| Speaker | Time | Text |
|---|---|---|
|
Checkerboard Land Challenges
00:12:54
|
||
| administration. | ||
| As our filing made clear, and I quote, the amended RMP resource management plan is not only unlawful and unwise, but it is also emblematic of everything that was wrong with the prior administration's approach to cooperative federalism. | ||
| Amen. | ||
| And that's exactly why we are here. | ||
| The truth is, because of the checkerboard nature of federal land and minerals across our state, this plan would cost vast amounts of North Dakota lands to lose us, lose production on vast amounts of North Dakota lands to oil, gas, and coal leases for future development. | ||
| In fact, it would lock up nearly 99% of North Dakota's federal coal acreage, more than 4 million acres. | ||
| It would also block nearly half of our federally owned oil and gas acreage. | ||
| That's nearly 213,000 acres. | ||
| This is absolutely the wrong direction. | ||
| As demand for energy reaches record highs and Americans want to pay less for everything, we should unleash American energy, not shut it down. | ||
| North Dakota does have a vision, a very clear vision for energy development. | ||
| We have proven that responsible energy development and environmental stewardship actually go hand in hand. | ||
| We have invested billions in clean and emissions control technology. | ||
| We reclaimed our lands and maintained some of the strongest air quality records in the nation. | ||
| We can grow the economy, power the country, and steward the environment all at once. | ||
| That's the American way, and that is certainly the North Dakota way. | ||
| But the Biden administration failed to recognize that and completely, completely ignored all of my state's concerns with the plan. | ||
| All of them. | ||
| You want to talk about intellectual dishonesty? | ||
| That is the definition of it. | ||
| And so is so much of the Democrat energy policy that ignores current technical realities at the peril of our American citizens. | ||
| That's why my resolution is so important. | ||
| It reverses the Biden administration's plan that ignored my state's serious concerns, restores true cooperation between the state and federal government, and gets North Dakota energy back on track. | ||
| The gentleman's time has expired. | ||
| Yield the gentlelady another minute. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| At its core, this is a... | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Sorry. | ||
| At its core, this is about more than North Dakota. | ||
| If Washington can override state expertise here, it sets a dangerous precedent for every energy-producing state in the U.S. Congress must reassert its role to prevent unelected bureaucrats from locking up resources, raising costs, and undermining our energy security. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, stand with innovation, stand with American workers, and stand with the families who power this nation. | ||
| This resolution puts states like North Dakota back in the driver's seat where they belong. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further request for Tom. | ||
| I'm prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman from Arkansas Reserve, this gentleman from Colorado is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I understand that my colleague from North Dakota disagrees with the Resource Management Plan. | ||
| As I said, I think there are good faith reasons that my colleagues have in opposition to the Resource Management Plan. | ||
| There's a way to register that opposition. | ||
| Change the plan. | ||
| Modify it. | ||
| Amend it. | ||
| Edit it. | ||
| Call the former governor of North Dakota, whom Chairman Westerman noted, objected to this plan when he was governor. | ||
| Give him a call. | ||
| He's now the Secretary of the Interior Department. | ||
| Ask him to modify this plan. | ||
| That would be the way for one to register their objections. | ||
| But my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen a very different approach. | ||
| And again, I'm just leveling with you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| They are putting grazing permits, leases that have been issued pursuant to that resource management plan at great risk. | ||
| This story is not going to end with the President's signature of the CRA. | ||
| Litigation will immediately follow. | ||
| And it is unclear to me why House Republicans would prefer that outcome. | ||
| Unless, of course, they are bereft of substantive ideas, an affirmative vision for solving the cost of living crisis that so many of our constituents are facing, that they've made the decision it's better to spend their time on disapproval of Biden-era rules. | ||
| That is the only conclusion I'm left with. | ||
| Perhaps my colleague from Oregon will expound on that. | ||
| And with that, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to, Mr. Speaker, like to yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from Oregon, Ms. Dexter. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you very much to my colleague from Colorado for his advocacy against this Congressional Review Act resolution. | ||
| I rise today in strong opposition to these dangerous and unprecedented resolutions. | ||
| A resource management plan is not some obscure rule. | ||
| It's the playbook for how we manage America's public lands, balancing energy, grazing, and recreation with protecting clean water, wildlife, and long-term health of the land. | ||
| The three plans under attack today took years to develop. | ||
| They reflect extensive tribal consultation, public input, and the expertise of career scientists. | ||
| But these resolutions don't just undo those protections. | ||
| As the gentleman just said, under the Congressional Review Act, once a plan is overturned, the Bureau of Land Management is banned from writing a new one that's even remotely similar. | ||
| In other words, the agency's hands are tied, not just today, but for years to come. | ||
| That is unprecedented. | ||
| If we go down this road, we will politicize the very foundation of how we steward America's public lands. | ||
| We will silence communities, ignore science, and block future administrations from protecting our climate and our health. | ||
| Public lands belong to all of us. | ||
| They are our shared inheritance and our shared responsibility. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to stand up for our public plans and vote no. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Preserve. | |
| Gentleman yields. | ||
| The gentleman reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Our reserve. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Colorado is recognized. | ||
| Well, unless I can convince the chairman to have a final colloquy, I suppose I'll suppose I'll conclude as well, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I should say. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, using the CRA to overturn land use plans, as I've said previously, does take us into unchartered territory. | ||
| It is not, as some have suggested, a way to return us to the way that we used to manage public lands in North Dakota or elsewhere. | ||
| The resolution pulls the rug out from under all public land users, calling into question the validity of the grazing rights, the permits, transmission rights of way, and other permits and authorizations that are premised on the land use plan being nullified. | ||
| It disregards the tribes, local land users, communities, businesses who provided input over years to craft a modern plan to guide land and resource management for these respective states. | ||
| Instead, it puts the courts in charge of deciding the day-to-day management of lands and minerals in North Dakota and beyond. | ||
| And so even if, Mr. Speaker, one disagrees with the resource management plan for North Dakota, or the other states as well, Montana and Alaska, the way to change it is through an administrative review and a public process, not through a blunt, inflexible tool like the CRA. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to keep local voices and land managers in the driver's seat by voting no on this CRA resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| As we wrap up today on this final RMP, I ask unanimous consent to submit this GAO report that found that the RMP is subject to the CRA. | ||
| And when we talk about lawsuits, there's already lawsuits that have been created because of this bad resource management plan that the former administration put in place. | ||
| Now, after we do the CRA and we prevent this administration or future administrations from putting a similar resource management plan in place without it coming back to Congress, then maybe the current administration and Secretary Bergham can write a new resource management plan that actually makes sense, that actually takes into account America's need for energy, | ||
| that actually listens to the people in these states where these resources reside. | ||
| And while they're doing that, the previous resource management plan would be in existence. | ||
| So again, it's just fear-mongering to say there will basically be no rules if this resource management plan gets removed under the Congressional Review Act. | ||
| I again want to thank the gentlelady from North Dakota for her leadership on this important issue. | ||
| The North Dakota RMP will have devastating ramifications, not just in North Dakota, but beyond. | ||
| This CRA, which rejects the failed energy policies of the previous administration, is in alignment with the current administration's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's coal industry. | ||
| In combination with the provisions that Republicans enacted through the Reconciliation Bill, this CRA will ensure energy or that American energy remains affordable, reliable, and abundant. | ||
| America's future is bright as we unleash responsible natural resources development to meet our energy and mineral needs to create jobs and to drive economic growth across the country. | ||
| I urge adoption of this resolution and yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| All time for debate has expired. | ||
| Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the previous question is ordered on the joint resolution. | ||
| The questions on the engrossment and third reading of the joint resolution. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| Third reading. | ||
| Joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title V, United States Code, of the rules submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to North Dakota Field Office record of decision and approved resource management plan. | ||
| The questions on passage of the joint resolution. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| The joint resolution is passed. | ||
| Purposes, the gentleman from Colorado seek recognition. | ||
|
Request for Recognition
00:03:39
|
||
| Mr. Speaker, I seek the yeas and nays. | ||
| The yeas and nays are requested. | ||
| Those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Tennessee seek recognition? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4553 and that I may include tabular material on the same. | |
| Without objection. | ||
| Pursuant to House Resolution 672 and Rule 18, the Chair declares the House and the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of H.R. 4553. | ||
| The Chair appoints the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Fine, to preside over the Committee of the Whole. | ||
| The House is in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of H.R. 4553, which the Clerk will report by title. | ||
| A bill making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026 and for other purposes. | ||
|
Pleasant Committee Behavior
00:04:13
|
||
| Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the first time. | ||
| General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations or their respective designees. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Fleischman, and the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, each will control 30 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | |
| Gentleman's recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to bring the fiscal 2026 Energy and Water Bill to the floor today. | |
| I would like to begin by thanking my good friend and ranking member, Marcy Kaptur, for her partnership throughout this process. | ||
| I realize we have some bona fide differences on this bill and on issues, but we always have very cordial discussions, and I do appreciate her very much. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, this bill provides a total of $57.3 billion to safeguard the United States' national security, strengthen our economy, and unleash American energy dominance. | ||
| The bill delivers strong support for our national defense and provides $25.3 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, prioritizing and continued modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and the United States Navy nuclear fleet. | ||
| The bill strengthens our nation's energy security by advancing American leadership in deploying new nuclear technologies and supporting the administration's efforts to make full use of our nation's vast fossil fuel resources. | ||
| This bill will reduce reliance on foreign materials and secure the full supply chain of critical minerals. | ||
| The bill furthers our nation's scientific and technological leadership, providing $8.4 billion for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. | ||
| At the same time, the bill reduces funding by 25% across numerous other department programs, including the Applied Energy Technology Offices, to ensure taxpayer resources are focused on the highest priority research and development projects. | ||
| The bill also strengthens our economy and promotes public safety, providing $9.9 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, including full funding of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities and the highest priority ongoing construction projects on the Inland Waterways system. | ||
| Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is prioritized to projects that increase water supply and support drought resilience. | ||
| Finally, the bill provides a number of provisions to codify President Trump's executive actions to protect American values and prevent our resources and intellectual properties from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries. | ||
| This legislation reflects a clear commitment to fiscal responsibility while safeguarding our national security and increasing economic prosperity for all of our citizens. | ||
