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WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, _ the Wall Street Journal _ recently highlighted that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is leading efforts to modernize America’s chemical safety law through proposed legislation that would streamline approvals for new chemicals and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in advanced manufacturing.

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“Republicans on Capitol Hill are set to propose legislation aimed at helping companies to more quickly get the government’s blessing to use and sell many more new chemicals, from those used in heavy manufacturing to household disinfectants.

“Draft legislation seen by WSJ Pro Sustainable Business would implement a series of changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act—a sprawling law covering the impact of thousands of chemicals on the environment and public health. The legislation, first enacted in the 1970s, tasks the Environmental Protection Agency with chemical safety reviews.

“The changes would make it easier for a swath of industries to get the green light to use new chemicals ranging from oil-and-gas additives to ingredients for cleaning products. It would also apply to new uses of already-approved chemicals.

“The House Committee on Energy and Commerce said it is going to hold a hearing on its plans on Jan. 22.

“The draft legislation would speed up approvals for chemicals already given the green light in certain other countries so that they can be manufactured in the U.S. It also would require the EPA in its review process to give priority to new chemicals ‘intended to address supply-chain risks for critical materials.’ The committee said those updates would help American businesses compete with China—which dominates the critical-minerals market.

“The EPA under the Trump administration has proposed a series of changes to its regulation under the TSCA, including a bid in November to reduce the scope of reporting under the law for PFAS, known as ‘forever chemicals.’ Meanwhile, many states are trying to cut such chemicals out of products from clothing to cosmetics.

“Maria Doa, a doctor who testified at a hearing in January last year focused on the TSCA, and who previously led chemical safety reviews at the EPA, said a 2016 bipartisan update to the law that increased safety reviews and testing ‘transformed the law from largely ineffective to one that set clear direction to protect human health and the environment.’

“The House Committee on Energy and Commerce said it wants to require the EPA to focus safety reviews and regulations ‘on actual or intended uses and risks, not mere speculation.’

“At the hearing about the law last year, Rep. Raul Ruiz (D., Calif.), who has also worked as an emergency physician, said the TSCA is vital to protect people from chemicals such as asbestos and trichloroethylene that can cause cancers and heart and liver diseases.

“He said the old version of the law ‘failed to safeguard our communities, allowing people to be exposed to harmful chemicals in their homes and workplaces, and this failure disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations.’

“Groups including the Environmental Defense Fund have said changes to the TSCA could lead to weaker protections for workers and communities living near chemical plants.

“Brett Guthrie (R., Ky.), chairman of the committee, said the draft legislation Republicans are proposing ‘will help maintain America’s leadership in chemical innovation and strengthen domestic competitiveness in the global marketplace.’

“Chris Jahn, president of the American Chemistry Council, said ahead of the draft release that ‘Congress is leading by moving legislation to provide durable improvements to ensure that U.S. manufacturing remains competitive,’ adding that he thinks it is necessary for ‘the next generation of semiconductors, AI and advanced technologies’ to be made in the U.S.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, ** Breitbart ** recently reported that Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, announced upcoming hearings inviting five of the nation’s largest health insurance company CEOs to testify on rising health care costs and ways to make health care more affordable for all Americans.

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“House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) told Breitbart News that Republicans have been forced to clean up Democrats’ healthcare ‘mess;’ they will invite health insurance executives later this month to testify on how to lower healthcare costs.

“‘House Republicans are once again left to clean up the mess of Democrats’ flawed policymaking. Instead of temporarily bailing out a failing program utilized by a fraction of the country, we have invited five of the top health insurance company CEOs to testify before our Committees to have a discussion and answer questions about rising costs, the current state of health care affordability, and the role played by large health insurers,’ Guthrie and Smith said in a written statement.

“On January 22, health insurance executives will testify before two hearings, with the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing taking part in the morning, and the Ways and Means Committee hearing taking place that afternoon.

“Executives that have been invited to the hearings include:

- Stephen Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group
- David Joyner, President and CEO, CVS Health Group
- David Cordani, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, Cigna Health Group
- Gail Boudreaux, President and CEO, Elevance Health
- Paul Markovich, President and CEO, Ascendiun

“‘This hearing is the first in a series to examine the root causes driving higher health care prices and discuss policies that will lower the cost of care for all Americans,’ they continued.

