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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, announced a hearing titled  Stopping Illegal Robocalls and Robotexts: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps . “Illegal, predatory robocalls and robotexts have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars and undermined the public’s faith in the communications they receive. Despite Congressional and agency enforcement actions, rapid technological development has made it increasingly difficult to stop this scourge,”  said Chairmen Guthrie and Palmer.   “We look forward to examining ongoing efforts to target these fraudsters and ways to protect Americans from illegal robocalls and robotexts that are meant to harass and deceive.” Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing titled  Stopping Illegal Robocalls and Robotexts: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps WHAT:  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on stopping abusive and predatory robocalls and robotexts. DATE:  Wednesday, June 4, 2025 TIME:  10:15 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, released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed H.J. Res. 61 into law, repealing the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the rubber tire manufacturing sector. “The signing of H.J. Res. 61 is a victory for the American manufacturers who were threatened by the harmful and burdensome standards created by the Biden-Harris Administration in its final days,”   said Chairman Guthrie.   “This flawed rule created enormous costs, threatening to destroy the domestic production of rubber tires and raise prices for consumers. In his first 100 days in office, President Trump is standing for the American people and passing legislation that supports businesses, workers, and families. Thank you to Chairman Griffith for his tireless work to see this legislation become law.” Background: Prior to the signing of H.J. Res. 61, tire manufacturers were being forced to incur tremendous costs to comply with these rules without any measurable benefit. ·      While EPA stated it issued the rule to address hazardous air pollutants, the rule instead adds emission limitations for total hydrocarbons and filterable particulate matter. These pollutants are not correlated. ·      To meet this flawed rule’s limits, they would have had to install and operate regenerative thermal oxidizers, control devices that require significant energy inputs. ·      Operating these devices would consequently have an adverse environmental impact, in addition to the costs the NESHAP would have imposed on the industry. ·      This rule would have impacted 94 mixers at 11 major source facilities that are located in 9 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement after the House passed S.J. Res. 31, to rescind the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Once-in, Always-in” rule, which permanently classified industrial facilities as “major sources” of emissions under the Clean Air Act, even if they made considerable investments in order to reduce their emissions. S.J. Res. 31 passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 216 to 212. “The passage of S.J. Res. 31 is essential to supporting American businesses who have worked to decrease emissions, and lower pollution,”  said Chairman Guthrie . “ The ‘Once-in, Always-in’ rule that was brought back under Biden-Harris Administration unfairly punishes businesses who have made investments in cleaner technologies. Repealing this backward rule is part of our work to unleash American energy and ensure that government red tape does not stand in the way of creating jobs and growing our economy. Thank you to Congresswoman Fedorchak for your work on this resolution.”   Background:    S.J. Res. 31 –  A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act,”  would overturn the so called “Once-in, Always-in” rule finalized in the final months of the Biden-Harris Administration that imposed significant burdens on energy producers, manufacturers and small businesses and created a disincentive for them to reduce their air emissions. S.J. Res. 31 was introduced by Sen. Curtis (R-UT) on March 6, 2025. H.J. Res. 79 was introduced by Rep. Fedorchak (ND-AL), on March 24, 2025 and cosponsored by Rep. Balderson (OH-12), Rep. Allen (GA-12), and Rep. Bentz (OR-02). The Senate passed S.J. Res. 31 on May 1, 2025 by a vote of 52-46.   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, by a vote of 215 to 214. “House Republicans have delivered on the promises we and President Trump made to the American people. The bill includes provisions passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee that strengthens Medicaid for those who need it most, establishes work requirements for able-bodied individuals, and ensures American energy dominance. This bill will provide vital support to communities and families across the country,”   said Chairman Guthrie.   “I look forward to working with the Senate to pass the bill and deliver it to the President’s desk.