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

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

Title : Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie Announce Health Subcommittee Markup of 23 Bills  Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today announced a subcommittee markup of 23 bills. “Strengthening the American health care system—particularly for those most in need—has been a bipartisan goal of this Committee,” said Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie. “We will continue advancing this agenda by considering legislation to extend Americans’ access to telehealth services, which is crucial for our seniors and those in rural and underserved areas. We will also examine bills that strengthen and preserve Medicaid for those most in need who the program was designed to help, encourage innovation to help children with rare diseases, and strengthen the health and wellbeing of the American people.”  WHAT : A Subcommittee on Health markup of XX legislative proposals.   DATE : Thursday, May 16, 2024   TIME : 10:00 AM ET   LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  Legislative proposals to be considered :  H.R. 3433 ,  Give Kids a Chance Act  (Reps. McCaul and Eshoo)  H.R. 7383 , Retaining Access and Restoring Exclusivity (RARE) Act  (Reps. Matsui and Bilirakis)  H.R. 7384 Creating Hope Reauthorization Act of 2024  (Reps. McCaul and Eshoo)  ,  H.R. 7188 ,   Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act (Reps. Moolenaar and Dingell)  H.R. 6033 ,  Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge (SPEAK) Act of 2023  (Reps. Steel and Gomez)  H.R. 7858 ,  Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024  (Reps. James and D.G. Davis)  H.R. 7623 ,  Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024  (Reps. Carter and Blunt Rochester)  H.R. 1406 ,  Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act  (Reps. Joyce and Peters)  H.R. 7856 ,  PREVENT DIABETES Act  (Reps. DeGette and Bilirakis)  H.R. 5394 ,  Expanding Remote Monitoring Access Act  (Reps. Balderson and Porter)  H.R. 1199 ,   Facilitating Innovative Nuclear Diagnostics Act of 2023  (Reps. Dunn and Peters)  H.R. 6020 ,  Honor Our Living Donors Act  (Reps. Obernolte and DelBene)  H.R. 455 ,  To amend the Controlled Substances Act to fix a technical error in the definitions  (Reps. Burchett and Cohen)  H.R. 7213 ,  Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2024  (Reps. C. Smith and Cuellar)   (Reps. Boyle and Fitzpatrick)  ,  H.R. 670 ,  Think Differently Database Act  (Reps. Molinaro and Sherrill)  H.R. 8084 ,  LIVE Beneficiaries Act  (Reps. Bilirakis and Craig)  H.R. 8089 ,   Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act of 2024  (Reps. Garcia and Peters)  H.R. 8111 ,   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure the reliability of address information provided under the Medicaid program  (Reps. Miller-Meeks and Cartwright)  H.R. 8112 ,  To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to further require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program  (Rep. D’Esposito)  H.R. 4758 ,  Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act  (Reps. Trahan and Miller-Meeks)  H.R. 3227 , Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act  (Reps. Estes and Connolly)  H.R. 468 ,  Building America’s Health Care Workforce Act  (Reps. Guthrie and Dean) 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 Emma Schultheis with the Committee staff at Emma.Schultheis@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement regarding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) final transmission rule, which will increase costs for Americans across the country. “At a time when energy prices are already skyrocketing and more than half the nation is at elevated risk of forced blackouts, FERC’s new rule is reckless and alarming. This rule tramples on states’ authority over their energy infrastructure and will force some states to shoulder the costs for transmission lines with no actual benefits for their own communities, especially in rural areas. Rather than working to implement meaningful infrastructure permitting reforms, which would reduce energy costs for Americans, FERC’s decision—which advanced along partisan lines—only sets us further behind and continues to prevent the United States from reaching its full energy potential."