“The hearings will take place as the House will as soon as Thursday vote on a bill that would extend the expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which has become a focal point of the nation’s healthcare debate.

“Democrats have honed in on these expiring Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs), or enhanced Obamacare credits, that aim to lower the cost of health insurance. However, as Breitbart News has detailed, these enhanced subsidies that were meant to serve as a temporary relief from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are rife with abuse.

“The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that there was rampant waste, fraud, and abuse coming from these premium tax credits. Further, a report from the Paragon Health Institute has explained how the expiring Obamacare premiums minimally impacted total 2026 premiums, which counters a Democrat narrative that the expiration of these credits are responsible for the recent rise in health insurance premiums.

“Democrats first enhanced these subsidies through the pandemic-era stimulus plan, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The Democrat majority in Congress then extended the credits through the so-called Inflation Reduction Act through the end of 2025, setting the stage for Congress’s current healthcare fight.

“In contrast to the Democrats, Republicans in the House passed the Lower Health Care Premiums for All American Act, a bill that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said would lower premiums by 11 percent and save $35.6 billion.

“‘Republicans are committed to making health care more affordable by driving solutions that increase patient choice and competition, root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and put patients back at the center of our health care system,’ the healthcare leaders concluded in their statement.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, the Dallas Morning News recently featured an op-ed by Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), a Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which highlighted the need to refill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to strengthen our national security and unleash American energy dominance.

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“Following the 1970s oil crisis, Congress created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as America’s insurance policy against global energy supply disruptions. For nearly half a century, this emergency crude oil stockpile has served as an indispensable safeguard — ready to cushion the blow from unexpected market shocks, natural disasters or geopolitical conflicts.

“Today, however, this vital insurance policy is running on fumes. At just 409 million barrels, the SPR is at its lowest level since its inception, with less than 60% of its capacity currently being utilized.

“This depletion stems largely from the Biden administration’s unprecedented drawdown of more than 290 million barrels in 2022 in an attempt to ease high gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the move temporarily worked, it was the largest drawdown in the reserve’s history and came with no viable plan to replace what was taken.

“Three years later, the SPR remains dangerously depleted, and now the structural integrity of the salt caverns that protect the remaining barrels is at serious risk. Fortunately, there is a clear solution, and Washington must act on it.

“Oil prices have hovered near multiyear lows, offering a prime opportunity to replenish the reserve at a discount. This year alone, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude has dipped as low as $57 per barrel and has averaged around $65 per barrel — prices well below the $75-$80 assumptions often used in federal budget models. At today’s low prices, refilling the roughly 321 million barrel gap would cost less than $21 billion — a bargain by any measure for this scale of investment.

“We should not repeat the mistakes of the previous administration that failed to capitalize on similar opportunities, making only token purchases even when prices fell below the $70 per barrel target. At that pace, restoring the SPR to its pre-2020 level of roughly 635 million barrels would take nearly a decade, which is more than quadruple the amount of time it took former President Joe Biden to drain it.

“President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have taken a modest first step. In the Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC) law, we secured $850 million to refill the SPR: $171 million for crude purchases, $218 million for critical cavern repairs and $461 million to cancel the upcoming mandated sale of 7 million barrels. Using the $75-$80 per barrel assumption, the Department of Energy estimates it can purchase roughly 2 million barrels with these funds and has already awarded the first contracts to do so.

“While this is a start, it is nowhere near enough to fill the 700 million barrel capacity the SPR was built to hold. If we are serious about reestablishing American energy dominance, then refilling the rest must be a top priority for Republicans in 2026.

“The biggest obstacle to doing so isn’t a lack of supply — it’s the drawn-out process of congressional appropriations, and the little motivation from lawmakers to fix it.

“The United States currently produces over 13 million barrels of oil per day, nearly half coming from the Permian Basin. Producers are ready and able to deliver the barrels needed if the government is prepared to buy, but current law requires the DoE to wait for Congress to allocate funds before purchasing crude. This procedural molasses has repeatedly prevented timely purchases under favorable market conditions, forcing us to sit on our hands even when the opportunity to act is unmistakable.

