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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Mike Johnson (LA-04), Speaker of the House of Representative, issued the following statements after the House passed the Take It Down Act and 15 more Committee bills with overwhelming bipartisan support:  “Today, the House of Representatives, with overwhelming bipartisan support, passed legislation to reauthorize a key agency, secure American leadership in the coming years, provide more transparency in the pricing of certain goods, and finally provide real protections for Americans online from sexual exploitation,” said Chairman Guthrie. “This is an important day in our efforts to support and defend Americans in the digital age.”   “Today, the House took a critical step to combat the growing online publication of real and deepfake nonconsensual intimate images with the passage of the Take It Down Act,” said Speaker Mike Johnson. “I want to thank First Lady Melania Trump for championing this important legislation that empowers and provides protections to victims of online sexual exploitation. It also criminalizes the publication of nonconsensual intimate images and mandates their removal from online platforms once reported. The First Lady’s leadership has been instrumental in the bill’s passage, and we look forward to seeing this signed into law.”   Background:   The Committee on Energy and Commerce passed the Take It Down Act out of Committee by a vote of 49 yeas to one nay and the full House by a vote of 409 yeas to 2 nays.   The bill has been championed by First Lady Melania Trump, as well as survivors of deepfake sextortion schemes.   The following E&C bills passed the House Floor today:  H.R. 617 , American Music Tourism Act of 2025 H.R. 973 , Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act H.R. 1402 , TICKET Act H.R. 1442 , Youth Poisoning Protection Act, as amended S. 146 , TAKE IT DOWN Act H.R. 1479 , Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025 H.R. 2480 , Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2025 H.R. 1721 , Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act H.R. 859 , Informing Consumers About Smart Devices Act H.R. 2482 , NTIA Reauthorization Act of 2025, as amended H.R. 866 , ROUTERS Act, as amended H.R. 906 , Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act H.R. 2444 , Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2025 H.R. 2399 , Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025 H.R. 2449 , FUTURE Networks Act H.R. 2458 , Secure Space Act of 2025 ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced a Full Committee Markup of six bills. WHAT : Full Committee Markup of Six Bills DATE : Tuesday, April 29, 2025  TIME : 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at  energycommerce.house.gov.  If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Alex.Khlopin with the Committee staff at Alex.Khlopin@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Matthew VanHyfte at  Matt.VanHyfte@mail.house.gov . Items to be considered: H.R. 2483 , SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 1520 , Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act H.R. 2319 , Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025 H.R. 1669 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program H.R. 1082 , Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act H.R. 2484 , Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, along with 10 members of the subcommittee, sent a letter to DeepSeek regarding their data practices and close relationship with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). “DeepSeek admits to sending Americans’ personal information to servers in China, where it is undoubtedly accessed by officials connected to the Chinese Communist Party. We are concerned that this relationship with agents having close connections to our primary adversary jeopardizes our data and our national security,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Bilirakis. “To ensure Americans and their businesses are secure from foreign interference, we are launching this investigation into DeepSeek and the risks it poses to our nation.” KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “By its own admission, the company’s mobile application—available on app stores in the U.S.—is sending Americans’ personal information to servers in the People’s Republic of China. According to media reports, the company is also sharing users’ personal information with other CCP-linked entities, including ByteDance Ltd. Researchers, meanwhile, have identified serious weaknesses in DeepSeek’s purported security controls and model safeguards. To address these risks, a growing number of states, including New York, Texas, and Virginia have banned DeepSeek on government devices, with states attorneys-general calling for a broader ban.” Background: On January 20, 2025, DeepSeek launched its open-source AI chatbot. On February 18, 2025, DeepSeek was accused of sharing user data with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. On March 6, 2025, 21 state attorneys-general urged Congressional leadership to prohibit government devices from “downloading and using the Chinese Communist Party’s DeepSeek AI Software.” On April 16, 2025, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party published a report on DeepSeek funneling American data to the CCP and manipulating results to align with CCP propaganda. The Committee members requested answers to the following questions: Provide a detailed description of the types and sources of data used to train your AI models, including any U.S. personal or proprietary information. Confirm whether information entered into your AI applications or chatbots by American consumers or businesses is used to train your AI models. If yes, identify where this information is stored and accessed from, and whether it is shared with any state entity of the People’s Republic of China or other Chinese companies. Describe the technical, administrative, and physical controls used to secure personal and proprietary information associated with your AI offerings, as well as your process for evaluating the security of third-party service providers. Provide a detailed description of any U.S. technology products or services used to develop, integrate, or bring to market your AI offerings. This includes the use of open and closed source AI models developed by U.S. companies and the unauthorized “distillation” of American models. Provide a detailed description of how your AI models are developed and trained, including any steps taken to influence system outputs for alignment with Chinese Communist Party ideology or political goals. Provide a detailed description of any direct or indirect subsidies you receive from the People’s Republic of China, or its political subdivisions, related to AI development. Confirm whether your company has received a request from the People’s Republic of China, or its political subdivisions, for data related to your company’s AI offerings. This includes personal and proprietary data used to train or finetune an AI model and data ingested by your AI services. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. CLICK HERE to read the story from Fox News. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced a hearing titled Global Networks at Risk: Securing the Future of Telecommunications Infrastructure . “Our adversaries continually seek to exploit vulnerabilities in our communications infrastructure to jeopardize our national security, disrupt critical services, and steal Americans’ data. As the United States faces new and evolving threats, we must act quickly to strengthen our networks and support greater resilience by outpacing those who seek to do us harm,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson . “We look forward to this conversation with experts from across the industry on what steps Congress should take to ensure Americans continue to have access to secure and reliable networks.”    Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled Global Networks at Risk: Securing the Future of Telecommunications Infrastructure    WHAT : Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing on securing global networks.     DATE : Wednesday, April 30, 2025  TIME : 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION : 2322 Rayburn House Office Building   This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov .   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation . “Our nation is at an energy crossroads. It’s clear that securing our electric grid and powering AI will require abundant and reliable energy for decades to come,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “Over the past several months, our Committee has heard from energy producers, grid operators, and experts on AI that have discussed the need to produce more baseload power. This legislative hearing offers us the chance to discuss specific policy proposals to help achieve this goal and ensure American energy dominance.”   Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation   WHAT : Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss legislation that would help our nation create affordable and reliable energy in order to maintain our grid and power new technologies.  DATE : Wednesday, April 30, 2025        TIME :  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building    This hearing will focus on the following bills: H.R. ____ , Reliable Power Act H.R. 1047 , GRID Power Act (Rep. Balderson) H.R. ____ , Power Plant Reliability Act of 2025 H.R. ____ , Electric Supply Chain Act H.R. ____ , Reliability Protection for States Act H.R. ____ , State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act  H.R. ____ , Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act H.R. ____ , National Coal Council Reestablishment Act H.R. ____ , Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act  H.R. ____ , Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining Act (REFINER) Act H.R. ____ , Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act  H.R. 1949 , Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025 (Rep. Pfluger) H.R. ____ , Improving Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act H.R. ____ , Expediting Generator Interconnection Procedures Act of 2025   This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent a letter to 23andMe regarding the handling of Americans' sensitive data following the company's decision to file for bankruptcy. KEY EXCERPT: “According to 23andMe’s privacy statement, in a bankruptcy, customers’ ‘Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction and this Privacy Statement will apply to [customer] Personal Information as transferred to the new entity.’ Additionally, a judge recently ruled 23andMe has the right to sell the sensitive medical and genetic information of its 15 million customers, which is considered to be the company’s most valuable asset. With the lack of a federal comprehensive data privacy and security law, we write to express our great concern about the safety of Americans’ most sensitive personal information.” Background: On March 23, 2025, 23andMe initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which could have ramifications for the highly sensitive information of millions of Americans. While Americans’ personal health information is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), these protections only apply if the information is collected by a HIPAA covered entity. Generally, direct-to-consumer companies, like 23andMe, are not covered by HIPAA. Customers have reported issues accessing and deleting their data from their 23andMe accounts. The Chairmen have requested answers to the following questions: If 23andMe were to sell the personal information of its customers either as a standalone asset or as part of a broader sale of the company, what post-sale data privacy and security protections would be in place for its customers’ personal information? Please describe how the representations made in 23andMe’s privacy statement will continue to apply—and be enforced—if the personal information of 23andMe’s customers is sold to a third party. Please include in this response information about what, if anything, would hold a third-party buyer to 23andMe’s privacy statement or prevent it from subsequently using, transferring, or otherwise selling, such information in the future. Does 23andMe plan to change its privacy statement at any time prior to selling any customers’ personal information? If so, please explain the change 23andMe plans to implement and when those changes will go into effect. Does 23andMe intend to vet prospective buyers to which it may sell its customers’ personal