| And I urge my colleagues to support it. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from Ohio, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| And I want to also compliment the chair of the full committee of our subcommittee, Mr. Fleischman of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for his very gentlemanly behavior on both sides of the aisle so that we can actually move bills, which is our public responsibility. | ||
|
First Bills to Floor
00:15:17
|
||
| And I want to thank our diligent staff for all their hard work on this bill. | ||
| I have to say I'm very proud that ours is one of the first three bills to come to the floor. | ||
| They're long delayed, not because we didn't do our work, but we are ready. | ||
| And we want to pass funding for the new fiscal year, which begins October 1st. | ||
| I'd like to also thank the minority staff, Scott McKee, Anisha Singe, Adam Wilson, and on my personal staff, Caitlin Ulin, TJ Lautermilk, and Margaret McGinnis. | ||
| Thank you to them all, and thank you to them for putting up with me. | ||
| Engineered energy and water systems undergird America's way of life. | ||
| Energy and water are not optional, but essential to sustaining life. | ||
| Of late, we've been piercingly reminded about our subcommittee's purpose. | ||
| July brought nearly double the usual flood warnings, the second highest in 40 years. | ||
| On July 4th, sadly, Kirk County, Texas, saw one of the deadliest flash floods in U.S. history, 117 lives lost. | ||
| These tragedies inform us of the power of water and wild energy in our atmosphere. | ||
| Let me be clear. | ||
| No matter how much members on the other side of the aisle want to pretend that climate change is not happening for the record, the last 10 years are the 10 hottest in recorded history. | ||
| Think about that. | ||
| Our Great Lakes, the region I represent, comprise the largest body of fresh water on earth. | ||
| Specifically, Lake Erie, the southernmost of the lakes, no longer freezes over. | ||
| Some of our favorite sports, ice boating, ice fishing, are now becoming a memory of the past, and hockey is now played indoors. | ||
| America's electric grid is old and under deep strain. | ||
| The Energy Information Agency documented that the U.S. just set new records twice in July for peak electricity demand. | ||
| The old grid system is being tested by hotter weather and higher usage. | ||
| When the grid strains, costs rise, and the most vulnerable families suffer first. | ||
| How would you like to be in Tucson at 120 degrees week after week after week after week? | ||
| Unchecked growth in data centers alone could raise average U.S. electricity generation costs by roughly 8% by 2030. | ||
| This is not hypothetical. | ||
| It's happening as we meet today. | ||
| In Ohio, rapid demand growth from big tech data centers pushed electricity prices dramatically higher every month. | ||
| And starting this July, households in Ohio saw their monthly energy bills increase a minimum of 10 percent, some more than doubled. | ||
| Families notice a massive increase in monthly bills. | ||
| We got one constituent who called who told us that her family bill moved from $230 a month to $494 in July. | ||
| This cost in energy increase is not sustainable for working families. | ||
| And sadly, this Republican energy and water bill does not meet our nation's energy and water imperative for the future, nor for the present. | ||
| We must invest faster in modern infrastructure to become energy independent in perpetuity. | ||
| And that is our awesome, underline awesome responsibility. | ||
| We must reduce energy costs by investing in modern grid resilience and in all of the above energy portfolio. | ||
| This bill fails to address the cost of living crisis currently underway. | ||
| Overall, household electric bills nationally are up 10%, but in different regions, and that's just since January, but in places like Northern Ohio, I'm hearing for many people, the total of energy and water bills total have doubled. | ||
| Every family in this country knows that. | ||
| Even higher energy bills lie ahead for families and businesses. | ||
| China is investing record levels in energy, making its products more competitive, and sadly, this bill retreats from U.S. global energy leadership. | ||
| What do I mean? | ||
| Well, the bill cuts $1.6 billion, or 47%, from the Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. | ||
| This undermines our nation's imperative to deliver clean, affordable, and secure energy to the American people. | ||
| Our nation should lead, not lag, in the global race toward energy independence in perpetuity. | ||
| We must build an abundant, clean energy future. | ||
| This bill eliminates funding for the Office of Clean Energy demonstrations. | ||
| Worse, it revokes, that means the future, building the future. | ||
| It revokes $5.1 billion of bipartisan infrastructure law resources from the Department of Energy that will cede the U.S. global lead in hydrogen, direct air capture, battery recycling, and the consequent energy savings possible in every public and private structure. | ||
| Already, U.S. businesses have delayed or canceled, and this is a shocking number, more than $33 billion in investments in energy projects this year. | ||
| That's lost economic growth. | ||
| Over 64,000 jobs have already been lost or stalled in the clean energy sector. | ||
| That's uncalled for. | ||
| In May, this administration revoked $3.7 billion in federal energy investment for 24 energy projects already signed, sealed, and delivered across America, including manufacturing companies, to become more energy efficient, including over $100 million for Libby Glass, Owns Illinois Glass, and Kraft Heinz just across our region of Ohio alone. | ||
| President Trump promised he was going to help American manufacturing. | ||
| That revocation actually is completely in the opposite direction. | ||
| Thus, I must strongly oppose these additional Republican cuts to vital energy production and conservation and America's future through the U.S. Department of Energy. | ||
| Shortchanging these advances pushes our nation backward and raises already high energy prices even more for consumers. | ||
| In other areas, this bill dangerously shortchanges our national security. | ||
| The bill slashes, are you ready, $412 million from the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Account. | ||
| This effectively guts our efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, detect covert nuclear threats, and uphold arms control agreements that keep us safe. | ||
|
unidentified
|
All. | |
| Those cuts a big gift for Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea. | ||
| Additionally, this bill turns its back on communities still living with the toxic legacy of America's atomic past by zeroing out the Army Corps program to clean up radioactive waste at every nuclear site. | ||
| This is deadly, my friends. | ||
| It slashes $779 million from the Department of Energy's nuclear cleanup efforts. | ||
| That's three-quarters of a billion dollars. | ||
| This will delay the cleanup that these communities have been promised for decades. | ||
| And I'll note that one of these American atomic waste sites is in the village of Lucky, Ohio, not so far from my district. | ||
| Finally, this bill includes numerous controversial poison pill riders that are so extreme they cannot gain bipartisan support and become law. | ||
| In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. | ||
| America can and must meet the new age frontiers of energy and water. | ||
| Nature is signaling. | ||
| Times are changing. | ||
| We must not turn back the clock but seize the baton for future generations to come. | ||
| Now is the moment to keep America on a steady path forward for an all of the above energy and water and nuclear security portfolio. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlelady reserves, the gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I reserve. | |
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentlelady from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| I yield two minutes to the gentleman from Indiana, a member of the Appropriations Committee, very hardworking member, I might add, Congressman Mervan. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Ranking Member Captor, Chairman Fleshman, and all the staff for your thoughtful and dedicated efforts in the drafting of this measure. | |
| Recently, I joined constituents in Northwest Indiana's Lowell Labor Day Parade in the Labor 81's summer picnic in Valparaiso and the Ironworkers Picnic in Bingo and Crown Point. | ||
| The issue at the top of everyone's mind was the rising cost of their utility bills. | ||
| I choose to serve on the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee because I believe that energy and water will be two of the greatest challenges of our national security and economic stability in the years ahead. | ||
| I understand the role of Indiana state regulators, but I also believe that the federal government and this bill have a role to promote the availability of a variety of energy resources in order to drive down costs. | ||
| The Department of Energy has a critical role to conduct research and energy innovation, including for wind, solar, and nuclear, and also ensure that we maximize the efficiency of all of our energy sources, including oil, gas, and coal. | ||
| More efficient energy production means lower prices. | ||
| It is deeply disappointing that this measure follows the administration's lead to abandon the transformational projects like the hydrogen hub in my district. | ||
| Industry, the USW, and the building trades and other labor organizations, along with communities throughout my district, were planning for and relying on massive economic and development investments, only to see this project undermined because of the Republican majority's tax and investment policy. | ||
| Is now do not invest in our future, but rather give more handouts to the privileged, wealthy, and few at the expense of the working class. | ||
| Let's be clear: the federal government should be building, not blocking, projects that strengthen our economy, lower costs, and create American jobs. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation and instead work in a bipartisan manner to promote long-term economic prosperity in our communities. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Ohio Reserves, the gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I reserve. | |
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I yield three minutes to the hardworking and highly able gentleman from New Jersey, the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Authorizing Committee, Mr. Pallone of New Jersey. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I want to thank our ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, for the time, but also want to agree with her in urging my colleagues to vote no on this really terrible bill. | ||
| Today we're debating one of the worst energy and water appropriations bills I've ever seen. | ||
| Usually when you're in charge, they're very good, actually, but this one is terrible. | ||
| And I think it sets a dangerous precedent. | ||
| It hurts our constituents by increasing their energy costs, just as so many are already seeing huge hikes to their bills. | ||
| It weakens national security, and it undermines the critical work that the Army Corps of Engineers does to keep our coastal communities safe. | ||
| So, Mr. Speaker, I want to focus on the cuts to shore protection. | ||
| Republicans are making a massive cut to the shore protection funding that allows the Corps to fund beach replenishment projects in places like the Jersey Shore in my district. | ||
| This Republican bill woefully underfunds replenishment projects by hundreds of millions of dollars. | ||
| Now, just recently, Hurricane Erin slammed our coast, washing away dunes and eroding beaches, a stark reminder of why replenishment funding is so critical. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are abandoning coastal communities at a time when climate change is accelerating erosion and increasing the risk of devastating storms. | ||
| And I have to stress, beach replenishment projects, shore protection projects, aren't luxuries. | ||
| They're lifelines. | ||
| We don't do them so people can sunbathe. | ||
| We do them to protect the homes, the businesses, and the public infrastructure. | ||
| Towns in my district and in red and blue districts throughout our country alike depend on beach replenishment to prevent damage from coastal storms. | ||
| It's that simple. | ||
| And we can't let a bunch of climate-denying Republicans in Congress gamble with New Jersey or other coastlines. | ||
| I think about, you know, like a slot machine on the Atlantic City Board. | ||
| Well, we'll just hope that the storm doesn't come and we'll be okay. | ||
| Well, that's not what happens. | ||
| The reality is that places like the Jersey Shore need protection from the next big storm, and making drastic cuts like these are simply dangerous. | ||
| So thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Ms. Kaptor, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentlelady reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I reserve. | |
| Gentleman Reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| Yes. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I yield one minute to the gentlewoman from Florida, Ms. Castor, who works so hard on all climate issues. | ||
| Thank you so very much for speaking today. | ||
| The gentlewoman is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you, and I want to thank the ranking member for yielding time and thank her for everything that you do to protect the pocketbooks of American families. | ||
| See, American families and small business owners deserve lower electric bills, but Republicans in Congress are really sticking at two folks with higher costs at every turn, especially in this spending bill. | ||
| Representative Kaptur is right. | ||
| Household electric costs, energy prices have risen 10% this year, and in some places they've more than doubled, driven by Trump's tariffs, new demand from big tech AI data centers, and expensive old polluting plants. | ||
| You know, back home in Florida, Florida's largest utility has proposed the largest utility rate rate hike in U.S. history, $10 billion, that will raise Floridians' electric bills by hundreds of dollars every month. | ||
| Well, now Republicans in Congress are making it worse. | ||
| Their big, ugly bill passed in July already is projected to crush working families with higher costs. | ||
| And now their spending bill adds insult to injury by slashing home improvement weatherization savings. | ||
| The gentlewoman's time has expired. | ||
| I would yield the gentlelady an additional minute. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Now let's talk about how Republicans in Congress are making it worse, harder for families to afford the cost of living, especially when it comes to their electric bills. | ||
|
Great Bill for America?