“While a comprehensive overhaul of the congressional appropriations process is necessary to solve this issue once and for all, Congress can still make significant progress in upcoming annual funding measures and in next year’s budget reconciliation process.

“With geopolitical tensions rising and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth recently predicting that oil prices could remain near record lows through 2026, the United States is in a narrow, strategic window to act. Congress must build on the momentum from the WFTC and prioritize appropriating the necessary funds to fully replenish the SPR now — not after the next global disruption drives prices up or exposes a crippling vulnerability.

“We may never see another ripe opportunity like this again, and we cannot afford to miss it. The bottom line is that the SPR is the cornerstone of American energy security and treating it as the proactive national security asset it was created to be is long overdue.

“The SPR was never meant to be weaponized as a tool for political gain and refilling it now should not be reduced to a partisan fight.

“The next crisis will come. The only question is whether we will be prepared.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, Breitbart recently published an article highlighting a GAO report requested by Chairman Brett Guthrie and other House Republican leaders, which exposed significant waste, fraud, and abuse in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans. In Case You Missed It: “House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said a GAO report has revealed the staggering level of fraud that occurs thanks to Obamacare subsidies. “The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the massive levels of fraud that comes with the Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC), an Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, subsidy to health insurers to lower the monthly health insurance premiums. “Democrats shut down the government for weeks over the looming end-of-year expiration of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC), a more generous version of the APTC that the left-leaning party boosted through the Biden-era, coronavirus stimulus plan, the American Rescue Plan. Democrats continued the subsidies through the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which will expire at the end of 2025. “The GAO, as part of its analysis, conducted covert operations, which included fictitious identities that flood insurers with unjustified subsides. It found that 100 percent of the fake applicants were approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as recently as 2024, with 90 percent of the fraudulent applicants continuing to receive coverage in 2025. “Chairman Guthrie, Jordan, and Smith requested the GAO investigation; they said the GAO study reifies Republicans’ concerns about these Obamacare subsidies. “‘Republicans have consistently prioritized protecting patients and taxpayers by ridding our federal health programs of the waste, fraud, and abuse that ultimately drive up costs for patients,’ Chairman Guthrie in written statement. “He continued, ‘Republicans have sounded the alarm on the flawed structural integrity of Obamacare and how Democrats’ failed policies to temporarily prop up the program have exacerbated fraud, hurt patients, increased the burden on American taxpayers, and artificially masked the true health care affordability crisis plaguing Americans today. The concerning findings from GAO’s report further confirm that Republican efforts to strengthen, secure, and sustain our federal health programs are critical and necessary to ensure access to quality health care at prices Americans can afford.’ “‘For years, we were told we could keep our plan, keep our doctor, and premiums would go down. None of it happened. This new report confirms what we already knew: under Obamacare, hardworking Americans saw their premiums skyrocket and their healthcare choices shrink, all while fraud benefitted insurance companies. Obamacare was built on lies and broken promises that hurt families and drove up costs,’ Jordan said in a statement to Breitbart News. “‘While Democrats defend waste, fraud, and abuse, Republicans are taking action to lower health care costs and protect care for all real, living Americans. GAO’s troubling report is the smoking gun that shows how this broken system, shielded by Democrat policies, has led to the federal government shoveling tens of billions of tax dollars to insurance companies through identity fraud and caused health care costs to skyrocket for all Americans,’ Smith explained. “Prior research from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and other outside organizations have found that millions may be enrolled in Obamacare improperly, resulting in as much as $27 billion in improper payments. “The GAO report found :   58,000 Social Security numbers that received the APTC matched Social Security Administration death data 7,000 people who had Social Security were dead before coverage began, meaning the applications used Social Security numbers of dead people $94 million in APTC was sent to health insurers on behalf of deceased people “GAO noted in its report its had frequently warned that Obamacare subsidies are and have been at risk of fraud. Republicans have been sounding the alarm about Obamacare subsidy fraud. “‘While Obamacare fraud is being confirmed by GAO, CMS, CBO and other outside reports, patients are suffering. They face higher health care costs and denied claims or delayed care when their providers struggle to verify which insurance is valid due to these fraud schemes. Rather than simply rubber stamp more bad spending and failed policies, we must take action to prevent further harm.’ “Meanwhile, Republicans have worked to restore integrity in the American healthcare system. The Big Beautiful Bill stipulates full income and eligibility verification before subsidies are issued, ends ‘anytime’ enrollment abuse that would fuel fraudulent enrollment, and closing loopholes that would allow illegal aliens and other ineligible groups of people to access taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits. “Instead of using Obamacare subsidies that fuel health insurers’ profits, President Donald Trump has called to send federal healthcare dollars straight to the American people so they can use their money according to their healthcare needs. “House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) said in a statement: “‘It was Democrats who created this shoddy subsidy program with no financial controls, no income cap, and no guardrails against the most blatant fraud, including the approval of subsidies for thousands of dead people. ... “‘There is absolutely no justification for perpetuating these subsidies or the failed government-controlled Obamacare system Democrats are artificially propping up. Instead, Republicans should continue to implement reforms that lower costs, expand affordable options, and protect American taxpayers.’ “The president wrote : “‘I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over.’ “‘In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare,’ the president added.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The following op-ed by Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL) appeared in the Bismarck Tribune this week. “Our health care system is broken, and North Dakotans know it. “The law that was supposed to make things better—the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—has not lived up to its name. “‘If you like your plan, you can keep it,’ leaders assured us. “‘A typical family will save up to $2,500 a year,’ they promised. “‘The ACA will help bring down health care costs and even reduce the deficit,’ they claimed. “Fifteen years later, none of that matches what North Dakotans have lived. Instead, we pay higher premiums and have fewer choices. And Washington is trying to hide the true costs with more and more subsidies instead of fixing the underlying problem. “The latest debate in Congress is over something called the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits. You’ve probably heard about these temporary credits and how they’re set to expire on January 1, 2026. Here’s what you’re not hearing: “First, the original Affordable Care Act subsidies do not expire. That support remains in law for everyone who qualifies, including the majority of the 42,000 North Dakotans who used the exchange last year. “What’s being debated now are the temporary extra subsidies Democrats added during COVID to make the credits more generous and expand eligibility to people earning beyond 400 percent of the federal poverty level. In North Dakota, that means a family of four earning over $125,000 a year. “From the beginning, Democrats wrote these enhanced subsidies to expire. Now, many of those same lawmakers are exasperated by the expiration date they set themselves! “Second, making these temporary subsidies permanent is  enormously expensive : $350 billion over the next 10 years. And despite that massive taxpayer investment, experience proves just one thing: Americans will continue to pay more—a lot more—for health care. “Since the enhanced credits were enacted in 2021, insurance companies have raised premiums by 31 percent nationally. “Third, these payments don’t show up in your wallet to buy down the cost of your healthcare. This money goes directly to insurance companies, with no requirement that it’s used to reduce prices or improve care. “Lastly, massive fraud plagues this program. ‘Phantom Enrollees’—people enrolled on paper but who have zero claims—now make up roughly 35 percent of marketplace enrollees. National insurance companies get paid for millions of nonexistent ‘phantom’ patients, while North Dakota farm families and small business owners continue to pay rising premiums. This makes no sense. “Some in Washington celebrate all this and call it ‘affordable.’ North Dakotans know better. Pouring more taxpayer money into a program every year to make it look affordable, isn’t affordable at all. “Clearly, we need an off ramp from these massive payouts to insurance companies. They aren’t working. So, what are the alternatives? “Republicans have been working for years on reforms to drive down costs, increase transparency, and put patients back in charge. In fact, we passed several improvements in the Working Families Tax Cut plan (One Big Beautiful Bill) earlier this year. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), our House-passed reforms to crack down on fraud and support cost sharing reductions would have reduced ACA premiums by nearly 13 percent and saved taxpayers more than $130 billion over 10 years. Sadly, Democrats stripped these out of the final bill in the Senate. These reforms are a good starting point. “Importantly, we should direct tax credits to individuals, not insurance companies, and strengthen direct-to-patient tools like Health Savings Accounts and flexible spending accounts. Let’s put families back in the driver seat of their own care and encourage healthier decisions. “And while we work toward these fundamental changes, we have other bipartisan reforms ready to go: Price transparency legislation—including the Lower Prices, More Transparency Act—which passed the House last year to give patients clear information to compare costs and quality.   