Washington, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released the following statements celebrating the enactment of H.R. 1042 , legislation to ban Russian uranium imports into the United States. “It is time for America to end it's over reliance on Russia's uranium supply, which has stunted our domestic nuclear fuel infrastructure and poses a risk to our energy and national security,” said Chair Rodgers. “I commend Senator John Barrasso for his leadership to shepherd this important bill through the Senate, which will ban fuel imports from Russia and help restore American nuclear leadership and fuel security for decades to come." “Today, we officially ended Russia’s chokehold on America’s uranium supply,” said Senator Barrasso. “I want to thank Chair Rodgers for her leadership in getting this critical bill signed into law. Banning imports of Russian uranium will jumpstart America’s nuclear fuel industry, further defund Russia’s war machine, and help revive American uranium production for decades to come. As our nation’s leading uranium producer, Wyoming is ready to do our part to power American reactors with American nuclear fuel. Russia’s dominance of the world’s nuclear fuel supply chain is coming to an end.”  BACKGROUND: Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers introduced H.R. 1042 on February 14, 2023. Senator John Barrasso introduced companion legislation S. 763 on March 9, 2023. The House passed H.R. 1042 by voice vote on December 11, 2023. The Senate passed H.R. 1042 by unanimous consent on April 30, 2024.  H.R. 1042 being signed into law is a necessary prerequisite to unlocking the private capital needed to build a domestic nuclear fuel supply and aligns with the Nuclear Fuel Security Act , legislation to help bolster our domestic uranium and advanced nuclear fuel supplies, which was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024 and signed into law last December.  CLICK HERE to read the text of the bill. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) issued the following statement regarding a recent rule announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at preventing federally funded programs from denying care based on discriminatory metrics:  “The Biden administration’s rule—which is a small step in the right direction—is also a tacit admission that individuals are still being denied care simply because they have a disability or chronic condition, further demonstrating the need for the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act. I'm working to evaluate how the rule changes the costs associated with my legislation, possibly eliminating the need for the pay-for, which had been the administration’s stated objection to the bill.”  BACKGROUND :  On May 1st, the Biden administration finalized new regulations that further clarify Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973’s prohibitions of discrimination on the basis of disability.  Among the regulations was greater clarification that the usage of value assessments that discriminate against those with disabilities, like Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), violates federal law.   The new regulations fall short of the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act , because they do not also clarify that it would violate the law to treat extending the life of a senior citizen or individual with a disability or chronic illness as a lower value than another person.   They also do not explicitly apply the prohibition to other federal payers that are not Medicare and Medicaid, which requires Congress to act. 

“Our measure aims to restore the internet’s intended purpose.” Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today unveiled bipartisan draft legislation to sunset Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. As laid out in the Leaders’ opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal , the legislation seeks to encourage Congress and stakeholders to work together over the next 18 months to evaluate and enact a new legal framework that will allow for free speech and innovation while also incentivizing these companies to be good stewards of their platforms. Excerpts from The Wall Street Journal op-ed by Chair Rodgers and Ranking Member Pallone: The internet’s original promise was to help people and businesses connect, innovate and share information. Congress passed the Communications Decency Act in 1996 to realize those goals. It was an overwhelming success. Section 230 of the act helped shepherd the internet from the “you’ve got mail” era into today’s global nexus of communication and commerce. Unfortunately, Section 230 is now poisoning the healthy online ecosystem it once fostered. Big Tech companies are exploiting the law to shield them from any responsibility or accountability as their platforms inflict immense harm on Americans, especially children. Congress’s failure to revisit this law is irresponsible and untenable. That is why we’re taking bipartisan action. [...] Over the years lawmakers have tried to no avail to address these concerns, thanks in part to Big Tech’s refusal to engage in a meaningful way. Congress has made good-faith efforts to find a solution that preserves Big Tech’s ability to innovate and ensures safety and accountability for past and future harm. It’s time to make that a reality, which is why we are unveiling today bipartisan draft legislation to sunset Section 230. Our measure aims to restore the internet’s intended purpose—to be a force for free expression, prosperity and innovation. It would require Big Tech and others to work with Congress over 18 months to evaluate and enact a new legal framework that will allow for free speech and innovation while also encouraging these companies to be good stewards of their platforms. Our bill gives Big Tech a choice: Work with Congress to ensure the internet is a safe, healthy place for good, or lose Section 230 protections entirely. CLICK HERE to read the full op-ed. CLICK HERE to read the bipartisan discussion draft legislation.