00:07:51
|
||
| Their big, ugly bill passed in July already is projected to crush working families with higher costs. | ||
| And now this spending bill adds insult to injury by slashing home improvement weatherization savings, taking a hatchet to cleaner, cheaper energy, and the important initiatives to modernize the grid. | ||
| So if you care about helping your neighbors out of the affordability squeeze, you will vote no on the Republican spending bill. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Ohio Reserves, the gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I reserve. | |
| The gentleman from Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you much. | |
| Mr. Chairman, I yield two minutes to the gentleman from Illinois, Congressman Foster, who is just a genius who happens to be a member of Congress as well. | ||
| So the country is twice blessed. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, you know, I rise first with an acknowledgement that because of the efforts of the ranking member and chair of the committee, this bill could have been far worse. | ||
| But that's not the bar that we should set for ourselves. | ||
| I am particularly concerned about the 17 percent cut in the funding for the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation within NNSA. | ||
| This cut comes on top of continuing resolution where this office was cut by 7 percent and was only one of a few counts to see its budget reduced by that bill. | ||
| The Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation is involved in critical nuclear security work, which is actively keeping us safe, from securing nuclear material worldwide to verifying that other countries and various rogue actors are not developing nuclear weapons. | ||
| Now, it would be nice if we lived in a world where a miraculous golden dome could keep us safe from nuclear weapons, but we do not. | ||
| We depend on being able to detect and enforce violations of nonproliferation agreements. | ||
| This bill leaves wide open opportunity for countries like Iran and other nefarious actors to more easily get their hands on the materials needed to build nuclear weapons. | ||
| And with tensions mounting in the Middle East and on the Internet containing significant bomb-making instructions and much more accessible to terrorist groups, this is not the time when America can afford to step back. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Ohio yields. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| At this time, I would like to recognize the gentleman from Texas, my friend, Mr. Weber, for two minutes. | ||
| The gentleman from Texas is recognized. | ||
| I thank the gentleman from Tennessee. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to offer my support for this year's Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. | ||
| Let me talk about Texas for just a minute. | ||
| The Texas Gulf Coast boasts 23 commercial seaports, seven of America's largest petroleum refineries, three LNG plants, and 60 percent of the nation's strategic petroleum reserve. | ||
| As the energy capital of the world, we understand the critical importance of this very important, very good bill. | ||
| Our hardworking families on the Texas Gulf Coast depend on a robust energy sector, as do most Americans, and even other countries depend on our energy sector. | ||
| This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will help us to continue to lead in producing the cleanest, most affordable oil, as well as gas. | ||
| Many of the projects within this bill will advance many of President Trump's goals. | ||
| His goal is to return, and it's working, he's making progress, we are making progress. | ||
| His goal is to advance returning to an era of American energy independence. | ||
| Let me repeat that. | ||
| America will be once again energy independent. | ||
| We will be revitalizing critical ports. | ||
| We will be revitalizing the waterways that serve actually as a lifeblood for maintaining our dominance in the global world, global marketplace. | ||
| It's just that simple, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| This great bill, the energy and water appropriations bill, let me tell you what it'll do. | ||
| It will bolster our economic strength. | ||
| It will bolster our economic strength, which suffered the last four years under the current administration. | ||
| It will create jobs. | ||
| It will create jobs that are much needed by Americans. | ||
| It will ensure that our infrastructure, America, not just Texas, America's infrastructure. | ||
| The gentleman's time has expired. | ||
| That's two minutes. | ||
| Apparently so. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional minute. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| He's a good guy, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| So this is going to create jobs, not just for Texas, but for the entire nation. | ||
| And I say to the gentleman across the I'll just mention Iran. | ||
| Somehow this is going to help make it easier for Iran in the nuclear realm. | ||
| I think Iran just discovered that President Donald J. Trump is serious when he says they will not be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. | ||
| I think they probably figured that out by now. | ||
| So I want to end, Mr. Speaker, by saying kudos to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill and to this committee. | ||
| We appreciate that. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill as we continue along the path of making America great. | ||
| Once again, Mr. Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee yields back. | ||
| Reserves. | ||
| Excuse me. | ||
| The gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| Reserve my time. | ||
| Gentleman from Ohio Reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, our reserve. | |
| The gentleman from Tennessee Reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. | ||
| I yield myself the remaining time. | ||
| This energy and water bill costs American households. | ||
| It undermines U.S. global leadership. | ||
| And it weakens national security. | ||
| Sadly, this Republican energy and water bill does not meet our nation's imperative for the future. | ||
| In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. | ||
| America can do better, and we must lead in the new frontiers of energy and water. | ||
| And we must keep this country secure. | ||
| Our nation's future depends on all of these. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank the ranking member and the members who've spoken on this bill. | |
| In closing, I urge strong support of this great bill. | ||
| This bill helps all of America regain energy dominance. | ||
| It fulfills the great agenda that President Trump has set out, not only for nuclear, but for energy. | ||
| And it's a bill that helps all of Americans with community projects for both Republicans and Democratic districts. | ||
| It reaches out and does great things for energy, for water, for the Bureau of Reclamation. | ||
| And I would just urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back. | ||
|
Amendments on Block
00:03:04
|
||
| All time for general debate has expired. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. | ||
| The bill shall be considered as read. | ||
| All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. | ||
| No amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed in House Report 119-232, amendments on block described in Section 3 of House Resolution 672 and pro forma amendments described in Section 4 of that resolution. | ||
| Each amendment printed in the report shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report, equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. | ||
| Shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by Section 4 of House Resolution 672 and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. | ||
| It shall be an order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments on block consisting of amendments printed in the report not earlier disposed of. | ||
| Amendments on block shall be considered as red, shall be debatable for 20 minutes, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by Section 4 of House Resolution 672 and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. | ||
| During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose of debate. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Tennessee seek recognition? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I offer amendment in block as designee of Chairman Cole. | |
| The clerk will designate the amendments on block. | ||
| Amendments on block consisting of amendments numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 34, 35, and 36. | ||
| Printed in House Report number 119-232. | ||
| Offered by Mr. Fleischman of Tennessee. | ||
| Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Fleischman, and the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, each will control 10 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan and block amendment was developed in coordination with the minority. | ||
| It contains non-controversial amendments addressing important issues at agencies funded in this bill. | ||
|
Sustainable Rivers Program Funding
00:15:33
|
||
|
unidentified
|
These amendments have been agreed to by both sides. | |
| I respectfully support its adoption and reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman in reserves, the gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bipartisan amendment and offer the comment that I wish all legislation could be accomplished in this manner. | ||
| This en bloc contains non-controversial amendments for members of both parties, and I have no objections and urge support of the amendment. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlewoman in reserves, the gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I yield two minutes to the gentleman, my friend from Ohio, Mr. Taylor. | |
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in support of my amendment, which would require the Appalachian Regional Commission to conduct a study on the inclusion of low Earth orbit satellites to be used for economic development. | ||
| The United States should be encouraging and embracing new technological advances that help bridge the broadband gap across rural regions, ensuring all Americans are connected to the modern economy. | ||
| Many towns and communities within my district in southern Ohio still lack access to broadband, which frankly is unacceptable. | ||
| Without reliable internet access, students face challenges in completing homework. | ||
| Patients can't receive telehealth services. | ||
| Businesses are less incentivized to invest in our communities, and people can't work from home. | ||
| My amendment, which is included in this en bloc, will help show that low-earth orbit satellites have the capabilities to provide adequate broadband access to communities and create economic development within the Appalachian region. | ||
| As a co-chair of the Rural Broadband Caucus, I am committed to connecting folks as quickly as possible, whether that be through fiber, wireless service, or satellites. | ||
| Congress should be implementing a technologically neutral broadband approach, and the inclusion of this new technology would provide additional avenues to provide broadband to people in my district and across the Appalachian region, and finally give them access to the modern economy. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman in reserves, the gentlelady from Ohio, is recognized. | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chair, I want to thank Congressman Taylor for coming to the floor, a fellow Buckeye. | ||
| It's great to have south, southern part of Ohio and northern Ohio on the floor at the same time. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon, Ms. Dexter. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
| Ms. Recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you very much to the ranking member for her time. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, data centers are sucking up our most precious resource, water. | ||
| Larger data centers can each drink up to 5 million gallons per day, or about 1.8 billion gallons annually. | ||
| Usage equivalent to a town of 10 to 50,000 people. | ||
| At a time when the climate crisis is driving water scarcity, even in places not used to shortages, we cannot afford to ignore this grave threat. | ||
| And as the top Democrat at the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I am not ignoring this threat. | ||
| Today, I'm grateful for the inclusion of my amendment in the in block that gives the federal government the tools it needs to understand and address how new technological demands are straining our community's water. | ||
| It's a simple, common sense step, and in the face of an otherwise catastrophic bill that slashes clean energy incentives and raises prices, I am grateful to find consensus around safeguarding water for our communities. | ||
| This amendment is one small step in the right direction, and it will not stop fighting to protect water, to protect our children's future, and to protect our planet. | ||
| I urge the adoption of this amendment unblock, and I yield back. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| The gentlewoman reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| At this time, I would like to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, my friend, and also the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I want to say first thanks to the distinguished chair and thanks for members on both sides of the aisle for bringing this important bill to the floor, H.R. 4553, our Energy and Water Development Related Agencies Appropriation Act. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, my amendment today includes funding to the operations and management account under Title I of this bill, which is the funding for the Arkansas Corps of Engineers or the Army Corps of Engineers. | ||
| Specifically, I'd like to highlight my application that the Little Rock Army Corps is submitted on behalf of a river in my district, the Little Red River for the Sustainable Rivers Program. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the Little Red River has become home to a sizable and attractive wild brown trout population, and it's a regional mecca for trout fishing in the Mid-South. | ||
| For example, the Little Red River is home to the former world record 40-pound brown trout. | ||
| Over 25 miles of fly fishing water and over 1,000 fish per square mile brings anglers of all sizes, types, and ages to Arkansas. | ||
| Because of Arkansas's many rivers, lakes, and other natural beauties, recreational fishing that's done in the Little Red River now contributes $1.2 billion and 10,000 jobs to the Arkansas economy. | ||
| However, despite this beloved place in Arkansas's heritage, this river's existing tailwater trout fishery has been struggling for years. | ||
| After careful conversations with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Little Rock Corps of Engineers, and groups representing recreational fishing, I want to voice my support for the Little Red River's application to the Sustainable River Program. | ||