Comprehensive PBM reform to end practices that drive up drug prices.   Patent reform to increase the number of lower-cost generic medications available to patients.   340B reform to direct discounts to patients and strengthen the rural hospitals the program was designed to support.   Prior authorization reform to stop unnecessary delays that prevent patients from getting timely care. “North Dakotans, and Americans everywhere, are fed up with our health care system. It’s time for all stakeholders in the system, and leaders in Washington, to move beyond the superficial talking points to real reforms that make health care affordable.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, the Washington Examiner recently featured an op-ed by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which highlighted how provisions within the Working Families Tax Cuts are unleashing American energy dominance and lowering energy and electricity prices.  In Case You Missed It:   “The energy prices that dramatically increased during the Biden administration are continuing to rise, and the attempts by Democrats to pin the increase on President Donald Trump’s policies willfully ignore how their reckless decisions during the previous administration have led us here.    “Since the Working Families Tax Cuts was signed into law, Democrats have tried to claim that Republican policies would cause energy prices to rise for families. This is false. The legislation strips subsidies for parts of the far-left energy agenda that have been driving up prices. On the contrary, the tax cuts law will save the average household $2,900 in 2026.    “The truth is that building the electricity grid on unreliable, taxpayer-subsidized wind and solar — as Democrats have advocated for the last decade — has driven up costs. As energy producers and grid operators have told us in hearings this year, subsidizing intermittent sources of electricity essentially requires building two systems to keep the lights on. One is the costly wind and solar system touted by liberal donors and the renewable energy lobby. The other is a reliable backup system necessary for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.    “Subsidies for wind and solar projects, as well as regulations aimed at hampering natural gas and coal generation, have been driving up rates and undermining reliability. It was the Biden administration that restricted energy supplies, forced the end of fossil fuel generation in favor of costly intermittent power, and failed to provide for increased demand from artificial intelligence data centers, advanced manufacturing, and the growing consumer economy.    “With those harmful policies of the past four years already built into state and utility planning decisions, families are continuing to see the legacy effect of rising costs in their household bills. The energy grid cannot be rebalanced to provide affordable, reliable power in a matter of months; it takes years.   “Energy prices rose nearly 30% under the Biden administration, 13 times faster than the previous seven years. That spike came from the far-left policies that rewarded Democrats’ anti-fossil fuel special interest allies and the green energy sector. The Obama and Biden administrations wielded the regulatory state to stifle the production of reliable baseload power, all while like-minded states continued to phase out reliable baseload power generation as well.    “Democrats are now claiming even more wind- and solar-powered electricity needs to be brought online quickly to meet our needs, which flatly ignores the effects we’re already seeing from these policies leading to rising costs and unreliability. Simply put, intermittent resources cannot reliably provide power during times of peak demand, especially during extreme weather events.    “This is not to say that there is no role at all for wind and solar energy, but the reality is that these sources must be supported in the background by natural gas, coal, hydropower, or nuclear. Adding more wind and solar inputs while closing and restricting more reliable power only drives up costs and increases risks of brownouts and blackouts. Just compare two of our largest states: natural gas-dominant Florida has seen electricity rates that are half those of renewable-dominant California.    “The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has heard testimony from grid operators that the current imbalance in the grid, caused by the retirements of reliable generation and a massive oversupply of intermittent wind and solar, is unsustainable and that there is a major need for more baseload power in the coming years. This is leading grid operators to take emergency steps to expedite the build-out of fossil fuel generation over wind and solar to rebalance the grid and avoid costly blackouts.    “In a recent report, the Department of Energy warned that outages could increase 100 times by 2030 if power plant retirements and the increase in overall demand for electricity continue at their current pace. Even as more renewables have come online, our grid is not prepared to meet the increased demand from AI data centers and domestic manufacturing. That is why the Working Families Tax Cuts created the Energy Dominance Financing Program, investing in projects that provide power 24/7, 365 days a year.    “By ending costly subsidies for unreliable sources, such as wind and solar, and leveling the playing field for natural gas, coal, nuclear, and hydropower, Republicans are making sure America gets the ‘best of the above’ energy for a balanced, reliable grid to serve families and industry far into the future.   “To be clear, it will take time for these policies to materialize into actual construction projects, but we have cleared some of the regulatory blockers that are allowing industry to start making these investments. We cannot go back to the policies that prioritized radical environmental agendas over families and brought higher prices, blackouts, brownouts, and a grid that cannot meet increased demand.      “The people know better. Alongside our president, House Republicans are working to restore reliable and abundant energy, lower electricity costs, and restore America’s energy dominance.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following op-ed by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, appeared in the Washington Examiner this morning. “The energy prices that dramatically increased during the Biden administration are continuing to rise, and the attempts by Democrats to pin the increase on President Donald Trump’s policies willfully ignore how their reckless decisions during the previous administration have led us here. “Since the Working Families Tax Cuts was signed into law, Democrats have tried to claim that Republican policies would cause energy prices to rise for families. This is false. The legislation strips subsidies for parts of the far-left energy agenda that have been driving up prices. On the contrary, the tax cuts law will save the average household $2,900 in 2026. “The truth is that building the electricity grid on unreliable, taxpayer-subsidized wind and solar — as Democrats have advocated for the last decade — has driven up costs. As energy producers and grid operators have told us in hearings this year, subsidizing intermittent sources of electricity essentially requires building two systems to keep the lights on. One is the costly wind and solar system touted by liberal donors and the renewable energy lobby. The other is a reliable backup system necessary for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. “Subsidies for wind and solar projects, as well as regulations aimed at hampering natural gas and coal generation, have been driving up rates and undermining reliability. It was the Biden administration that restricted energy supplies, forced the end of fossil fuel generation in favor of costly intermittent power, and failed to provide for increased demand from artificial intelligence data centers, advanced manufacturing, and the growing consumer economy. “With those harmful policies of the past four years already built into state and utility planning decisions, families are continuing to see the legacy effect of rising costs in their household bills. The energy grid cannot be rebalanced to provide affordable, reliable power in a matter of months; it takes years. “Energy prices rose nearly 30% under the Biden administration, 13 times faster than the previous seven years. That spike came from the far-left policies that rewarded Democrats’ anti-fossil fuel special interest allies and the green energy sector. The Obama and Biden administrations wielded the regulatory state to stifle the production of reliable baseload power, all while like-minded states continued to phase out reliable baseload power generation as well. “Democrats are now claiming even more wind- and solar-powered electricity needs to be brought online quickly to meet our needs, which flatly ignores the effects we’re already seeing from these policies leading to rising costs and unreliability. Simply put, intermittent resources cannot reliably provide power during times of peak demand, especially during extreme weather events. “This is not to say that there is no role at all for wind and solar energy, but the reality is that these sources must be supported in the background by natural gas, coal, hydropower, or nuclear. Adding more wind and solar inputs while closing and restricting more reliable power only drives up costs and increases risks of brownouts and blackouts. Just compare two of our largest states: natural gas-dominant Florida has seen electricity rates that are half those of renewable-dominant California. “The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has heard testimony from grid operators that the current imbalance in the grid, caused by the retirements of reliable generation and a massive oversupply of intermittent wind and solar, is unsustainable and that there is a major need for more baseload power in the coming years. This is leading grid operators to take emergency steps to expedite the build-out of fossil fuel generation over wind and solar to rebalance the grid and avoid costly blackouts. “In a recent report, the Department of Energy warned that outages could increase 100 times by 2030 if power plant retirements and the increase in overall demand for electricity continue at their current pace. Even as more renewables have come online, our grid is not prepared to meet the increased demand from AI data centers and domestic manufacturing. That is why the Working Families Tax Cuts created the Energy Dominance Financing Program, investing in projects that provide power 24/7, 365 days a year. “By ending costly subsidies for unreliable sources, such as wind and solar, and leveling the playing field for natural gas, coal, nuclear, and hydropower, Republicans are making sure America gets the ‘best of the above’ energy for a balanced, reliable grid to serve families and industry far into the future. “To be clear, it will take time for these policies to materialize into actual construction projects, but we have cleared some of the regulatory blockers that are allowing industry to start making these investments. We cannot go back to the policies that prioritized radical environmental agendas over families and brought higher prices, blackouts, brownouts, and a grid that cannot meet increased demand. “The people know better. Alongside our president, House Republicans are working to restore reliable and abundant energy, lower electricity costs, and restore America’s energy dominance.