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Examining Ways to Enhance Our Critical Mineral Supply Chains . Subcommittee Chairman Palmer's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing entitled 'Examining Ways to Enhance Our Domestic Mineral Supply Chains.' “Today’s hearing addresses the crucial challenge that the U.S. is facing—how to decouple and derisk ourselves from China and other foreign adversaries and build critical mineral supply chains within the U.S. Our country has been blessed with abundant natural resources and the world-changing technology needed to harness those resources. Unfortunately, however, we have become over reliant on other nations to supply and process critical minerals. Today’s hearing is an opportunity to examine how to increase capacity and resilience in American critical mineral supply chains again. “Critical minerals are used in items we use every day like smart phones, computer hard drives, televisions, batteries, and lightbulbs. They are also used in elements of our electrical grid and have defense applications. “The U.S. used to be the leading producer and refiner of many critical minerals, including rare earth elements. By the late 1990s, however, most of this industry dissolved and moved overseas. According to a review in the United States Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024, the U.S. was 100 percent import reliant for 12 of the 50 critical minerals on the 2022 critical minerals list and more than 50 percent import reliant for an additional 29. “This predicament we find ourselves in is not a new problem, but a problem that has been many years in the making. So how did we get here? It is a combination of things—including burdensome permitting and other regulations, uncertainty in commodity pricing, market manipulation, and an increasingly litigious society. This has made our domestic environment unattractive to investors and companies as a result. For example, getting domestic processing and refining facilities up and running is an extremely long process—it can take 10 to 20 years for new processing plants and smelters to become operational. That is in addition to the lengthy mine development process in the U.S., which is the second-longest mine development timeline in the world. Because of this burdensome red tape, companies are not incentivized to invest domestically, so instead they invest abroad. “Moreover, even when U.S. companies operate mines in the U.S., the hesitancy to invest in domestic processing and refining facilities has put us in a position where our foreign adversaries monopolize other parts of the supply chain. For example, in 2019, one rare earth mine in the U.S. sent 98 percent of its raw materials to China because the U.S. lacked the capacity to process those minerals domestically. As a result, we must import our own product back from China after it is processed, but China’s recent export bans on several rare earth elements critical to the U.S. make this nearly impossible. “I cannot convey the seriousness of this issue enough. This is an economic issue and an issue of national security. We as a nation must ensure that we have access to these materials and the ability to process them without reliance on foreign adversaries, including China. “I want to applaud President Trump for declaring a national energy emergency on day one of his presidency, emphasizing that the U.S.’s identification, production, and refining of critical minerals are inadequate to meet domestic needs. Since then, President Trump has signed several executive orders related to critical minerals—including ordering immediate measures to increase American mineral production. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration on the mission to increase the capacity and resilience of domestic critical mineral supply chains. “I also want to thank our witnesses for joining us today to share their expertise and guide our discussion about the challenges in building domestic critical mineral supply chains and the opportunities we have to improve our domestic supply chains moving forward.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Examining Ways to Enhance Our Critical Mineral Supply Chains . “Producing critical minerals here at home is essential for our economic and national security. We cannot allow the supply chains for critical minerals used in products like AI chips, cell phones, missiles, and fighter jets to be controlled by China, particularly the processing and refining phases of the supply chains,” said Chairman Palmer. “In today’s hearing, our witnesses were clear that Congress must take steps to build an environment enticing for domestic investment—including streamlining the permitting process—to help ensure that critical minerals can be mined, processed, and refined domestically.”  Watch the full hearing here .   Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “The US has the second longest timeline for a mine to be approved, and we’ve heard anecdotes of projects waiting decades for approval to break ground or begin operations. Why is it that approvals of projects in the U.S., whether it be a mine or a processing, refining, or recycling facility for critical minerals take so long in the U.S?” Mr. Herrgott: “One of the main reasons is lack of coordination amongst the various agencies that are involved in the permitting process. Most mining projects will require a variety of permits. We’ve had member companies that have had mines that require over 90 permits.” Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02): “Critical Minerals are the backbone of a modern economy and a modern military, from semiconductors to advanced weapons systems. Today, the U.S. imports between 50 percent and 82 percent of the critical minerals we need. So where are they coming from? It’s been mentioned plenty of times here – they’re coming from China. That’s not good. Our national security, our national industrial base, our economic future is dependent on supply chains we don’t control and from regimes we cannot trust. And why? Well, mostly because our laws and regulations have made it virtually impossible to open up new mines in this country, and even, even when we do mine, we still have to ship the raw materials overseas just to get them refined because we’ve offshored our processing capabilities.” Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14): “The U.S. once led the world in producing and refining rare earth elements but ceded that position to China in the 1980s. Today, China controls roughly 90 percent of global rare earth processing and has already demonstrated a willingness to restrict exports and thus, as one of you mentioned, affect the market. This leaves the U.S. dangerously exposed. If China were to halt exports entirely, think of that scenario. Where would we turn to secure the materials vital to our energy infrastructure and national security?” Ms. Hunter: “So, a total export ban would be devastating to the U.S. economy. We would need to rely on domestic sources if we can get them online, and then have them be processed into the final products that need to be qualified by manufacturers, and turn to allies as much as possible, countries with which we share national security priorities.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s Committee on Rules hearing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act . Chairman Guthrie's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning, Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member McGovern. Thank you for holding today’s hearing. “The Committee on Energy and Commerce’s marathon 26-and-a-half-hour markup of our Reconciliation instruction was a unique opportunity to consider issues spanning the full jurisdiction of the Committee. We worked through legislation that will unleash American energy, end costly EV mandates, and advance American innovation, along with strengthening the Medicaid program for the most vulnerable Americans and improving their access to quality health care.  “Our committee was tasked with identifying $880 billion in savings and new revenue, and I’m proud to say we exceeded that goal. “We’ve worked diligently to meet that target by ending wasteful Green New Deal-style spending, supporting the rapid innovation of American industry and federal agencies, and eliminating the waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid that jeopardizes care for millions of women, children, people with disabilities, and elderly Americans.  “To ensure American energy dominance, we are securing our energy infrastructure by taking steps to refurbish and refill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which strengthens our energy security and supports our national security. Further, we’re taking steps to streamline the process for exporting LNG to our allies while promoting more American energy production. “Through an increase in federal revenues, we are streamlining the siting and permitting of new pipelines to transport energy around the country, which is critical to meeting our energy demands and winning the AI race. “We are saving $172 billion over the next 10 years by repealing burdensome Biden-Harris Administration regulations, and over $100 billion by eliminating EV mandates imposed by the vehicle emission and CAFE standards that have failed to serve American taxpayers. “And through major investments to modernize the Department of Commerce, we will integrate AI systems and upgrade IT systems to make the Department more secure and effective. To protect the integrity of this project, we are implementing guardrails that protect against state-level AI laws that could jeopardize our technological leadership. “Our legislation raises $88 billion of new revenue through a historic agreement reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority, while protecting U.S. national security.  “Biden-era inflation has left Americans struggling to access affordable health care, making programs like Medicaid critical for the vulnerable Americans who rely on them.  “The issue has been exacerbated by the decisions of left-leaning state governments to spend taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants. House Republicans make no apologies for prioritizing Americans in need over illegal immigrants and other able-bodied beneficiaries who are choosing not to work. “Our priority remains the same: strengthen and sustain Medicaid for expectant mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. “That is why our legislation stops billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program by beginning to close loopholes, ensuring states have the flexibility to remove ineligible recipients from their rolls, and removing beneficiaries who are enrolled in multiple states. These are all commonsense policies that will save taxpayer dollars and refocus Medicaid on those who need it most. “Medicaid was created to protect health care for Americans who otherwise could not support themselves, but Democrats expanded the program far beyond this core mission. That’s why we are establishing common sense work requirements for capable but unemployed adults without dependents. Let me be clear – these work requirements only apply to able-bodied adults without dependents who don’t have a disqualifying condition like a disability or substance use disorder, encouraging them to re-enter the workforce or give back to their communities and regain their independence. “All of this is part of our effort to strengthen Medicaid for the people that need it most.  “When President Trump delivered his second inaugural address, he promised “a revolution of common sense” that would launch a generation of growth, prosperity, and health.  “This reconciliation bill is critical to that promise the President and Congressional Republicans made to the American people. “Today, we are discussing a bill that unleashes American energy dominance, advances innovation, and protects access to care for our most vulnerable.  “When we are able to accomplish all of these outstanding developments for our constituents and extend the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, we will have delivered a generational win for our constituents. “I am proud of our work to re-spark the American Dream and ensure our country will always be the land of opportunity.