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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) sent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan a letter demanding additional details regarding the agency’s efforts to designate additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “We are particularly concerned with the scope of any new designations made by EPA, including the EPA’s ability to obtain and use the data necessary to understand the technical and economic feasibility of such a designation. “The Agency’s purposeful cooperation with scientific experts, who know these substances, is relevant to the cleanup levels for which those sites might be subject and will, ultimately, determine how quickly these sites will be cleaned up under CERCLA’s strict, joint and several, and retroactive liability scheme. For these reasons, it is imperative this Committee follow up with you and seek additional information about the potential scope of additional actions under CERCLA to address PFAS releases.”   BACKGROUND: PFAS are not a single chemical, but rather an entire group of 14,000 synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of common applications.   On April 17, 2024, the EPA designated two PFAS substances, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), as “hazardous substances” under CERCLA.   During Administrator Regan’s appearance before the Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials, he was asked if the EPA would designate PFAS substances beyond PFOA and PFOS as “hazardous substances.” In response, he stated, “We will.” Later, the EPA stated the agency “will go through a rulemaking process” for the designation of additional PFAS chemicals as CERCLA hazardous substances.  Given that PFOA and PFOS are just a fraction of the entire PFAS class, the Chairs are demanding details regarding the EPA’s efforts to designate additional PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances under CERCLA, and whether they will be transparent with the public regarding those efforts. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Full Committee Business Meeting to approve the transfer of the official classified transcript from the March 7, 2024, executive session titled “Legislation to Protect American Data and National Security from Foreign Adversaries” to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in accordance with House Rules. “Good morning and welcome to today’s Committee business meeting. “The action we are taking is significant to preserving this Committee’s hard work to protect the American people and our national security.” THE THREAT POSED BY THE CCP “Foreign adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, pose the greatest national security threat of our time. “Our adversaries are actively working to undermine America’s global leadership. “It has been a bipartisan priority for this Congress and this Committee to take action to counter that threat. “The Energy and Commerce Committee led on the most significant effort to date to do that, passing H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , which has been signed into law. “Our efforts began on March 23, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing with the CEO of TikTok—his first appearance before Congress—to understand the risks posed by this CCP-controlled app. “That hearing further confirmed our greatest fears—that the CCP is weaponizing applications, like TikTok, against the American people. “Nearly a year later, on March 7, 2024, the Committee held a legislative hearing titled 'Legislation to Protect American Data and National Security from Foreign Adversaries.' “At that hearing, we heard from the intelligence community about the dangers posed by applications, like TikTok, that are controlled by foreign adversaries who are determined to exploit and weaponize Americans’ data and the importance of Congress taking action to defend the American people against this threat. “H.R 7521 gave TikTok a simple choice: divest from your parent company, which is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party, and remain operational in the United States or side with the CCP and face a ban. “Since then, the CCP has made it clear that it has no intention of giving up control over applications, like TikTok, further solidifying that the CCP is using these applications in nefarious ways against the American people.” TAKING ACTION TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE “Rather than divest, TikTok has filed suit against the United States to try and undermine the law this Committee passed. “I am confident this legislation will withstand legal scrutiny. “In June, this Committee received a formal request from the DOJ to receive a copy of the executive session transcript from our March 2024 hearing to assist in their litigation. “According to rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee must vote to release evidence or testimony taken in executive session. “We will vote to do that this morning and in doing so, will continue our efforts to protect the American people from foreign adversaries. “Companies controlled by a foreign adversary, like the CCP, will never embrace American values, virtues of our society and culture like freedom of speech, human rights, the rule of law, a free press, and others. “Our adversaries choose to rule through fear and control. “If given the choice, they will always choose the path for more control, more surveillance, and more manipulation. “This foreign interference and manipulation is not welcome here and we will do whatever it takes to stop it.”