information? If so, please detail the vetting process and whether it will include the prospective buyer’s history of implementing data security protections and compliance with sectoral, state, or any other data privacy and security laws. If not, please explain why. Please detail the categories of customer information 23andMe has, and of that what 23andMe is considering selling. Has 23andMe notified its customers of the company’s bankruptcy announcement? If so, please attach the customer notification. If not, please explain why. Has 23andMe provided its customers with a guide for how to delete, or request to delete any information currently in 23andMe’s possession? If so, please provide a copy of that guide and specify when it was provided to customers. If not, please explain why, and explain whether 23andMe will contact each of its customers and provide an opportunity to delete their personal information prior to a potential sale of the company or personal information maintained by the company. Please detail the number of requests 23andMe received from its customers to delete their personal information between when 23andMe filed for bankruptcy and the date of the response to this letter. Of those requests, please provide a breakdown of how many requests were made by customers through their 23andMe online accounts and how many were made via customer service calls because customers were unable to successfully delete their information through their online accounts. Of those requests, please detail the number of fulfilled requests. Will 23andMe offer for sale any information in which a customer has requested the deletion of such information? If so, does 23andMe’s privacy policy consider selling information a legitimate purpose for retaining information past a customer's request to delete their information? Will 23andMe deidentify its customers’ personal information prior to selling it or the company? If so, please detail which information will be deidentified. If not, please explain why the company is electing not to deidentify information. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. CLICK HERE to read the story from CNBC. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, wrote letters to eight Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grant recipients. In Case You Missed It: “SCOOP: Biden-era grant program described as ‘gold bar’ scheme by Trump EPA administrator under scrutiny” Fox News Alec Schemmel April 11, 2025 Republicans in Congress are launching a probe into a Biden-era green energy grant program that sent billions in funding to climate groups tied to Democrats and former President Joe Biden’s allies. GOP leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to the eight nonprofits awarded grants from the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), seeking answers to ensure the Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) followed proper ethics and conflict of interest protocols in distributing the funds. In February, the Trump administration’s EPA announced it would take steps to get the money back, citing concerns over a lack of oversight related to how the money was being disbursed. In the announcement, new EPA administrator Lee Zeldin cited comments from a former Biden EPA political appointee, who described disbursements made through GGRF as akin to “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” because Biden officials were allegedly trying to get money out the door before Trump took over. It was also revealed that $2 billion from GGRF went to a Stacy Abrams-linked group, Power Forward Communities, which had not been established until after the Biden administration announced the GGRF application process. Meanwhile, during Power Forward’s first few months of operations – prior to receiving the funding – the group reported just $100 in revenue. Climate United, another group that received the most money from the GGRF, roughly $7 billion, currently staffs a former Biden climate advisor who worked during the last two years of the former president’s term. The same group is also run by a CEO with ties to the Obama administration and a board member who was among those invited to Biden’s signing ceremony for his multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill in 2021.  Several GGRF grant recipients have ties to Democrats and Biden advisors, and some were reportedly founded shortly before or after the Biden administration announced the program. Meanwhile, these groups, according to Zeldin, had sole discretion on how to use the funds. House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., alongside fellow committee members Reps. Gary Palmer of Alabama and Morgan Griffith of Virginia, both Republicans, said in a joint statement that their investigation into the GGRF recipients will be “key” to understanding whether these funds were allocated “fairly and impartially to qualified applicants,” while also helping to determine the manner in which the money has been used. “The Committee has had concerns about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program since its creation—including concerns about the program’s unusual structure, a potential lack of due diligence in selecting award recipients, and the recipients’ ability to manage the large influx of federal dollars they received from the EPA,” the lawmakers said in their statement. “A recent Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing that examined these concerns coupled with the speed with which money was pushed out the door by the Biden Administration’s EPA heightened the Committee’s concerns and raised additional questions about certain Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund recipients.”  Several of the groups that were recipients of GGRF money sued the Trump administration in March over its attempts to rake back the funds.  Subsequently, Obama-appointed Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order preventing the EPA from freezing $14 billion in GGRF funds awarded to three of the climate groups.  Background: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create and implement a $27 billion GGRF program. Of this appropriation, $20 billion was awarded to just eight grant recipients; with $14 billion awarded to three grant recipients under the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) program and $6 billion awarded to five grant recipients under the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) program.   