percent a year later.  “It is also alarming that full time positions that Congress authorized for the FTC’s fraud prevention mission have been re-tasked to other areas.  “This is wrong and a clear attempt to bypass Congress and utilize the EU to impose more influence over U.S. companies since the Biden-Harris administration couldn’t find consensus here at home.  “Congress needs to reassert its Article I authority and act to stop this ongoing erosion of norms and longstanding Commission practices and restore the once strong processes of the FTC.  “While we have proposed legislation in the past, some of it has quickly become dated. I look forward to hearing from the experts here today on what Congress can do to put the FTC back on track and set the Commission up for success. “I know we share these goals, and I hope we can work together to achieve them.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) issued the following statement after the House passed 14 bipartisan health bills:  “These commonsense solutions will help reform and extend programs that support the health and wellbeing of the American people. I commend the Members who led these bipartisan initiatives for their hard work as well as my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work to shepherd them through the committee process and across the House floor,” said Chair Rodgers .  BACKGROUND ON THE BILLS : H.R. 8111 , the Medicaid Program Improvement Act :   Led by Rep. Miller-Meeks (R-IA). Would require States to regularly obtain beneficiary address information from reliable sources, including (where applicable) Medicaid managed care plans, to promote the State’s ability to contact the beneficiary, and to confirm a Medicaid beneficiary’s residence is within the state.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.  H.R. 8112 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to further require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program :  Led by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY). Would require States to regularly check the Data Exchange System (DEX) to determine as part of a provider’s enrollment (or reenrollment or revalidation of enrollment) in the Medicaid program that the provider is not prohibited from participating in the Medicare program.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.  H.R. 8089 , the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act of 2024 :  Led by Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA). Would require States to check the Death Master File upon enrollment (or reenrollment or revalidation or enrollment), and on at least a quarterly basis, in order to identify deceased providers. Existing federal laws, regulations, and guidance dictate the steps states must take in the event the state identifies that the provider is deceased.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2023.  H.R. 8084 , the LIVE Beneficiaries Act :  Led by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). Would require States to screen the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File (DMF) to identify currently enrolled Medicaid beneficiaries who are deceased and remove identified deceased beneficiaries from enrollment in Medicaid.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.  H.R. 6160 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program :  Led by Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY). Reauthorizes for five years the lifespan respite care program administered by the Administration of Community Living (ACL) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support state respite care systems.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024.  S. 4351 , the Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024 :   Led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). Reauthorizes certain poison control programs, including the national toll-free phone number, support for poison control center utilization, and resources to local poison control centers.  Passed the House unanimously. The bill’s companion legislation (H.R. 7251), led by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024. H.R. 7406 , the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2024 :  Led by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). Authorizes the INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project at the NIH, which is currently funded, and is designed to promote the scientific understanding of Down syndrome and co-occurring conditions and improve the quality of life of every American, not just individuals with Down syndrome and their families.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024. H.R. 7218 , the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024 :  Led by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY). Reauthorizes programs to support states, local public health departments, and other entities in their efforts to educate and support early detection and diagnosis; reduce associated risks; support patients and caregivers; and promote public health knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, among other activities, at currently appropriated levels for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024. H.R. 6033 , the Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge (SPEAK) Act of 2024: Led by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA). Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to, in consultation with stakeholders, issue and disseminate best practices for delivering quality care via telehealth to beneficiaries with limited English language proficiency.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. H.R. 7858 , the Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024 : Led by Rep. John James (R-MI). Improves process by which Medicare tracks claims for services provided by telehealth.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. S. 265 , the SIREN Reauthorization Act:   Led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Reauthorizes and modifies the rural emergency medical services (EMS) training program through 2028.  Passed the House unanimously. The bill’s companion legislation (H.R. 4646), led by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024.  H.R. 7208 , the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2024:   Led by the late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ). Reauthorizes Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) programs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which allocate resources for TBI prevention, improving access to TBI rehabilitation, and support TBI patient advocacy systems. The bill reauthorizes the program for five fiscal years from 2025 through 2029.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024. H.R. 4758 , the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act :  Led by Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA). Streamlines Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) out-of-state pediatric provider enrollment requirements to promote timely access to care for children needing to travel out-of-state for care.  Passed the House unanimously. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. H.R. 7213 , the Autism CARES Act of 2024: Led by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Reauthorizes and makes improvements to certain programs related to autism spectrum disorder, including the Developmental Disabilities Surveillance and Research Program; Autism education, early detection, and intervention; and the Interagency Autism Coordination Committee at currently appropriated levels for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.  Passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 402-13. Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) today announced a hearing titled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending.”  “The Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the most extreme EPA to date. Since President Biden took office, the EPA has been given $109 billion in additional funding and grown its workforce to over 15,000 employees. The Biden-Harris EPA’s spending and regulatory policies—created by the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ and ‘Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’—continue to put America on a dangerous path that threatens our economic and national security, while enriching our adversaries, like China,” said Chairs Rodgers and Carter. “The EPA must return to its core statutory functions—which do not include undermining the economic prosperity of the United States or driving costs up across the board for Americans.”  Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials titled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending.”   WHAT: A subcommittee hearing to hold the Biden-Harris EPA accountable for its radical rush-to-green spending and regulatory policies.  DATE: Thursday, September 19, 2024  TIME: 10:00 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Kaitlyn Peterson at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Kate Roberts at Kate.Arey@mail.house.gov .