Washington D.C. — Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) delivered the following opening remarks on behalf of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “ The Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Trade Commission Budget.”  “Thank you, Chair Bilirakis for your leadership. “Chair Khan, we appreciate you testifying today, along with Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya. “And welcome to the newest additions to the Commission, Commissioners Holyoak and Ferguson. “We appreciate all of you being here today and for your service.” FTC REGULAR ORDER “Chair Khan, the last time you were here I expressed my serious reservations over the court cases you have lost, and some of the priorities you have unilaterally undertaken without clear review and purpose. “I know you and the FTC staff have a tough job. “With what we have seen from Big Tech during my time on this Committee, I certainly have my own concerns over how they abuse their power and how best to hold them accountable in order to protect Americans. “I continue to be concerned that the FTC’s court losses are degrading the agency’s effectiveness at a critical time when we are trying to modernize the Commission’s authority to better protect Americans online, something that will be a fixture of the FTC long after the tenure of you or your fellow commissioners. “The challenges we’re working to address need strong bipartisan collaboration and consensus. “That has always been my goal with Ranking Member Pallone, and it should be the goal at the FTC as well.” FTC MUST REMAIN INDEPENDENT “The FTC also must live up to its tradition of remaining independent from political influence. “Under this administration, we have seen time and again the FTC echoing the talking points of the White House. “Just last week, we saw President Biden blame higher costs for consumers on price gouging by companies, ignoring how his own policies have caused out of control inflation, leading to high costs across the board. “Meanwhile, this Subcommittee has been leading on several bipartisan solutions to address the root causes of increased costs by strengthening American supply chains and easing the barriers facing American businesses. “More can and must be done and we need the FTC to foster an environment that both protects consumers and allows businesses to grow and innovate. “Eliminating guardrails designed to prevent government overreach—like your removal of the longstanding phrase in the FTC mission statement 'without unduly burdening legitimate business activity' or violating due process laws and the intimidation of businesses—go against the FTC’s core mission as directed by Congress. “Chair Khan, the last time you appeared before us I asked you to convince us that the FTC’s core mission, to protect Americans, was not taking a backseat to the Biden administration’s radical agenda. “You were unable to do so. “I still remain committed to establishing the FTC as the preeminent data protection agency in the world, at the direction of Congress, but before that can happen critical guardrails must be established to prevent the agency from further abusing its power and making sure its transparent and accountable to the American people. “The FTC plays a critical role in protecting Americans, here at home and threats from abroad. “As you know, over a year ago I laid out the case directly to the CEO of TikTok for the harms that his company perpetrated against our national security, American liberties, and the privacy and online safety of our kids. Had comprehensive data privacy and security legislation been in place, you would have had the tools to enforce against TikTok and other Big Tech for violating Americans’ privacy rights. “These are goals that I know we share, and I hope that we can work together to achieve them.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-DE), and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), today celebrated President Joe Biden’s signing of S. 870, which includes the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act , into law.  “The Energy and Commerce Committee has a rich history of advancing major bipartisan solutions, and I’m extremely proud that our years of hard work to strengthen American nuclear energy have paid off with this significant legislation that will improve energy reliability and reduce costs for American families and businesses,” said Chair Rodgers. “This is a major victory for the American people and will help cement U.S. energy leadership for decades to come. I want to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to get this legislation signed into law, especially the Chair of our Energy Subcommittee and bill author Rep. Jeff Duncan.”  “Nuclear power plays an important role in producing carbon-free power for our electric grid, and now our nuclear industry will have the framework it needs to strengthen America’s energy leadership,”  said Ranking Member Pallone.  “By ensuring we can deploy safer and more reliable nuclear power, the ADVANCE Act will help combat our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, strengthening our energy independence and securing our economic security. I’m grateful to have worked alongside my colleagues to get this across the finish line.” “Today is a momentous day for our climate and America’s clean energy future,” said Chairman Carper . “The urgency of the climate crisis demands a swift transition to cleaner energy sources. Fortunately, the ADVANCE Act  will support this transition. This bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source. I’m thankful to each of my colleagues who helped write and pass this bill and to President Biden for signing it into law.” “With the ADVANCE Act being signed into law, we secured a landmark win for the future of nuclear energy here in America,”  Ranking Member Capito said. “Getting substantive, bipartisan policy across the finish line isn’t always easy, but this is the result of years of work to build widespread consensus about the benefits of advanced nuclear reactors to our electric grid, economy, and environment. I’m thrilled the ADVANCE Act is now law to enable the deployment of new nuclear and help keep the United States as the world’s nuclear energy leader.”