Washington, D.C. — House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan outlining concerns about how new California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations could harm the rail sector.  Highlights from POLITICO’s Morning Transportation Newsletter, which covered the letter exclusively:   FIRST IN MT, NO TO CARB: Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) are urging EPA Administrator Michael Regan to reject a California proposal to make particular trains running in the state follow more stringent emissions standards.   The lawmakers say the rule — approved last year by the California Air Resources Board and that would by 2030 restrict certain trains from operating in the state unless they are less than 23 years old or are zero emissions vehicles — would “lead to higher consumer prices, impair the country’s transportation system, and harm interstate commerce.”   KEY LETTER EXCERPTS   We write regarding the “In-use Locomotive Regulation” (hereinafter “the CARB regulation”) issued by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which would force the premature retirement of reliable and affordable diesel locomotives and has the potential to upend our nation’s rail system and supply chains. CARB has made a request to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a Federal authorization of the CARB regulation, which would impose zero-emissions requirements on locomotives. Given the interconnectedness and importance of rail service to our nation’s transportation and commerce systems, Congress has consistently found that railroads are to be regulated at the federal level. California’s requested authorization, if granted, would violate statutory authority, negatively impact States without the public policy goals of California, lead to higher consumer prices, impair the country’s transportation system, and harm interstate commerce.   [...]   Rail transportation makes up just 1.7 percent of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.19 Rather than seeking top-down, command and control policies, which will raise costs, hasten consolidation in the rail sector, and do little to reduce the overall emissions footprint of the globe, we urge you to reject California’s authorization request.   CLICK HERE to read the full letter to Administrator Regan. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Vice Chair Randy Weber (R-TX) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s field hearing in Bakersfield, California, titled "Perspectives From the Fields: the State of Rural Broadband in America.”  Remarks as prepared for delivery:    IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIVITY   “Welcome to Bakersfield, California, for today’s hearing to discuss the importance of rural broadband.  “We’ll be focusing mostly today on precision agriculture, but the transformative power of connectivity is much wider.  “I’d like to start by thanking our witnesses for being here today. They are all integral members of this community here to talk about the unique opportunities that internet connectivity provides the great people of Bakersfield and other communities across the country.  “I’d also like to thank Representative Valadao. His gracious invitation to engage with his district on this issue will let us all hear directly from Americans in their own hometown.”  CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE   “We are in the early stages of an unprecedented effort to close the digital divide, funded by the American taxpayer to the tune of $100 billion.   “The goal of each of those programs is to connect all Americans—especially those in rural America who have been disconnected for decades. The government has to stay out of the way to allow the private sector to give each unique community the tailored approach it deserves.   “Broadband connectivity enables some of the greatest technologies that we have today. Precision agriculture is increasing crop yield and decreasing the resources required for all sorts of farming. Access to broadband internet is providing new opportunities to rural communities for innovation: from drones used to monitor crop health to autonomous tractors.   “My worry is that short-sighted programmatic requirements, workforce shortages, and permitting delays could jeopardize the once-in-a-lifetime investment being made by the American taxpayer. We must find creative solutions to connect every acre of the United States, and there cannot be a one size fits all approach.   “Satellites have always played a key role in precision agriculture, originating with imagery and analysis of crop coverage or water research. Now, with low-earth orbit systems in the mix, satellite internet provides reliable, high-speed connectivity even in the most remote corners of farmland.”   E&C OVERSIGHT   “This committee is conducting the necessary oversight to ensure that the agencies administering this funding are coordinating, staying on task and focusing on the primary purpose of this funding: connecting the unserved.    “Next week we will have an oversight hearing with Alan Davidson, the Assistant Secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. But today, I want to hear from you about what we can do to help ensure that you are benefitting from the federal programs designed to help you.  “For far too long, rural America has borne the brunt of the digital divide. We now have the chance to change that. I look forward to hearing from members of this community about their stories, and about the impact of bringing broadband to rural communities.”