| The Sustainable River Program would allow the Little Rock Army Corps to plan effectively for the environmental stewardship that correctly assesses water trends and helps the Little Rock Corps decision makers make good, low-risk decisions for the benefit of this trout fishery. | ||
| It also prevents the need for new and required equipment and environmental reviews, such as those required under the National Environmental Protection Act, to change the water control plan. | ||
| The gentleman's time has expired. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I yield the gentleman from Arkansas an additional minute, please. | |
| I thank you, my friend. | ||
| Additionally, this program would build upon the previous success that the Arkansas delegation achieved in the last Congress for the White River Basin Comprehensive Study. | ||
| So, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the leadership of the committee. | ||
| I want to thank the Rules Committee and Chair Fox for adding this amendment under the consideration for the floor today and approved by the Rules Committee. | ||
| I urge a yes vote and I yield back. | ||
| I would yield to the gentlewoman representing the largest fishery on the Great Lakes, where we have whitefish, perch, pickerel. | ||
| I would be very interested in the gentleman letting us know how long do brownfish grow? | ||
| What's their length? | ||
| Well, a 40-pound trout is not anything like the deep freshwater fish of the Great Lakes. | ||
| But if you had a 26-inch to fish, that's a huge brown trout. | ||
| I mean, I was fortunate enough to be out in Wyoming looking for rainbow trout, and if you found one that was 15 inches, you'd be flabbergasted. | ||
| But I'm proud of that the Arkansas held the record from, I think, 2000, about 25 years held the record for the brown trout. | ||
| This sustainable rivers program is an important program through the Corps of Engineers for our freshwater fishery in Arkansas and across the country, and I thank for the consideration. | ||
| Gentleman's time has expired. | ||
| I thank this gentleman. | ||
| We ought to have a fish day up here on Capitol Hill, make everybody feel better. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman reserves. | ||
| The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| My time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| At this time, I recognize my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Higgins, for two minutes. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| My amendment increases and decreases by $50 million for the Corps of Engineers in order for me to bring attention to the failure of the Corps of Engineers to dredge a particular section of river that winds through the heart of my district. | ||
| The Vermilion River, for a 17-mile stretch, is prone to flood. | ||
| It was established and authorized by the Flood Control Act 1941, established that this river should be maintained at nine foot deep and 100 foot wide. | ||
| In 1956, the federal government gave the Army Corps of Engineers the classification of that project as an operation and management project to be maintained at nine foot deep and 100 foot wide for a 17 mile stretch of a river that runs through a density of population and has never been maintained. | ||
| The river's been dredged one time in that period of time, 1997. | ||
| They dredged one mile. | ||
| When I came into office, I focused on getting it done. | ||
| The Corps said they needed money. | ||
| Said how much? | ||
| They said, well, we really need science first. | ||
| We need to study it first. | ||
| How much do you need for studying? | ||
| I got them that. | ||
| A quarter of a million. | ||
| They had data done by the top IT university in the entire world with 500,000 data points across 17 miles of river determined that dredging needed to happen. | ||
| So the Corps of Engineers said, okay, we need $50 million to accomplish this. | ||
| I got them the $50 million. | ||
| They've been sitting on that money, Mr. Speaker, for four years, and we've had enough. | ||
| I believe the Corps of Engineers is not in compliance with federal law, nor are they in compliance with the will of this body, nor are they performing according to the funding of this body, and I intend to do something about it. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee Reserves, the gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, thank you. | |
| At this time, I'd like to recognize the distinguished gentleman, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, and my dear friend from the great state of Texas, Mr. Arrington, for two minutes. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| And Chairman Fleischman, my dear friend from the great state of Tennessee, my amendment makes good on President Trump's executive order to supercharge U.S. energy dominance by harnessing advanced nuclear technologies. | ||
| In the heart of West Texas, at Abilene Christian University, we're building a first-of-its-kind molten salt research reactor, a game changer, no doubt, for making nuclear energy safer, more efficient, and deployable. | ||
| This project, Mr. Speaker, isn't just pie in the sky. | ||
| It's generated over $110 million in private investment, $112 million from the state of Texas. | ||
| And just last month, thanks to the leadership and vision of Secretary Chris Wright, has received a conditional commitment from DOE to provide its fuel. | ||
| This is the only molten salt reactor to ever receive a construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the first research reactor to receive an NRCC, an NRC construction permit in over 30 years. | ||
| All that's needed now is for this reactor to become operational is for the federal government to do what it's always done for every research reactor in the country for decades, which is to provide the fuel at no cost to the university. | ||
| That is, to those reactors that have met those stringent requirements. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, this advanced nuclear technology is the best chance for America to beat China in the very important nuclear power race and secure our nation's future energy security. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. | ||
| God bless West Texas and go wildcats. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Tennessee Reserves. | |
| Gentlewoman from Ohio. | ||
| I reserve balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| Thank you. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlewoman Reserves. | |
| Gentleman from Tennessee. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| At this time, I would like to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman From Texas, Mr. Cloud, who also is the Vice Chairman of this Appropriation Subcommittee. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you for your great work on this bill. | ||
| I am happy to say that this bill supports the much-needed transition away from the policies of the previous administration in regards to energy and water and puts us on the right path, much needed to support the President's agenda. | ||
| It does this in a few ways. | ||
| It cuts waste, fraud, and abuse. | ||
| It preserves our nuclear stockpiles so America continues the President's mandate of peace through strength. | ||
| And it works to restore our energy dominance and security that President Trump accomplished in his first administration, yet the Biden administration worked to undermine us at every step along the way. | ||
| $5.1 billion in green new energy scam funds are being transferred to various nuclear programs, including the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which helps companies get closer to building nuclear facilities. | ||
| This is extremely important. | ||
| We saw how the EV mandates and the policies of the previous administration spent billions and billions building only a handful of charging stations, again undermining America's energy dominance. | ||
| In the base of this bill, there's $50 million for the ARDP demonstration program. | ||
| There's $77 million for risk reduction projects. | ||
| We secured close to $5 billion for Army Corps projects that improve navigation, operating waterways for vessels, which strengthen our economy, help us to export, help us to lead on the world stage. | ||
| Projects like the Matagorda and Corpus Christi Ship Channel projects provide waterways for imports and exports, resources like LNG, crude oil, fertilizers, chemicals, and petrochemicals. | ||
| The Corpus Christi Ship Channel alone exports the highest amount of crude oil in the country and is one of the top exporters of LNG to our allies and friends around the world, being the number one energy export port in the world. | ||
| There's language in here. | ||
| Water is going to be a major issue as we continue to go forward and develop. | ||
| That points to desalination projects to help receive research and development funds so we can continue to lead and to grow and to develop, and contains language for the Bureau of Reclamation to develop seawater desalination facilities as we continue to move forward. | ||
| I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership on this, for the great work in supporting the President's agenda, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee's time has expired. | ||
| The gentlewoman from Ohio is now recognized. | ||
|
Amendment Order Clarified
00:00:58
|
||
| Reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman has the only time remaining. | |
| I want to thank the chair for your good measure today, and I yield back my remaining time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The question is on the amendments and block offered by the gentleman from Tennessee. | |
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| the n-block amendments are agreed to the chair understands amendment number seven will not be offered It is now in the order to consider amendment number eight, printed in House Report 119-232. | ||
|
Advocating For Fossil Fuel Research
00:05:04
|
||
|
unidentified
|
For what purpose does the gentleman from Virginia seek recognition? | |
| Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, amendment number eight. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number eight, printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Griffith of Virginia. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Griffith, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| My amendment is a necessary amendment. | ||
| It addresses the importance of all types of energy research and development, R ⁇ D, funding at the Department of Energy, DOE, specifically the energy research being conducted at the Office of Fossil Energy. | ||
| Any effective plan to handle increased energy demand must take into account our nation's vast supply of coal and natural gas. | ||
| And our talent for technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and the data center and the data centers to support it are going to require a boatload of additional power. | ||
| While we don't know the exact amount of electricity we need, we know it's going to be a lot more than we have today because our country is facing increased electricity demand for the first time in 10 years. | ||
| And the appetite of AI and data centers is enormous. | ||
| It needs to be, AI needs to be developed, controlled, and led by the United States of America, not an adversarial or a competitive nation like China. | ||
| China is projected to increase its emissions for the foreseeable future and reportedly began construction in 2024 on coal units equivalent to 94.5 gigawatts of power. | ||
| That's a lot, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Additionally, China is financing a number of coal-fired power plants in Africa and other countries with emerging economies. | ||
| China is responsible for 93% of new coal power plant construction. | ||
| And I don't believe that we should let our expertise and our vast amounts of coal in this country, good, clean coal, wither. | ||
| As I've said before, in the developing world, more energy means more hope and less poverty. | ||
| And that helps us as well. | ||
| We take for granted in this case that our lights are going to come on when we hit that switch and turn it on. | ||
| It's not always going to be the case if we don't continue to use all of the above energy strategies. | ||
| Developing countries don't want to force their people to live in poverty because of a lack of energy, so they're going to use coal. | ||
| And what we can do is that we can produce that coal. | ||
| We can help them if we unleash our technological advantages and help find better ways to use coal and natural gas more cleanly. | ||
| We should use our expertise in finding ways to control emissions with carbon capture and other pollution control technologies. | ||
| That's why DOE funding for fossil and renewable research is vital. | ||
| We need to produce and then export the best, cleanest, efficient energy technology to the world. | ||
| It helps us, and it helps places like India and sub-Saharan Africa, where many of their people don't have a steady supply of electricity. | ||
| And nobody can blame them for using dirty coal and using those Chinese technology plants, which are not as good as the U.S. plants, because they want to make sure their people have a chance at prosperity as well. | ||
| DOE plays an important role in this RD, but we can do a lot more for fossil energy innovation exploration. | ||
| That's what the amendment does. | ||
| In the past few fiscal years, the delta between renewable energy research and fossil energy has really widened, the research that we're doing. | ||
| I'm advocating with this amendment that we shouldn't ignore our fossil fuel efficiency and carbon mitigation research. | ||
| My amendment increases the fossil energy account by $6,875,000 or 1% with an offset from the departmental expense account. | ||
| To be clear, I'm not against renewable energy research. | ||
| I just believe we shouldn't be putting all of our eggs in one basket. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support an all-of-the-above energy policy and more importantly, an all-of-the-above research policy at DOE so that we can expand our energy, our ability to deal with the energy demand increases and that we can have research for a commodity that we have the world's greatest supply of coal and natural gas. | ||
| We ought to use it. | ||
| God bless us with this resource. | ||
| We ought to use it. | ||
| We ought to use it cleanly. | ||
| We ought to use it responsibly, and we ought to be able to export our technologies to the rest of the world. | ||
| But if we don't do the research, we can't do it. | ||
| And so I ask everybody to support this all-of-the-above policy plan and support my amendment. | ||
| And I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields back. | |
| For what purpose? | ||
| Member seek recognition. | ||
|
Amending Park Funding
00:06:44
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||
|
unidentified
|
Seeing none, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Virginia. | |
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| The amendment is agreed to. | ||