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Communications Commission Agency Budget.”  “This is the third time we’ve had the FCC before us this Congress, and I am pleased that we are maintaining a cadence of consistent oversight hearings. “I want to start by offering the Committee’s condolences to Chairwoman Rosenworcel on the passing of her father. We hope that your memories of him have helped you cope during this difficult time. Although we disagree on policy, we can come together to share each other’s grief.” BIDEN’S BROADBAND TAKEOVER “The last time the FCC was before us, we discussed its role in President Biden’s broadband takeover and its overregulation of the communications industry. “Unfortunately, the agency has only continued down this path. “Earlier this year, the FCC voted to reclassify broadband as a common carrier under Title II of the Communications Act. “Under the guise of ‘net neutrality,' this action expands the FCC’s authority over broadband, allowing the agency to impose burdensome regulations that will make it harder for providers to deploy broadband. “As I have stated before, this action is absolutely unnecessary. In 2017, after the FCC reversed the Obama FCC’s reclassification of broadband, the Democrats told the world that we would get the internet one-word-at-a-time and that the internet as we knew it would end. “As we all know, none of those fears came true. “I asked my office to keep track of how many of my constituents called in after the repeal to say they lost their internet—and I received zero calls. “Instead, broadband networks thrived because of increased investment by private companies that has led to higher speeds and lower prices. “Indeed, our networks survived the ultimate stress test when they withstood increased usage as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, when almost every aspect of everyday life went online.” BURDENSOME REGULATIONS LIMIT INTERNET ACCESS “Contrast what happened in the United States to what happened in Europe, where regulators had to ask websites like YouTube and Netflix to throttle and degrade service to withstand the increased demand. “At our last hearing, Chairwoman Rosenworcel attributed our success to states enacting their own net neutrality policies but that couldn’t be further from the truth. “The internet continued to function normally between the repeal and states enacting their laws, only a few states acted, and none enacted anything close to the utility-style regulations that the FCC repealed and is now reimposing. “The true source of success for our networks was the light-touch regulatory framework that the FCC just moved away from. “This action is just one of many taken by this FCC to hinder United States leadership in technology. The effect of these decisions is that deploying broadband and providing service will be more challenging for providers. “These actions could not come at a worse time. Congress provided $42.5 billion to close the digital divide. The Commission is undermining that effort by imposing regulations that will make it more expensive and more burdensome to deploy, when they should be doing the opposite. “I urge the FCC to reverse course and restore the light-touch regulatory environment that allowed broadband investment to thrive. “I have many questions about the direction the Commission is taking, and I thank the Commissioners for being here today. I look forward to discussing these and other important issues before the Commission.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) issued the following statement after H.R. 2365, the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act , was signed into law: "This bipartisan legislation will help support research into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options for patients with Parkinson’s disease, which an estimated one million Americans live with every day. It is a huge step forward for patients, their loved ones, and caretakers working to support those battling the disease,” said Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie. "We commend Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Paul Tonko for shepherding this legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee, both chambers of Congress, and to the President’s desk.” Congressman Bilirakis also added, “I celebrate this important milestone in memory of my dear brother, other family members, and on behalf of all Americans who are still struggling with this debilitating disease. It takes a terrible toll on the physical, emotional and economic well-being of everyone involved. The lack of treatment options leave patients, families, and American taxpayers in a terrible quandary. We must change our approach to get better results, which is exactly what our legislation will do. It builds upon past successes and strives to replicate other national project models that have helped advance health care goals and treatment options. This critical legislation will provide hope to those who are suffering and hopefully lead to better patient outcomes with less expensive disease management. I thank my colleagues and the many patient advocates who helped us get the bill across the finish line!” H.R 2365 was reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 47 – 0 on December 6, 2023. It passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 407 – 9 on December 14, 2023, and passed by the Senate unanimously on May 23, 2024. President Biden signed H.R. 2365, the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act , into law on July 2, 2024. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) today announced a Full Committee Business Meeting to approve the transfer of the official classified transcript from the March 7, 2024, executive session titled “Legislation to Protect American Data and National Security from Foreign Adversaries” to the Department of Justice (DOJ).  “We’ve all witnessed how the Chinese Communist Party weaponizes platforms like TikTok to manipulate the American people. These applications present a clear national security threat to the American people, which is why Energy and Commerce led in passing H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , that was signed into law earlier this year. I am confident this legislation will withstand legal scrutiny and we will do what we can to support the Department of Justice in their efforts to defend the law in court, starting with the transfer of the Committee’s classified hearing transcript later this week.”  BACKGROUND   On March 23, 2023, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to understand the risks associated with the China-controlled application.  On March 7, 2024, the Committee held a legislative hearing on H.R. 7521 titled “Legislation to Protect American Data and National Security from Foreign Adversaries.” Due to the sensitive nature of the topics, the Committee voted to hold that hearing in Executive Session, making the contents of the hearing classified.  On June 18, 2024, the Committee received a formal request from the DOJ to receive a copy of the official classified transcript from that hearing to utilize in their efforts to defend the law in court.  The rules of the House of Representatives require that the Committee vote to approve the official release of that classified transcript to DOJ.  WHAT: Full Committee Business Meeting to approve the transfer of the official classified transcript from the March 7, 2024, executive session titled “Legislation to Protect American Data and National Security from Foreign Adversaries” to DOJ.  DATE: Thursday, July 11, 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 Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Sean Kelly at Sean.Kelly@mail.house.gov . 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Communications Commission Agency Budget.”  FCC REGULATIONS WILL HARM DEPLOYMENT “Bridging the digital divide is one of this Committee’s top priorities, and it is the FCC’s statutory responsibility to assist us in this effort. “But unfortunately, the FCC has been failing in its mission. “The Commission’s recent action to reclassify broadband Internet access as a public utility under Title II of the Communications Act, as well as the agency’s broad rules on digital discrimination, have undermined our efforts to ensure every American has access to broadband. “This could not have come at a worse time. “We are on the verge of closing the digital divide. “Congress has dedicated billions of dollars to achieve this effort, including $42 billion dollars for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “Those efforts are undercut when the Commission then places heavy-handed regulations and micromanages providers, making it harder to encourage participation in these programs, to deploy and operate new networks, and get more people connected." HISTORY HAS PROVEN TITLE II IS UNNECESSARY “As has already been proven once, Title II is a solution in search of a problem. “It’s a century old framework designed to address telephone monopolies, whereas today’s broadband marketplace is incredibly competitive. “These regulations will hurt consumers most, resulting in higher prices and slower internet speeds. “The FCC has failed to learn from previous efforts and has no legitimate justification for these heavy-handed regulations. “The talking points that these regulations protect consumers from harmful ISP practices are not rooted in fact and have already been disproven once by the incredible performance of our networks, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The facts are that speeds are up, investment in broadband networks is up, and prices for consumers are down. “The fast lanes, blocking, and throttling of traffic that Democrats warned about never transpired. “Our light-touch regulatory environment works and turning away from this success with unnecessary regulations is the wrong action.” UNLAWFUL ACTIONS BY THIS FCC “Reclassifying broadband under Title II is not only bad policy, it is also unlawful. “As the Republicans on both this Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee wrote to the Commission before its decision, the FCC has no authority to reclassify broadband. “That is Congress’ job, as the Supreme Court recently confirmed. “The FCC doesn't get to just claim something is necessary for American national security in order to do whatever they want. “That is for Congress to decide, as it has in numerous instances recently with things like our TikTok legislation, establishing the rip-and-replace program, and passing the Secure Equipment Act. “The decision on how to regulate broadband can have significant economic and political consequences, and requires the FCC have clear authorization from Congress in order to act. “When it comes to Title II, we have given the Commission no such authority. “This is not