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Breitbart recently featured Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, who shared ways in which Republicans have already voted to lower health care premiums that Democrats opposed in the Working Families Tax Cuts. In Case You Missed It: “House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) told Breitbart News that Republican proposals would have lowered health insurance premiums by nearly double compared to the Biden-era enhanced Obamacare credits. “What we’ve heard from both sides of the aisle is that Obamacare is not affordable. But what we’ve not heard is Democrats acknowledge the waste, fraud, and abuse that’s been enabled by these temporary subsidies — including massive handouts to big health insurance companies and expanded taxpayer subsidies to the wealthiest Obamacare enrollees,’ Guthrie told Breitbart News in a written statement. “Congressional Democrats’ demands to open the government are partly based on the premise that affordable health care is out of reach for many Americans. What Democrats now want as part of $1.5 trillion in additional federal spending is a permanent and everlasting program that they designated to expire in 2025,’ Griffith told Breitbart News. “The congressmen spoke to Breitbart News as the Democrat shutdown has continued for more than a month. Democrats shut down the government over expiring Biden-era enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, credits. Democrats first enhanced the Obamacare credits through the Biden coronavirus stimulus plan, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The Democrat party then continued the credits with the passage of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act until the end of 2025, where Guthrie says they spent most of the month refusing to work with Republicans on meaningful solutions to lower healthcare costs. “With the Democrat-designed sunset date of December 31 for these COVID-era subsidies, we could have been utilizing this month to continue finding more tangible, meaningful solutions to make health care more affordable for Americans. Instead, Democrats chose to hold the American people hostage over billion-dollar handouts to big insurance companies,’ the Energy and Commerce Committee chairman continued. “Democrats initially created the temporary COVID-19 era ‘enhanced’ premium tax credits to help people who struggled from the economic fallout of the pandemic. But now, Democrats are doubling down on the temporary ‘enhanced’ credits as a means to subsidize Obamacare,’ Griffith said. “He added, ‘Whether intended or not, this is a stunning admission that President Obama’s signature healthcare program, Obamacare, has failed to provide affordable health care to the American people. Issues to soften the impacts of the Democratic Party’s failed policies can be discussed if we get the government open again.’ “Republicans such as Guthrie have criticized the Obamacare enhanced credits, more formally known as the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC), because they are essentially direct payments to health insurers to lower healthcare costs. “While Democrats such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have accused Republicans of not wanting to provide health care to ‘everyday Americans,’ Democrats moved to nix substantial reform that would have drastically lowered health insurance premiums while the Big Beautiful Bill worked its way through the Senate. “In June, Democrats lobbied the Senate parliamentarian to scrap the ACA cost-sharing reduction payments (CSRs) from the Big Beautiful Bill, saying that it violates the Byrd Rule and thus requires 60 votes to be included in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. Funding CSRs would lower benchmark silver premiums used to set subsidy amounts. CSR payments are a type of financial assistance that would help lower out-of-pocket costs for eligible individuals and families that enroll in a Silver Obamacare plan. “The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that these healthcare reforms would have lowered healthcare premiums by 12.7 percent and reduced costs by decreasing the need for Obamacare EPTCs CSR. CSR would have lowered costs by $30.8 billion. “Andy Slavitt, President Barack Obama’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator, in 2017 said that CSR payments would drastically reduce health insurance premiums: “Democrats have not once approached me, or my staff, to find a path forward. Republicans, time and again, have voted for policies that lower healthcare premiums by nearly double what extending Democrats’ temporary COVID Credits would. Democrats unanimously opposed these commonsense policies and actively worked to undermine our efforts to lower premiums for the 7 percent of Americans who choose to enroll in an Obamacare plan. We stand ready to work across the aisle to advance real solutions that address the root causes impacting health care affordability,’ Guthrie continued. “The Biden-era enhanced Obamacare credits were meant to alleviate the costs of the pandemic and will soon expire. The generous nature of the subsidies