| It is now in order to consider Amendment 21 printed in House Report 119-232. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Georgia seek recognition? | ||
| I have an amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number 21, printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. McCormick of Georgia. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. McCormick, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | ||
| I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 4553. | ||
| Mr. Chair, my amendment number 21 is to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of fiscal year 2026. | ||
| My amendment number 21 prevents the Army Corps of Engineers from closing campgrounds around Lake Lanier. | ||
| My amendment will ensure that these campgrounds are open for my constituents and people from all over the country to enjoy the outdoors in Georgia's 7th district. | ||
| Lake Lanier is the most visited lake of 464 federally operated lakes in the United States, with well over 10 million annual visitors from all over the country. | ||
| The Army Corps runs the lake and the campgrounds and parks surrounding it. | ||
| This summer, the Corps closed many of the campgrounds around the lake, citing a lack of mountain power resources, which Congress had provided $8.7 billion in annual appropriations 2025, which was actually $1.5 billion more than the agency's own requested budget. | ||
| They cited safety concerns and manning issues, which we addressed appropriately, although they announced the closures after they actually did it. | ||
| Thanks to the efforts of myself, Congressman Clyde, and our amazing local officials, state legislators, and county commissioners, we were able to reverse most of these closures and keep almost all of our parks open under the control of our local governments. | ||
| Congressman Clyde and I also introduced the Lanier Parks Local Access Act to cut red tape and allow local partners to efficiently allocate budgetary resources properly across all campgrounds. | ||
| Nevertheless, the Army Corps of Engineers should never be able to shut down our facilities without any accountability. | ||
| In today's day and age, where people are hooked on their cell phones and electronics, it's more important than ever to protect our outdoors so that our constituents can touch grass instead of a computer screen. | ||
| In short, citizens should never be denied access to the very parks that they fund. | ||
| With that, I reserve the rest of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman reserves. | |
| Does any other recognition? | ||
| For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Ohio rise? | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And a woman is recognized for five minutes. | |
| Yes, in rising in opposition to this amendment, I do so because the amendment prohibits funds provided by this act from being used to close campgrounds or parks operated by the Army Corps of Engineers that are located at or around Lake Sydney Lanier in Georgia. | ||
| I can certainly understand the strong interest in preventing the Corps from closing campgrounds and parks in any particular area, certainly this one. | ||
| The Corps is one of the nation's leading federal providers of outdoor recreation. | ||
| Not in my district, though it would be nice if they did. | ||
| But in this place, the Corps' recreation sites receive more than 260 million visits each year and include more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states. | ||
| So they have a very broad reach. | ||
| Unfortunately, the Corps of Engineers recreation funding has been declining in recent years. | ||
| And I support the notion that we do not want the Corps to begin closing recreation sites due to lack of funding. | ||
| However, this is an issue that affects hundreds of sites across dozens of states. | ||
| And then there are places like I represent where we don't have any Corps sites, but we'd like one. | ||
| So I don't believe we should begin the practice of using funding prohibitions to carve out special designations, but instead should develop a comprehensive solution to address the challenge of funding core recreation sites. | ||
| For this reason, at this moment, I oppose the amendment, but I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop a solution to the larger challenge at the Corps, and I yield back. | ||
| So the door is open if we could find other sources of funding. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Georgia is recognized for the balance of his time. | ||
| So in order to address my peers' concerns, I will restate in the middle of this where I said specifically $8.7 billion in annual appropriations in 2025, which was $1.5 billion more than they requested. | ||
| This is not underfunded. | ||
| This is not declining. | ||
| This is actually more than appropriate to keep those parks open. | ||
| They had a manning issue, which was brought on by themselves by not manning when they had the appropriate funds. | ||
| Then when the President put a limitation on that, we addressed that. | ||
| It was opened up again. | ||
| We actually helped them recruit and staff, and we actually opened up to local governance as well. | ||
| So it's not like we didn't provide multiple solutions to keep those campgrounds open. | ||
| They also had objections to safety issues because of the ability to not have safety vehicles get to those places. | ||
| Well, ironically, by limiting the access, you actually congested the traffic more and made it more unsafe. | ||
| I happened to be a safety officer, Monterey trained in the military to ensure that these kind of things were actually addressed. | ||
| And I wanted to make sure that they were not only funded, but also very safe and manned appropriately. | ||
| So all those issues were actually taken into consideration. | ||
| I don't think this is a partisan issue at all. | ||
|
Delaware River Funding Controversy
00:15:50
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||
| And I definitely want to see people have access to the very funded things. | ||
| This actually produces funds. | ||
| This actually is a money maker for the government and is well funded and should be well staffed. | ||
| So there shouldn't be any objections to this from the standpoint of the concerns that you had. | ||
| I think we did address those things appropriately. | ||
| And with that, I yield. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields. | |
| The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| The amendment is agreed to. | ||
| It is now in order to consider Amendment No. 23 printed in House Report 119-232. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number 23, printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| This amendment prohibits the use of funds to implement or enforce the Delaware River Basin Commission's rule to ban hydraulic fracturing within the Delaware River Basin. | ||
| The best way to combat high energy prices is to produce more energy in America in places like my home Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the second largest natural gas producer in the nation. | ||
| Unfortunately, unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats at the Delaware River Basin Commission have instituted a hydraulic fracturing ban for a portion of the state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, stripping away property and mineral rights from Pennsylvanians in contravention of the will of the state's owned legislature. | ||
| The result is a prohibition on the development of critical shale plays in eastern Pennsylvania that can bring desperately needed natural gas to market and the unconstitutional taking of the mineral rights of Pennsylvanians, all while keeping prices high. | ||
| To be clear, this amendment simply prohibits the Delaware River Basin Commission from implementing or enforcing its hydraulic fracturing ban, but does not, does not impact the ability of the states in the River Basin Commission to regulate hydraulic fracturing as they see fit. | ||
| Now, during previous debates on this issue, mistruths were spread about the impact of this policy change on the water reservoirs that serve New York City. | ||
| These claims are false and easily disproven by the facts. | ||
| The safety of hydraulic fracturing has been demonstrated through its extensive use across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across the country for decades now. | ||
| The Obama-Erie EPA determined that the practice did not pose a threat to drinking water. | ||
| Simple geography and hydrology make this outcome an impossibility. | ||
| All of New York City reservoirs are upriver from Pennsylvania or on the Hudson River, which does not connect to Pennsylvania, precluding any impact from Pennsylvania from reaching these reservoirs. | ||
| The intention of this amendment and its primary impact will be unleashing Pennsylvania's full energy potential by allowing Pennsylvanians in the river basin to use their property and mineral rights as they see fit as free Americans, subject to the laws passed by their elected, Mr. Speaker, their elected representative. | ||
| It's time to stop this underhanded attack on property rights, representative government, and state sovereignty and restore American security. | ||
| Opposition to this amendment is support for the hydraulic fracturing ban and for higher energy, in particular NAS natural gas prices for your constituents. | ||
| I urge passage of this amendment, and I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen, reserves, does any other member seek recognition? | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Ohio rise? | ||
| Yes. | ||
| Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Recognized. | |
| I rise in opposition because this amendment, as I understand it, creates a funding prohibition related to the Delaware River Basin Commission. | ||
| The Delaware River Basin Commission is a federal interstate compact agency charged with managing the water resources of the Delaware River Basin on a regional basis without regard to political boundaries. | ||
| As established by law through the Delaware River Basin Compact that went into effect in 1961, that's a half century ago, the Commission consists of the Army Corps of Engineers and the four basin state governors. | ||
| Those states include Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, each a significant place in the Union. | ||
| The Corps of Engineers and these states work as equal partners for planning, development, and regulatory action for the river basin. | ||
| Given the Commission's statutory mission, it analyzed the risks to water resources posed by high-volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques. | ||
| We know something about this in Ohio, that's for sure. | ||
| And through a public rulemaking process, a public rulemaking process, the Commission developed regulations related to high-volume hydraulic fracturing within the Delaware River Basin. | ||
| As a reminder, the Commission consists of the governors of the four basin states, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and the North Atlantic Division Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. | ||
| It does not strike me as the proper role for Congress, particularly through an appropriations writer, to overrun or overrule the regional and local governments on this matter. | ||
| While the Commission's work could be further discussed, I'm also concerned that this implicates funding provided to the Delaware River Basin Commission as community project funding on behalf of a member of this body. | ||
| So for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to think about all this, and I will be voting against this amendment, but I think there's a little more homework that has to be done on this one. | ||
| Meanwhile, I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Well, I've done my homework for years now, and it's the same song every time because nothing changes. | ||
| And while I agree with the gentlelady from Ohio, and you do know something about this, and of course you allow it in Ohio, but you said that it's not appropriate to overrule regional and local governments, but that's exactly what the DRBC does. | ||
| It overrules regional and local governments. | ||
| By the way, it overrules the Commonwealth government. | ||
| And while the governor has a say, there's four other voting members that can overrule that governor. | ||
| And quite honestly, what we don't need is somebody from another state telling us how to run our business. | ||
| There is no political accountability. | ||
| We don't vote for people in Delaware, New Jersey, New York. | ||
| They're wonderful people. | ||
| We appreciate them. | ||
| But our job is to represent Pennsylvania. | ||
| And that's what I'm doing. | ||
| And Pennsylvanians want to have access to their land and their mineral rights, and they should have it, not unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. | ||
| I urge passage, and I yield. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | |
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| The amendment is agreed to. | ||
| What purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania have? | ||
| A recorded vote is requested. | ||
| Those favoring a recorded vote will rise. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, a recorded vote is ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| It is now for Amendment No. 24, printed in House Report 119-232. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number 24, printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| This amendment eliminates earmarked funding for the Delaware River Basin Commission. | ||
| Unfortunately, this bill includes an earmark providing nearly three-quarters of a million dollars to the Delaware River Basin Commission, making it just the third time the federal government has provided the DRBC funding since 1998. | ||
| The unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats at the DRBC have unilaterally instituted a hydraulic fracturing ban for a portion of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, stripping away property and mineral rights from the Pennsylvanians in direct contravention of the will of this Pennsylvania Commonwealth's legislature. | ||
| The result is a prohibition on the development of critical shale plays in eastern Pennsylvania that can bring desperately needed natural gas to market and the unconstitutional taking of mineral rights of America's citizens. | ||
| This attack on Pennsylvania energy and American energy at a time when residential natural gas prices are near record highs. | ||
| They literally run. | ||
| My friends on the other side of the aisle literally run ads saying that I increase their energy prices while they do it every single day and they're just about ready to do it again. | ||
| It creates a significant inflation for my constituents and the constituents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and it empowers our enemies abroad. | ||
| The earmark in this bill rewards the radical commissioners with money from the very taxpayers and ratepayers the DRBC is attacking. | ||
| Providing funds to such an out-of-control radical commission is a step in the wrong direction that incentivizes others to follow its lead and keeps our energy costs high. | ||