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C . – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled AI Regulation and the Future of US Leadership. Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis' opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Thank you to everyone, especially our witnesses, for joining us for today’s hearing on 'AI Regulation and the Future of U.S. Leadership.' “At the outset, I want to recognize Ranking Member Schakowsky, as this is our first Subcommittee hearing since she announced her retirement. She’s been a welcome partner over the last four-and-a-half years. Together, we were able to secure better safety precautions for women with the FAIR Crash Tests Act. During the pandemic, we worked tirelessly to support the travel and tourism industry at a time of unprecedented challenges. This bond culminated in the TICKET Act, which strengthens consumer protections in the ticketing marketplace. Congress and E&C won’t be the same without Ranking Member Schakowsky, but her legacy will be long remembered. “Since the public release of ChatGPT, AI has become a household name. AI products and services are being developed at breakneck speed, delivering new innovations to consumers. These technologies can revolutionize the economy, drive economic growth, and improve our way of life. Like every technology, however, AI can be weaponized when it is in the wrong hands. Thankfully, AI is already regulated by longstanding laws that protect consumers. Because of the great potential of these technologies, Congress must be careful when we impose additional obligations on AI developers and deployers. “Our task is to protect our citizens and ensure that we don’t cede U.S. AI leadership. Much of the AI marketplace is comprised of small start-ups looking to get a foothold in this revolutionary space. And heavy-handed regulations may ensure that the next great American company never makes it. If we fail in this task, we risk ceding American leadership in AI to China, which is close on our heels. “Other economies are also eager to write the global AI rulebook, often to their own detriment and the detriment of American leadership. The E.U. recently enacted its own 'AI Act.' While it is still being implemented, the E.U.’s complex law suffers from many of the innovation-chilling effects we saw with the GDPR. We must also keep a close watch on whether Europe uses the AI Act and other regulations to unfairly target American companies. “We’re here today to determine how Congress can support the growth of an industry that is key for American competitiveness and jobs, without losing the race to write the global AI rulebook. Our witnesses today will help us understand how we achieve that dream. “I want to thank the witnesses for being here and I look forward to your testimony.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, led a hearing titled AI Regulation and the Future of US Leadership .  “Our task is to protect our citizens and ensure that we don’t cede U.S. AI leadership. Much of the AI marketplace is comprised of small start-ups looking to get a foothold in this revolutionary space,” said Chairman Bilirakis. “And heavy-handed regulations may ensure that the next great American company never makes it. If we fail in this task, we risk ceding American leadership in AI to China, which is close on our heels.”  Watch the full hearing here .   Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01): “In the face of Chinese progress in emerging technologies, I'm concerned about the US's ability to maintain its leadership position, if in fact we still have one – I’d like to get your opinion on that – in an AI race. Especially if we were to follow the European approach, which I don't see us doing, or allow a patchwork of AI rules to develop across the various states. So with that, if you could just share, are you confident? Are we still in the lead in AI? And can we continue to maintain the edge in AI technology over China on this path?” Mr. Bhargava: “Yes, I believe the US does still have a lead, but many of the Chinese models are 85 to 90% of the way there to where the cutting-edge US models are. So I'd say it's not a major lead, but we certainly do have a lead from a technology perspective of most of the evaluations of AI models done.” Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23): “As the Chairman of the House AI Task Force last year, and as someone who saw this group of 24 members of Congress from both sides all come together on this issue, it really hurts my heart that it's being painted as such a divisive, partisan issue because I don't think it is. You know, the assertions have been made that this was a last-minute thing and ‘in the dead of night.’ I think someone used the phrase ‘it was inserted,’ but I want to talk about the motivation here. It's been very alarming, as we have seen in the first 5 months of this year go by, the number of bills introduced on the topic of AI regulation in state legislatures across the country. Over 1,000 now have been introduced and this is what's lending urgency to this issue.” Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15): “Artificial intelligence is not just the technology of the future. It is already transforming the way that we live, work, and govern, and it is reshaping nearly every sector of our economy. The question before us is not whether to act, it is how to act wisely. So as policy makers, we have two responsibilities. One is to protect the public from real risks, but second, to ensure that American innovation continues to lead the world. Those goals are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the right policy framework can achieve both, so I appreciate you all being here today to help us strike that balance.” ###