the first time this FCC has exceeded their authority. “Last December, the agency approved rules on data breach notifications that mirror the rules that Congress disapproved of in 2017 through the Congressional Review Act procedures. “The CRA forbids the FCC from enacting rules that are 'substantially the same' as those Congress rejected. “And now the FCC is circulating an order that would regulate the use of artificial intelligence in political ads—a task that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the commission, and which drew condemnation from the Federal Election Commission, the independent agency who does hold that authority. “This pattern of the FCC abusing its authority and ignoring Congressional direction is just another example of the Biden Administration’s efforts to assert more federal control over the American people’s lives. “This must end, and I look forward to the courts stepping in to overturn these unlawful power grabs. “This agency is pursuing a partisan agenda that ignores Congress and fails to solve the actual problems impacting Americans like illegal robocalls, or permitting reform to help deploy broadband faster, or additional ways to secure our networks from the threats posed by our adversaries. “Today’s hearing presents an opportunity to hold the FCC accountable for its actions. “I look forward to our discussion today.” 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Trade Commission Budget.”  POLITICALIZATION OF FTC “Unlike last year, this hearing will feature the full slate of all five FTC Commissioners’ testimonies, and I want to welcome the two newest commissioners, Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak.  “Thank you both for serving and being here. I look forward to hearing how you plan to balance out the perspective and representation of the FTC as it protects consumers.  “Unfortunately, up until this year, the Commission has lost its balanced approach.  “Since being confirmed over three years ago, Chair Khan has taken an aggressive stance towards the use of its authorities, leading to internal discord.  “Employee staff morale fell from 83 percent in 2020 down to 53 percent last year. I’m afraid it has lost its roots as a well-respected bipartisan law enforcement agency focused on protecting against bad actors.  “Despite restraints on statutory authority, the FTC has plowed forward out of bounds with sweeping new rulemakings, attempting to create policy in the process.  “Most notably the Commission’s 'Commercial Surveillance and Data Security' Proposed Rulemaking is an overreach and raises significant legal concerns.”  FAILURE OF TRANSPARENCY “I was hopeful that today could be a new start, but I worry that releasing actions of the Commission less than two hours before this hearing commences is not a positive sign for transparency of the work you are engaged in.  “For instance, on pharmacy benefit managers, there is no way for either side of the dais here to analyze the interim report announced this morning, moreover, have a broader view on whether this means the Biden administration has failed to address this issue broadly at HHS.  “Commissioner Holyoak said it best: 'creating new law is the job of Congress, not the Federal Trade Commission.' Yet many of these proposed rules generously interpret existing statutory authorities in the broadest terms.  “This goes beyond the clear directives that Congress has provided. Chair Khan, I fear that your approach can cause severe damage to innovators who have become afraid of arbitrary and punitive actions by the FTC.  “These efforts, which erode public trust in the Commission, have not been successful in the courts.”  FTC MUST RETURN TO ITS MISSION “I want to reiterate what I made very clear in last year’s budget hearing—the existing charge and mission of the FTC is too important and must be prioritized.  “Every day, scam artists take advantage of seniors, children, and other unsuspecting Americans, defrauding them of billions of dollars.  “I want to ensure that the Commission is effectively using its existing authority to go after and hold these bad actors accountable, protecting Americans from deception and fraud.  “Nonetheless, this Committee has been hard at work on a bipartisan basis to provide new proportionate authorities for the Commission, this includes the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act, as well as other bipartisan efforts like the Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act , the No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays Act , and the TICKET Act . “We are actively working towards bipartisan agreements on the American Privacy Rights Act to ensure we are providing one national privacy standard and protecting Americans’ data from being manipulated and abused without their consent, and the Kids Online Safety Act to safeguard our children from the online harms of Big Tech.  “I assure you this Subcommittee will continue to work together to support and protect consumers from harmful and deceptive practices.  “But in the process, you must regain our trust by ensuring any authority we provide will not be stretched and contorted to reach your desired result.   “I implore the Chair to work with ALL of the Commissioners, protect consumers from the real bad actors, and be faithful stewards of the law.  “I look forward to conducting this critical and necessary oversight and to hearing each of your testimonies.”