| This amendment would prohibit funding for the DRBC federal funding, ensuring that we do not further incentivize this commission to attack American energy and the rights of Pennsylvania citizens. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Does any other member seek recognition? | |
| The gentlewoman rise. | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman is recognized for five minutes. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| As I'm listening to this debate, and I haven't studied the maps completely, it sounds like Pennsylvania's effluent flows into points east of Pennsylvania. | ||
| Is that correct, Congressman? | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| We understand this challenge from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. | ||
| We have our own tri-state issues there. | ||
| This amendment prohibits funding for the Delaware River Basin Commission, and it's hard to oppose you, but established by law through the Delaware River Basin Compact that went into effect in 1961, the Commission consists of the Army Corps of Engineers and the four basin state governors. | ||
| And those states include Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. | ||
| So, I guess any state could disagree, but the purpose of a commission is to try to get people to work together. | ||
| The effluent that is flowing from Pennsylvania into New Jersey may have to be tested for its content. | ||
| I don't really know, but the Corps of Engineers in these states work as equal partners for planning, development, and regulatory actions for the river basin. | ||
| And while the Commission's work could be further discussed, my strongest reason for opposition to this amendment is that the underlying bill provides $715,000 to the Delaware River Basin Commission as community project funding on behalf of a member of this body. | ||
| Now, the community project funding process allows members of Congress to request funding for their community to meet urgent needs that they identify. | ||
| And there is a rigorous process for the vetting and inclusion of committee community project funding, including strict transparency and accountability rules. | ||
| So, I'm a little surprised that one member would target another member's community project funding through an amendment on the floor. | ||
| So, I would strongly urge my colleagues to work together and to vote against this amendment. | ||
| And I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognizing. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Well, community funding process, just understand if you're not familiar with congressional jargon, that equals earmark. | ||
| That's three-quarters of a million dollars to this organization that heretofore hasn't needed the money because they extort members of the states that they exist in all kinds of fees and applications and licensing agreements for townships and other municipalities for private individuals. | ||
| That's how they're paid for. | ||
| But yet now we're going to pay three-quarters of a million dollars from the federal government where we're $37 trillion in debt. | ||
| And while I'm happy to agree that we should test the effluent, right? | ||
| Okay, I'm good with that, but apparently we don't care about the effluent from Ohio to Pennsylvania or from Pennsylvania to Ohio, where we conduct the same activity. | ||
| And oh, by the way, there's been no cases of any issue where hydraulic fracturing caused some effluent issue that I know of, or that I imagine my counterpart on the other side of the aisle can speak to. | ||
| As a matter of fact, I said that the Obama-era EPA said that it was completely safe. | ||
| So while I agree that we should do those things, and if there's a problem, we absolutely got to get after it. | ||
| But we're just throwing money at this thing without any evidence that there's a problem. | ||
| There's zero evidence that there's a problem, number one, and there's zero evidence that they need any of this money, but there's $37 trillion of evidence that we don't have the money to pay for it. | ||
| With that, I yield the balance. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields back. | |
| The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| Speaker, I'd ask for a recorded vote. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania rise? | ||
| I'd ask for a recorded vote. | ||
| Pursuant to clause six of Rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania will be postponed. | ||
|
Private Sector Patents Push
00:06:15
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|
unidentified
|
It is now in order to consider amendment number 25, printed in House Report 119-232. | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number 25, Princeton House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| amendment would eliminate funding for the Advanced Research Project Agency Energy or ARPA-E program. | ||
| Modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency known as DARPA, the agency funds research and development of advanced energy technologies. | ||
| Sounds like a noble goal. | ||
| Despite a purported goal to identify and promote revolutionary advances in energy, the agency is more focused on misguided, ineffective climate and so-called green priorities. | ||
| For years, RPAE has drifted from its mission and provided grants to companies and projects that are neither high risk nor something that the private sector cannot and does not support. | ||
| Among recent awards, ARPAE has supported the Net Zero Game Changers Initiative, which is subsidizing climate warming refrigerants and Jetson-style electrification of aviation. | ||
| And with all due respect, as a member of the Transportation Committee, if they want to electrify aviation, God bless them, let them and the Wright brothers from your great state of Ohio, ma'am, let them invest and do it's always better when the private sector invests. | ||
| It's always more efficient. | ||
| The outcomes are always better. | ||
| The Trump administration has also called for the elimination of this program, and rightly so, recognizing the private sector's primary role in taking risks to commercialize breakthrough energy technologies with actual, with real market potential, not made-up ones by people with the good idea ferry from the federal government. | ||
| With that, I reserve, Mr. Chairman. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman of Reserves, does any other member seek re- For what purpose does the gentleman from Tennessee rise? | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I respectfully claim time in opposition. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized for five minutes. | ||
| Respectfully, my colleague's amendment would eliminate Advanced Research Project Agency, or ARPA-E. | ||
| ARPA-E's mission is to fund projects that are not yet addressed in the private sector but can bring about a transformational shift in current energy technologies. | ||
| Nearly 75% of ARPA-E awards go to small businesses and academia. | ||
| ARPA-E projects have led to over 1,200 patents being issued and have attracted more than $14 billion in follow-up on funding from the private sector. | ||
| I've actually witnessed this with many companies, Mr. Chairman, and this has been a very successful program. | ||
| But perhaps to ease my colleagues' concerns and his great desire to reduce funding, the bill already includes a 24% reduction to ARPA-E from fiscal 25 in funding. | ||
| Therefore, I must respectfully oppose the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same. | ||
| And I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman of Reserves. | ||
| Gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Well, I certainly appreciate the Chairman's view. | ||
| I think his view actually is the same as mine, recognizing that it's already had a 24% reduction. | ||
| And quite honestly, like, that's great that it's produced all these patents. | ||
| But wouldn't it be better if the private sector produced those patents? | ||
| Because right now, the American taxpayer is paying for those patents. | ||
| But you know who's not getting any of the money, the royalties or the licensing for those patents? | ||
| The very taxpayers that pay the bill. | ||
| Again, I get that this is many see it as a great jobs program and it provides a lot of great things for America, but those things should be provided by the private sector because we simply cannot afford to pay for all this stuff and something has to give. | ||
| The private sector wants to make money. | ||
| It wants to get patents. | ||
| It wants to license things. | ||
| Good for them. | ||
| They should do it. | ||
| The American taxpayer doesn't want to pay for it. | ||
| And if they are paying for it, where's the return on the investment? | ||
| With that, I yield the balance. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields. | |
| Gentleman from Tennessee. | ||
| I yield, the gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor say aye, those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| The amendment is agreed to. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I ask for a recorded vote. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 6 of Rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania will be postponed. | ||
| It's now in order to consider amendment number 26 printed in House Report 119-232. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
| The clerk will designate the amendment, amendment number 26 printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, mr. Chairman. | ||
| This amendment eliminates funding for the Advanced Technology Vehicle manufacturing loan program and transfers that savings to spending reduction. | ||
| This is another wasteful so-called green energy handout program that should be and must be eliminated. | ||
| The At VM loan program has been plagued by a failure to produce viable products, political favoritism, inefficient use of taxpayer funds, a failure to create create promised jobs and a significant potential for fraud and misrepresentation. | ||
|
Government Picks Winners and Losers
00:09:48
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| Unfortunately, this is to be expected from this kind of program. | ||
| The very nature of the program ensures that it will be the government selecting winners and losers based on political considerations, as opposed to actual marketable technologies. | ||
| Instead, we can and must empower the market to provide consumers with products they actually want, rather than forcing them to adapt to whatever technology the bureaucrats and good idea ferries in Washington Dc think they want or demand that they want. | ||
| Despite the amassive amounts of subsidies provided through this program and others to electric vehicles, it is clear that the majority of American people do not want them. | ||
| The government funded E V bubble appears to be deflating. | ||
| The truth is 98 percent of all cars on the road today are gas powered and 97 percent of all annual car purchases are gas powered. | ||
| I'm not against EVs if you want to buy one, God Bless you go buy one. | ||
| It's just that the federal government shouldn't be involved in it's what? | ||
| What is the proper role of the federal government in buying your car? | ||
| I submit is not the proper role. | ||
| Despite literally paying folks to produce and buy these cars, overall market penetration has been minimal. | ||
| Sales are slowing and consumer sentiment is moving away from EVs. | ||
| According to McKinsey AND Company the guy the place where the last Secretary of Transportation worked. | ||
| Nearly half 46 percent of current battery electric vehicle owners are likely going back to internal combustion engine vehicles for their next purchase. | ||
| Consumer reports found that EVs to be associated with 79 percent more problems than conventional vehicles. | ||
| It is absolutely clear that this program has failed and we did stop the forcing of Americans to transition to EVs, even though we think it's that they should and they don't want to. | ||
| It's long past time to finally bring an end to the green new scam and to fund this misguided program, as well as all the other DOE loan programs that pick winners and losers based on politics rather than markets. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And I reserve women reserves. | |
| For what purpose? | ||
| Does Woman from Ohio rise? | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Recognized for five minutes. | |
| I'd like to say to the fine gentleman from Pennsylvania that I drive a conventionally powered car. | ||
| I put gasoline in my car, so I don't have a favorite. | ||
| I had a brother who was a race car driver, so he tried everything. | ||
| And this amendment, though, would strike all funding provided in our bill to oversee and administer the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, ATVM for short. | ||
| And all I have to say is we need lots of hands on deck in inventing the new overground transportation systems for this country because globally we're falling behind and the companies know it. | ||
| This program is currently responsible for carefully vetting and conducting oversight of more than $30 billion in loans that are either active or have conditional commitments. | ||
| There are ATVM loan projects across the country, across industrial America. | ||
| You and I share that, both bounty and struggle. | ||
| Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, New York, Michigan, and Indiana. | ||
| These are projects that support the production of advanced vehicles, vehicle components, and critical minerals. | ||
| I'm actually fast at the task of building a Toledo car because I don't want all those gizmos they put on the cars today. | ||
| You're forced to buy it when you go in, but you don't want it. | ||
| And then if it breaks, it costs you $500 or more to get it fixed. | ||
| People don't want all that stuff. | ||
| If they want the stuff, let them select it. | ||
| But the ATVM program is projected to add almost 40,000 jobs nationwide, and boy, we need it. | ||
| Today, we're faced with an amendment to undercut those investments and ultimately jobs across our country. | ||
| Even for those that do not support the critical work of this program, eliminating this funding is truly cutting off our nose despite our face. | ||
| If you want to increase fraud or hinder the ability of the federal government to interact with private business quickly and efficiently, then by all means, vote for this amendment. | ||
| I, however, will vote against it because we must continue to invest in manufacturing expertise of this country. | ||
| And I underline manufacturing, not copying, building, creating, innovating. | ||
| And I want to make sure we do so as efficiently and as responsibly as possible. | ||
| Without the necessary support to advance and oversee these investments, we risk our national security by letting our international competitors, China in particular, outpace our efforts at home. | ||
| And I urge my colleagues to vote against this misguided amendment. | ||
| I have staff members that drive hybrids. | ||
| They like those. | ||
| I don't like the particular hybrid one of them drives because it's too close to the ground, and I feel you feel the road too much. | ||