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) today announced a hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.” “The Federal Trade Commission has a long, bipartisan history of protecting consumers, without unduly burdening legitimate business activity. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen the Commission take a different approach when it comes to its historical norms. Such a shift raises questions on its preparation for rulemakings, its retention of staff, and the long-term impact on its effectiveness in sustaining court challenges” said Chairs Rodgers and Bilirakis. “We look forward to a conversation with experts on how the FTC’s departure from its traditional standards is affecting Americans in their daily lives, consumer safety, and American businesses across the country.” Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.” WHAT: Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing to discuss the change in norms and practices of the Federal Trade Commission. DATE: Thursday, September 19, 2024 TIME: 10:30 AM ET LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Alex Khlopin at Alex.Khlopin@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Kate Roberts at kate.arey@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “From Gas to Groceries: Americans Pay the Price of the Biden-Harris Energy Agenda."   “Today, we are going to review the past four years to examine how record high energy prices have impacted American families and the pursuit of the American dream. “Since the beginning of this Congress, Members of this Subcommittee have attended numerous hearings and roundtables focused on the issues that impact our everyday lives.” EFFECTS OF THE BIDEN-HARRIS AGENDA “Since day 1, the Biden-Harris administration has waged war on American energy and the results have been devastating. “The facts are undeniable. “Inflation surged out of control, and price levels remain unacceptably high. “Records have been set with historically high prices for gasoline, diesel, fertilizers, and many fossil-fuel based commodities. “Supply chain shortages have rippled across the economy, affecting everything from computer chips to toilet paper. “Americans are paying more for groceries, housing, and credit card bills than when the administration took over. “Massive government spending and tax subsidies have distorted energy markets and have destabilized our electric grid. “Who pays the price for all of this? “Every American, rich and poor, is paying more and getting less under the Biden-Harris agenda.” KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES “Americans are suffering under the Biden-Harris administration’s energy policies.   “Energy powers our economy. The cost of energy—fossil fuels and electricity—is embedded in everything we buy.    “From gas to groceries, everything costs a lot more than it did four years ago.   “My Democratic colleagues may not want to admit it, but American families are feeling the pain. "Inflation. Grocery bills. Housing costs. These are the issues people are talking about around their kitchen tables. “These are the issues people care about.” HIGH ENERGY COSTS ARE CRUSHING EVERYDAY AMERICANS “Today’s hearing will give members an opportunity to hear the stories of Americans on the frontline of the Biden-Harris administration’s war on American energy. “We will learn how the American dream is being threatened by energy and economic policies that prioritize a global climate agenda over American families. “We will hear how federal regulations targeting fossil fuel production and electric generation are resulting in record-shattering electricity bills and forced power outages. “We will also learn why our groceries cost so much more now than they did four years ago. “We will examine the false promises of a ‘green transition’, and why claims of ‘price gouging’ are another distraction from the administration’s failed policy agenda.  “Prices are high because of the built in costs of energy and commodities— these trends are directly related to the policies of the Biden-Harris administration. “Today’s hearing highlights this Subcommittee’s work this Congress. “We’ve held dozens of hearings with expert witnesses and administration officials. We’ve explored the issues sector-by-sector across our jurisdiction. “And a consistent lesson has emerged: increasing the supply of energy and reducing regulatory roadblocks to ease the cost of delivering energy provides a powerful driver for the economy and for lower prices. “Republican’s have worked to do this. “We have also passed important legislation, including H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, to reform the energy permitting process and reverse harmful regulations that threaten economic growth. “We still have important work to do, and I hope to use the remainder of this Congress to push these important reforms over the finish line.