gave some of the wealthiest Americans access to these benefits. This includes, according to the Energy and Commerce Committee: In North Carolina, an early retiree worth over $10 million qualified for over $17,000 in annual taxpayer subsidies for his Obamacare plan. Accountants in Texas were actively advertising how they were helping multi-millionaires get free or nearly free health insurance based on Democrats’ temporary COVID Credits. A family of four in Arizona making $600,000 a year, a married couple in West Virginia making $580,000, a single person in Vermont making $180,000 a year… taxpayers were suddenly subsidizing these people’s Obamacare plans thanks to the Democrats’ temporary COVID Credit policy. “The Paragon Health Institute estimated that annual Obamacare enrollment fraud could exceed $26 billion. The same think tank also found that the expiring Obamacare credits minimally impacted 2026 premiums, which counters a Democrat narrative that the expiration of those credits is responsible for health insurance price increases.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The following op-ed by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, appeared in the Washington Times today. “It’s been more than 80 years since Enrico Fermi first harnessed the power of the atom in his Chicago-based lab. Since that first moment of nuclear power production, the United States has led the world in the development and deployment of nuclear technology. “Now, at the dawn of the new technological age of artificial intelligence (AI) and of adversarial competition from China, our nuclear energy leadership remains critical for our national and energy security. “In recent years, China has sought to challenge our dominance in nuclear power. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China is on track to overtake the U.S. as the top nuclear power provider by the end of the decade. In the last five years, more than 80% of the global supply of new nuclear energy capacity came from China alone. “Time is of the essence; we must strengthen our nuclear infrastructure and deploy more nuclear power generation, including advanced technologies, to help meet our growing energy needs. To keep America on the leading edge of industries across the entire economy, we need the reliable energy capacity that nuclear power can bring to the grid. “Nuclear energy is critical to our national security and our energy security. Nuclear energy powers our navy, fosters the engineering and technical capacity for both military and industrial applications, and provides the power that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for these industries and consumers alike.   “Nuclear Energy is also clean energy. And with new designs, can be deployed near factories and even AI data centers. “In the last Congress, we delivered major statutory reforms to help accelerate nuclear power and help us maintain our competitive advantage. “One major reform, known as the ADVANCE Act, is a law refocusing the government’s mission to include efficient, predictable licensing, the proper siting of reactors, and robust international engagement to promote more rapid deployment of advanced nuclear reactors. “We also enacted laws to ban Russian uranium and to support the build out of our domestic nuclear fuel sources, including for the most advanced reactors, ensuring that we are not forced to rely on adversarial nations such as China and Russia for critical supplies. “By reforming the process for licensing new reactors, we are helping to ensure that regulatory red tape will not be a major impediment to successful deployment. Developers can now focus their attention on what it takes to finance and safely build out our next generation of nuclear reactors. “The scale of future energy demand is unprecedented and made more challenging by policies that have been forcing the retirement of baseload generation in our electric system. “Our nation will need tremendous amounts of generation to meet growing consumer and AI data center demand, with some estimates showing the need for about 250 gigawatts in new dispatchable generation to ensure we have reliable power. Meeting this challenge is vital. “Earlier this year, the Department of Energy released a startling report, warning that power outages could increase by 100 times in 2030 as a result of baseload power plants coming offline, along with projections for increased demand created by the need to develop AI technologies. “To meet this demand and solve our reliability problems, we need to deploy all our tremendous energy resources, from natural gas to coal to uranium and hydropower, that can provide reliable electricity. This is why the successful deployment of nuclear power in the coming years is also so critical. “The tremendous power from nuclear energy can help rapidly fill in the gap in baseload power we need, diversify our energy supplies, and develop new technologies all while strengthening our national security simultaneously. “Losing the race for AI dominance to China would be the equivalent of losing the space race to the Soviet Union a devastating blow to our economy, our privacy, and our national security. To ensure our success, we need to invest in nuclear technologies. “Our nation’s security and the strength of our electric grid will depend on our ability to develop and maintain advanced nuclear energy. By continuing to focus on strengthening our fuel supply chain and streamlining the permitting process to bring more nuclear reactors online, we can ensure our nation continues to have an abundance of clean, affordable, and reliable energy for decades to come.”   ###