| We've all got opinions based on what size we are and how we can see out the windows and all. | ||
| But I really do think that anything that has to do with advanced technology vehicle manufacturing is something I do not want to displace in the array of options we have as a country. | ||
| There's too much at stake here. | ||
| We've just seen the rebirth of the steel industry and we're fighting for that every day. | ||
| I was just up at the Sioux Locks in Michigan looking at our ability to move steel from Duluth material all the way down through the Seaway and then out to the world. | ||
| We are working very hard on reinvesting in manufacturing America. | ||
| So I would not at all support the elimination of this program or the cutting short of this program at a time when America really needs it. | ||
| And so much of our componentry has been shipped offshore because they pay cheap wages. | ||
| They pay penny wages and they can move componentry. | ||
| And I had something happen to my car, and they took out the part. | ||
| Sure enough, a foreign part failed, and I could have been killed, right? | ||
| And you look at this, and I thought, I know this wasn't made in our country. | ||
| Where was it made? | ||
| And you can guess. | ||
| So we have to restore American manufacturing, and I think that this is one way that we can do it. | ||
| And we have to invent new fuels. | ||
| We in our region flew the first biofueled F-16 aircraft in this country. | ||
| It didn't crash. | ||
| They loved it. | ||
| And we are inventing the new fuels of the future, biofuels. | ||
| Half the corn and soy in my region goes into fuels. | ||
| And it's a good thing it does because we've lost our agricultural markets to Brazil, Argentina, selling to China. | ||
| So our farmers aren't exporting into China anymore because of what is happening globally in the marketplace. | ||
| So I truly, for manufacturing America, I oppose your amendment because I want invention here. | ||
| I want manufacturing here, and I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlelady yields from Pennsylvania is recognized. | |
| Madam Chair, can I inquire as to the time remaining? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Two and a half minutes. | |
| Thank you, Madam Chairman. | ||
| The gentlelady from Ohio and I certainly agree that we shouldn't be forced to buy things on the vehicles that we don't want. | ||
| They are heavier, they are more technology-sensitive. | ||
| I mean, you're essentially driving a computer around, and like she said, when it breaks, you're paying through the teeth for the whole thing. | ||
| So we certainly agree on that. | ||
| But, ladies and gentlemen, Madam Chair, that's all being forced by Washington, D.C. | ||
| It comes out of this town. | ||
| That requirement, those mandates come from this town. | ||
| And to the 40,000 jobs that this supports, look, Americans are great at building cars. | ||
| And I don't care whether you drive a hybrid, whether you drive an electric vehicle or a traditionally powered vehicle, including diesel. | ||
| That should be your business. | ||
| But this picks the winner and says you're going to drive an electric vehicle, subsidizes it, subsidizes the manufacturer of it, and then subsidizes the purchase of it. | ||
| Well, nobody's subsidizing the purchase of my vehicle. | ||
| It's got 340,000 miles on it. | ||
| I don't think that, look, even Elon, I talked to him, once a darling of the left, now much supported by the right. | ||
| He agrees that there should be no subsidies for these vehicles. | ||
| He doesn't want subsidies on anything, and I agree with him on that. | ||
| As far as being in competition with China, unfortunately, China provides the vast majority of what makes these vehicles work. | ||
| We're buying this stuff from our enemies. | ||
| Let's buy it from Americans, and Americans determine what they want. | ||
| And what they've said is they don't want EVs forced down their throat. | ||
| If they want to buy one, buy one. | ||
| If they don't, then buy whatever you want. | ||
| I'm just saying that the government shouldn't be involved in paying for it. | ||
| It's not fair to people that don't buy them and that have to pay for them anyhow. | ||
| I urge adoption. | ||
| I yield a balance. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields. | |
| Question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| I'm sorry. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| Madam Chair. | ||
|
Northern Border Funding Debate
00:15:20
|
||
| For what purpose does the lady on that matter? | ||
| I demand a recorded vote, please. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to Clause 6 of Rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania will be postponed. | |
| It is now in order to consider Amendment No. 27, printed in House Report 119 to 232. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number 27, Princeton and House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Chair. | ||
| Federal loan guarantee programs transfer the risk of the loans to the taxpayer. | ||
| Pure and simple. | ||
| As with any government subsidy, they reduce market discipline of loan recipients. | ||
| You're not worried if you're getting a loan because the taxpayers are going to pay it. | ||
| You don't care whether you produce anything or not. | ||
| The checkered past of the DOE's loan guarantee program demonstrates that it is not immune from these concerns. | ||
| Among the most egregious examples of Title 17 loan failures are Solyndra, Fisker Automotive, and A123 Systems. | ||
| All three entities received hundreds of million dollars in loan guarantees paid for by the taxpayer before filing for bankruptcy and leaving the taxpayer holding the bag, getting nothing for it. | ||
| To add insult to injury, A123 Systems and Fisker Automotive were purchased by Chinese companies for pennies on the dollars. | ||
| The taxpayers paid, and China was enriched, meaning the CCP was the ultimate beneficiary of our tax. | ||
| This is crazy that we're even talking about this. | ||
| Like, what government supports another government that says they're your enemy or you're their enemy? | ||
| That's exactly. | ||
| China has said that we are their enemy, yet we're selling them pennies on the dollars. | ||
| These taxpayers' subsidize failures. | ||
| It's outrageous. | ||
| Now, the Inflation Reduction Act, so-called, provides for approximately $11.7 billion for the loan program office to issue new loans. | ||
| This additional funding raises significant concerns that the program will once again be used as a piggy bank for energy sources and vehicles that the American people don't want and that drive up costs to consumers. | ||
| People say, why is everything cost so much? | ||
| Well, you know why? | ||
| Because we're subsidizing it. | ||
| When you're guaranteeing the loan and the loan fails and you're on the hook for it, the American taxpayer doesn't know they co-signed these loans, but they did. | ||
| And like I said, to add insult to injury, then China gets the place. | ||
| It's unbelievable that we should even have this conversation, but we do urge adoption and I yield our correction. | ||
| I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman reserves. | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Tennessee seek recognition? | ||
| Thank you, Madam Chair. | ||
| I seek time in opposition. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized for five minutes. | ||
| Madam Chair, this amendment would effectively eliminate the administrative expenses for the loan guarantee program. | ||
| That would do two things. | ||
| First, it would prevent any new loans for nuclear projects, and second, it would remove the department's ability, this is very important, to conduct oversight for the existing loan portfolio, monies that have already been loaned. | ||
| As the chair may know, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle know, I am the champion for nuclear energy in this great nation of ours, and I'm so proud of the way that we are moving forward. | ||
| This program is so critically important to the development of our new nuclear technologies. | ||
| The administration is counting on the department's loan programs to revitalize the nuclear industry and deliver advanced reactors to the electric grid for years to come. | ||
| Nuclear energy represents our best option to meet our energy demands for the future in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way. | ||
| The loan program, this loan program, will be an important part of that strategy. | ||
| In addition, eliminating the loan program's administrative expenses would jeopardize the government's ability again to receive loan payments and ensure the financial health of the existing portfolio. | ||
| We must ensure proper oversight of taxpayer funding. | ||
| And for these reasons, I must respectfully oppose the amendment. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Unreserves. | ||
| Woman from Pennsylvania is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you, Madam Chair. | ||
| I certainly respect the chairman of the committee and his views. | ||
| And I would say this. | ||
| Next year, when I offer this amendment, I will leave some room in there for administrative purposes to oversee the loans that are already out there. | ||
| That's a fair argument. | ||
| But I would say this, too. | ||
| As the proud representative of Three Mile Island, which is going to be reopened without any government assistance, it's privately owned, made a deal with Microsoft. | ||
| Like it just proves the point. | ||
| We don't need the American taxpayer doesn't, you know, the American taxpayer already pays the rates for electricity. | ||
| They're already paying the investors for the investment in nuclear. | ||
| And I'm a great supporter of nuclear. | ||
| I just don't think it should be the position of the federal government to take money out of people's pockets to pay for these things. | ||
| Maybe you live in an area where you're not serviced by nuclear power. | ||
| Maybe you live in south central Pennsylvania where Three Mile Island is going to reopen, but all the money and all the power is going to go to Microsoft. | ||
| Well, why should the consumer pay for that? | ||
| I'm sorry. | ||
| Like, we have figured out how to do nuclear power and do it well in the United States of America. | ||
| And quite honestly, probably one of the only times it screwed up was when the federal government gets involved with it. | ||
| But with that, I understand the chairman's position, and I appreciate I still urge adoption of the amendment. | ||
| I yield. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields. | |
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized. | ||
| Yield back. | ||
| Gentlemen from Tennessee yields back. | ||
| The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| The opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| The amendment is agreed to. | ||
| Madam Chair, I request a recorded vote. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Going to clause six of Rule 18. | ||
| Further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee will be postponed. | ||
| Sorry. | ||
| It is now in order to consider amendment number 28, printed in House Report 119 to 232. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will designate the amendment. | |
| Amendment number 28, printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Chair. | ||
| I rise to offer this amendment to reduce funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission or the NBRC to fiscal year 2019 levels. | ||
| Look, we're changing up here a little bit. | ||
| We're looking for ways to reduce spending so the American people can keep their money and so we don't have to go further into debt. | ||
| And this is just another unnecessary redundant program. | ||
| Like the other regional commissions, the NBRC provides economic development assistance to projects in various states, in this case, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. | ||
| These commissions simply served as a slush fund for parochial and regional projects with little to no national nexus. | ||
| There is no federal connection to these things. | ||
| Now let's take a look at some of the funded programs taken from the 2022 annual report, which is the latest one available. | ||
| $304,000 to purchase a sound system for an auditorium in New Hampshire. | ||
| Over $350,000 to expand rail yard capacity in upstate New York. | ||
| Another $350,000 for a sailing center on Lake Champlain. | ||
| Now look, Madam Chair, these projects are probably awesome. | ||
| They're probably all great. | ||
| Some of them ought to be funded by private investments and others should be funded by states or localities. | ||
| Instead of pandering to special interest groups, we must pair back these wasteful programs that only serve as a boondoggle for a limited slice of Americans. | ||
| Like the thing on Lake Champlain sounds awesome, but most south central Pennsylvanians aren't going there. | ||
| But they're paying for it. | ||
| They get to pay. | ||
| This amendment does not zero out. | ||
| Let's be clear. | ||
| This amendment does not zero out the Commission's funding. | ||
| It simply reduces the funding to pre-pandemic, pre-Biden spending levels, which I think most people agree. | ||
| We're spending too much money. | ||
| So why don't we start there and see how we can do better. | ||
| With that, I urge adoption and I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman, Reserves. | |
| Does the gentlewoman from Ohio seek recognition? | ||
| Yes, Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Woman is recognized for five minutes. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| The gentleman's amendment reduces funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission by $13 million. | ||
| The Northern Border Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership focused on economic and community development within the most distressed counties in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. | ||
| Except for New York, but New York and North is different than New York and the South. | ||
| Many of these states don't have very many members of Congress. | ||
| When you look at Vermont, I actually have more citizens in my district than does the state of Vermont in its entirety. | ||
| So the Northern Border Commission really does focus on places that often get ignored simply because those states don't have enough people in them to warrant the kind of attention maybe Pennsylvania gets because of its number of people or California. | ||
| So the NBRC was created by Congress in 2008 to provide infrastructure and economic development assistance to projects in counties that have varying degrees of economic and demographic distress. | ||
| These investments lead to new jobs being created. | ||
| I've seen what it's done, for instance, in the Appalachian Regional Commission. | ||
| It's taken a while, but I think that they will agree. | ||
| Many of our colleagues on your side of the aisle from these states where these commissions function say that's the first time that kind of help has come in creating new businesses and trying to create roads that didn't exist and try to promote economic development in really some of the forgotten corners of America. | ||