Letters:  National Clean Investment Fund Program Recipients Coalition for Green Capital Climate United Fund Power Forward Communities   Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Program Recipients Justice Climate Fund Opportunity Finance Network Inclusiv Native CDFI Network Appalachian Community Capital ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, wrote letters to eight Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grant recipients. “The Committee has had concerns about the GGRF program—including the program’s unusual structure and a potential lack of due diligence in selecting award recipients. A recent Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing examined these issues and the speed with which money was pushed out the door by the Biden Administration’s EPA, which raised additional questions about certain GGRF recipients.” said Chairmen Guthrie, Palmer, and Griffith. “ This investigation is key to evaluating whether these funds were awarded fairly and impartially to qualified applicants and determining how the federal funds are being used.” Background:  The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create and implement a $27 billion GGRF program. Of this appropriation, $20 billion was awarded to just eight grant recipients; with $14 billion awarded to three grant recipients under the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) program and $6 billion awarded to five grant recipients under the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) program.    Letters: National Clean Investment Fund Program Recipients Coalition for Green Capital Climate United Fund Power Forward Communities   Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Program Recipients Justice Climate Fund Opportunity Finance Network Inclusiv Native CDFI Network Appalachian Community Capital Read the story here . ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, led a full committee hearing titled Converting Energy into Intelligence: the Future of AI Technology, Human Discovery, and American Global Competitiveness. “On Energy and Commerce, we have a broad jurisdiction. From energy to telecom to health care applications, AI touches it all. That is why it is critical for our committee to lead in fostering a regulatory environment that leaves room for innovation and allows us to produce the massive amounts of energy needed to support AI development,”  said Chairman Guthrie.  “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure the United States wins the race to AI dominance, and we won’t let it pass us by.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from yesterday’s hearing : Congressman John Joyce (PA-13): “AI is the defining technology of the next several decades. It will have a revolutionary effect on all aspects of our lives. It will be integral in everything from high-level data analysis to the use of a search engine. In industries as diverse as energy production and healthcare, AI is already making significant inroads. As a doctor, we see AI integrated into innovative medical devices, helping to translate the information collected by the device into clinical guidance. In medical practices, AI can help streamline administrative tasks, allowing doctors to ultimately spend more time with their patients. This is just the beginning of the capabilities that AI will give us, and it is why it is critical that the US leads the way in the deployment of this technology.” Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “I'm proud to represent one of the largest clusters of data centers in the country. Google, Amazon Web Services, Meta, QTS, Vantage, and more have data centers in central Ohio and my district. In total, power demand from data centers will reach 5,000 megawatts in central Ohio by 2030 based on signed power agreements. Just last month, Williams announced a $1.6 billion investment to build two new natural gas fire plants in Lincoln County with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts. This reliable base load power generation is critical to meet growing demand in central Ohio. Dr. Schmidt, in order to alleviate strain on the electric grid, I'm curious what role or involvement you think these tech companies should have in helping to bring in new generation to secure the massive amount of power needed for their facilities. And how should these companies partner with grid operators or power providers to ensure we can properly account for tracking, growing, tracking demand?” Dr. Schmidt: “When I was at Google, we made a bet on Ohio and we built the largest data center at the time in the world, which was massive. The data centers you're describing are 10 times larger than anything I ever built way back when I was doing this, only 7 years ago. It gives you a sense of the scale of the investment in what you're doing. The best thing to do is to have a strategy within your state where everybody agrees to solve the energy power problem. We found in working in Ohio that we were able to get access to the high voltage lines that we could not get access to elsewhere. We built our own substations which are also massive. That's what it takes. That's what every one of you is going to have to do to have your states be a center for AI in the AI revolution.” Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08): “My district is truly an all of the above energy district - 83% of the oil, 56% of the natural gas in Colorado. The largest wind generating, the wind turbine manufacturing facility actually in the United States, is headquartered in my district. Geothermal, solar - we truly are an all of the above, but specifically with gas plants. One of the things that I've heard there is that there's a major backlog in getting the gas turbines. So can you speak a little bit more to the timing of retiring the coal generation if you don't have a gas alternate immediately ready to go?” Dr. Schmidt: “The reason the natural gas plants have become more expensive is demand, which is sort of what we want, right? We want more of everything and then the market will react. The problem is that these things take years with backlogs to get to you. That delay in natural gas plants will hurt AI competitiveness because it's the best source of power in certain situations.” ###