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “A Year Removed: Oversight of Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act Implementation.” CURRENT STATE OF ORGAN PROCUREMENT AND TRANSPLANTATION “Today’s hearing is an opportunity to examine the national organ procurement system and provide oversight into the implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act. “The current state of organ transplantation in our country is inadequate and must be addressed. “There are over 100,000 individuals waiting for an organ transplant and about 17 people die each day waiting for one. “Notwithstanding the need for viable organs, according to one study, there are more than 28,000 viable organs that are not recovered each year. We must do better. “In 1984, the National Organ Transplant Act was signed into law that created a national framework for organ transplants. “The bill established the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, or OPTN, which created a public-private partnership that implements and oversees the organ donation and transplant system. “Currently, the sole contractor responsible for operating the OPTN is the United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS. They have been the sole contractor since 1986. During the past 38 years, there have been a myriad of issues plaguing this organ transplant system.” RIGOROUS ORGAN TRANSPLANT OVERSIGHT “While UNOS has provided beneficial services to organ transplant patients, there have been many examples of them operating inefficiently. “I believe this is largely due to them having a monopoly. “Also, there are questions around potential conflicts of interest. For example, partially due to certain agency regulations, some members of the UNOS board also sit on the board of the OPTN. “And let me remind you, this is the oversight organization overseeing the organ transplant system. “According to a Senate Finance Committee report, between 2010 and 2020, more than 1,100 complaints were filed by patients, families, transplant centers and others regarding the organ transplant system. “These inefficiencies are due to the lack of oversight and management of Organ Procurement Organizations, or OPOs. “OPO’s are responsible for the procurement of organs for transplantation and are overseen by UNOS. “There have been many reported cases of transportation failures, which has led to organs being unviable or having to cancel transplant procedures. “In 2018, there was a human heart left behind on a commercial plane. “Another mindboggling story was in 2020 when a kidney was accidentally thrown in the trash by an OPO staff, causing it to be unusable. “There are currently 56 OPO’s operating in the US. The current system we have in place is a patchwork of OPO’s that must rely on commercial couriers and airlines to transfer the organ. “If we can track our Amazon order for socks every step of the way, we should be able to track something as valuable as human organs. “The lack of accountability must be addressed to create a more stable and reliable system. “There are other failures that show there needs to be an overhaul of how the organ transplant system operates.” MODERNIZING THE ORGAN TRANSPLANT SYSTEM “That is what spurred H.R. 2544, the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act , led by Energy and Commerce members Dr. Bucshon and Mrs. Kelly, that was signed into law in 2023 and was unanimously passed by this committee and both the House and Senate. “This bill allows for multiple entities to bid for certain contracts for functions such as logistics and health IT within the organ transplant network. “This allows for companies with expertise in certain areas to competitively bid for contracts and end UNOS’ monopoly over the organ transplant process. “The bill also ensures accountability by having separate boards within the transplant system. “Within Health and Human Services is the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, which houses the entire organ transplant system. They will now have the authority to modernize the organ transplant system. “It is Congress’ job to ensure that HRSA successfully implements this law so that the previous failures do not happen. “Proper implementation is vital to saving lives. “On top of modernizing the organ transplant system, HHS and Congress must be open to approving new and innovative solutions to help address the organ shortage we are facing. “For example, in my district alone we have a company that develops genetically modified organs from pigs that can be transplanted into humans. “And Virginia Tech has partnered with a doctor in my district to develop an innovative technology that can resuscitate and keep organs viable for longer periods of time from trauma patients. “I am hopeful that we are moving in the right direction to help mitigate the failures of our current organ transplant system, but more must be done. “Congress will be watching to ensure this new law is implemented effectively and we do not face the same mistakes again.”