| So it's critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class. | ||
| And in some parts of the country, it's more difficult than others. | ||
| I can guarantee you, where there has been deindustrialization because of the outsourcing of production, there ought to be a whole separate set of activities that occur in those areas of the country, whether it's Kenosha, Wisconsin, whether it's Toledo, Ohio. | ||
| We can think of so many places where we've left Flint, Michigan. | ||
| One of the reasons the public is so unstable politically is because they're looking for an answer and neither party has been able to fully accommodate the needs of those places. | ||
| I think we're becoming more sensitive to it and these commissions provide us a very important means to do it. | ||
| So I oppose the gentleman's amendment. | ||
| Actually, I think part of Pennsylvania, is it not covered by the Appalachian Regional Commission? | ||
| To that one later. | ||
| Okay, all right. | ||
| Well, I just think that, you know, when you look at some of the money that goes out to different places in the country, and Pennsylvania hits higher than Ohio does, actually. | ||
| But for us, the Appalachian Regional Commission in southern Ohio has been just terribly important. | ||
| Has it been the most important vehicle for restoring what was lost or trying to convert to other economic activities? | ||
| No, but are we crawling forward? | ||
| Yes, at least we're not falling behind more. | ||
| So I thank the gentleman for offering his amendment, but I have to oppose it. | ||
| And I yield back my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlewoman yields back. | |
| Gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized. | ||
| Well, I certainly appreciate the gentlelady's arguments. | ||
| And I would just say, you know, there's a guy named Freeman who was traveling overseas. | ||
| He came upon a public works project, and everybody was down in the ditch with shovels digging. | ||
| Many, many men digging with shovels. | ||
| And he said to the person running the thing, he said, what's with all the shovels? | ||
| Why don't you buy them some equipment so they can get this work done faster? | ||
| And the guy said, well, you know, this produces a lot of jobs. | ||
| So Mr. Freeman said, well, why don't you give them all teaspoons instead? | ||
| And you can have even more jobs, or at least the job can last longer. | ||
| Of course, throwing money around produces jobs. | ||
| And as far as it being infrastructure, a sound system for an auditorium, while it's infrastructure, I don't think many people think of infrastructure as roads, bridges, airports, ports, things like that. | ||
| Not a sound system or a sailing center. | ||
| Those are nice things to have, but those are parochial. | ||
| Those are local interests that should be provided at least by the state, not the people in the federal government. | ||
| We have lost sight of the role of the federal government, which is why this amendment is in order. | ||
| I urge adoption and I yield the balance, Mr. Chair. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor will say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, nay. | ||
| Open the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| What purposes, gentlewoman? | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote. | ||
| Gentlelady seeks a recording vote. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 6 of Rule 18 for the proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania will be postponed. | ||
| It is now in order to consider amendment number 29 printed in the House Report 119-232. | ||
|
Amendment for Southwest Border
00:11:49
|
||
| For what purposes, gentlemen from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk number 29. | ||
| Clerk will designate the amendment. | ||
| Amendment number 29, printed in House Report number 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
| Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed will each have a control of five minutes. | ||
| Chair recognized the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I rise to offer this amendment to have the funding for the Southwest Border Regional Commission. | ||
| Again, trying to save some money by not spending money on redundant things. | ||
| Yet again, this commission serves as a duplicative slush fund for parochial interests, this time for projects in the southern border regions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. | ||
| This commission, which only had its first chairman confirmed in 2022 and only was funded starting in fiscal year 2021. | ||
| So it's relatively recent. | ||
| And look, I know folks on this side of the aisle care about the border. | ||
| I imagine and hope that folks on the other side of the aisle care about the border. | ||
| But the answer to solving the border problems is to actually enforce our nation's immigration laws, not give $4 million to a commission that does not even appear to have an operational website. | ||
| And by the way, this current administration, the Trump administration, is handling the border, so we don't need to waste another $4 million on this commission. | ||
| It received $250,000 in FY21, but is now being funded at $4 million in this bill for zero results. | ||
| Can anybody show me or tell me what the results of this commission are? | ||
| Again, this amendment simply strikes this figure in half. | ||
| So even though it's wasteful and useless, generally speaking, I'm only taking it in half, which is still $2 million. | ||
| And I don't care whether you're from Ohio or South Central Pennsylvania, $2 million is a lot of money. | ||
| I urge support of the amendment and I reserve. | ||
| Gentlemen Reserve, what purpose does Gentle Lady Ohio seek recognition? | ||
| Yes. | ||
| Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. | ||
| Ladies recognize for five minutes. | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces funding for the Southwest Border Regional Commission by $2 million. | ||
| And the Southwest Border Regional Commission was established by Congress in 2008 to address economic distress along the southern border regions of some pretty important places, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas. | ||
| And in December 2022, the Senate confirmed the first federal co-chair for the Commission. | ||
| So think about the delay in the co-chair. | ||
| That took a large number of years, which enables the Commission to convene and begin other activities. | ||
| So I would place the burden there on the executive branch waiting such a long time to nominate someone in the Senate to actually clear the name. | ||
| But these investments do lead to new jobs being created. | ||
| And many of these places have very small towns that don't even have parking lots in their little bakeries or their restaurants. | ||
| And it is critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class, especially in the forgotten towns and regions of our country. | ||
| So I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment on behalf of people who are trying to better their way of life against all odds. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
| Does this gentleman yield a reserve? | ||
| I yield. | ||
| Gentlelady yields. | ||
| Gentlemen from Pennsylvania is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| And of course, all these states, Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, are on the border. | ||
| If we're funding this organization to deal with the border, I don't know what to say other than it's duplicative. | ||
| And if you disagree with that, well, I'm not sure what to say to anybody about that. | ||
| I've been to each one of these states, and of course, people that own a bakery want a parking lot. | ||
| I had a business, too, and I wanted trucks, and I wanted employees, and I needed tools. | ||
| And you know what I didn't do? | ||
| I didn't go to the federal government for that. | ||
| I sucked it up, and I paid into my business from the money that I made conducting my business and grew my business. | ||
| That's America. | ||
| Not calling on the federal government, oh, hey, can you send me a couple million dollars because I want to make things nice for myself. | ||
| We get it. | ||
| We hope all Americans can do great things and be nice for themselves. | ||
| Our government is out of money. | ||
| It's broke. | ||
| $37 trillion and climbing. | ||
| Like, we don't have any money. | ||
| All this is borrowed money, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Every cent of it is borrowed. | ||
| Who borrows money to do things that they don't need to do that somebody else in the government's already doing? | ||
| I urge adoption. | ||
| I yield the balance. | ||
| Gentleman yields the balance. | ||
| Questions on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor will say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, nay. | ||
| Opinion chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| And Mr. Chair? | ||
| For what purpose gentlemen seek recognition? | ||
| Yes, I rise to demand a recorded vote, please. | ||
| Gentlelady asks for a recorded vote. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 6 of Rule 18 for the proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania will be postponed. | ||
| It is now in order to consider amendment number 30, printed in the House Report 119-232. | ||
| For what purpose does gentlemen from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. | ||
| Clerk will designate the amendment. | ||
| Amendment number 30, printed in House Report No. 119-232, offered by Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania. | ||
| Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. | ||
| Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I offer this amendment to reduce funding for the Southwest Crescent Regional Commission, the SCRC, to fiscal year 2019. | ||
| So not zeroing it out, just taking it back to pre-pandemic levels so we could try to afford some of this stuff that we're borrowing money again to pay for. | ||
| Now, again, this commission serves as a duplicative slush fund for parochial interest. | ||
| People say, where does all my tax money go? | ||
| Well, here's another example, this time for projects in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. | ||
| And again, many of these projects are worthy. | ||
| The question is: should the federal government be paying for them, especially when the federal government doesn't have any money? | ||
| The Commission operates duplicative programs that are better addressed at the state and local level. | ||
| From 2010 to 2020, the SCRC received $250,000 annually, all without having an appointed federal co-chair. | ||
| Just think about that. | ||
| I know $250,000 is nothing around this place, but there was nobody at the wheel this whole time. | ||
| That number has now ballooned to a whopping $16.25 million in this bill. | ||
| There is absolutely no reason for that dramatic increase in funding, especially when these projects fund both projects with no national nexus like electric vehicle charging stations. | ||
| There's one down the street from me. | ||
| The owner of the place put it in. | ||
| He didn't, well, I don't know if he has to, maybe, he probably got money from the federal government. | ||
| Probably why he did it. | ||
| He probably wouldn't have done it on his own, but I got to pay for it. | ||
| How's it fair to me? | ||
| I don't own an electric vehicle. | ||
| A lot of people don't own one. | ||
| But yet we're paying for this one. | ||
| Stormwater management and green infrastructure, according to their own report of 2023 through 2027 strategic plan. | ||
| Our constituents simply do not have the money for these projects that have no impact on their lives because they don't live there. | ||
| And in many cases, it drives up inflationary spending, which is the $37 trillion I keep referencing. | ||
| Every time we borrow money here, it makes everybody else's prices go up, and we've got to quit borrowing it, especially to pay for things that we can't afford, don't need, and somebody else is already doing. | ||
| I reserve. | ||
| Member Reserves, for what purposes? | ||
| I'll seek recognition. | ||
| Yes, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. | ||
| Gentlemen recognized. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces funding for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission by $16 million, a commission that was established in 2008. | ||
| But unfortunately, the governor of the respective state and states did not appoint those who were to manage the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission until just a couple years ago. | ||
| So there was no way that it could get off the ground. | ||
| And if you've traveled in that region of America, you would come back a different person. | ||
| So I would urge you to do that. | ||
| The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission's mission is to build sustainable communities and strengthen economic growth across the Southeast region, including in places in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. | ||
| The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission invests in the region's economic future through a grant program, yes, publishing research related to the region and income-producing learning experiences. | ||
| Many people there have never started a business, but they want to. | ||
| You must have had a good father or mother to help you get into business. | ||
| I don't know. | ||
| But it's important that opportunity be seated in all parts of our country to help communities seize opportunity, address economic disparity, and advance prosperity is the purpose of this commission. | ||
| So it is critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class where possible. | ||
| And I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment, and I yield back. | ||
| Gentlelady yields back. | ||
| Gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized. | ||
| Well, I certainly thank the gentlelady for her viewpoints and her comments. | ||
| And I have lived in Florida and Georgia, wonderful states, and traveled through all of the rest. | ||
| And I have an awesome mother who helped me in that business and was a part of it. | ||
| I don't know my father. | ||
| That's American ingenuity. | ||
| That is striving even against all odds, like the government, your taxes, your insurance, your payroll, your receivable. | ||
| We've done it, and we did it without the help of the federal government. | ||
| Many people want to do it. | ||
| Some people get help from the federal government. | ||
| It's unfair to those who do not. | ||
| I urge adoption. | ||
| I yield the balance. | ||
| Gentlemanly yields the balance of his time. | ||
| Questions on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| No. | ||
| And opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. | ||
| And Mr. Chair? | ||
| For what purpose, gentlemen, seek recognition? | ||
| I demand a recorded vote on that. | ||
| And also wanted to mention the gentleman voted for the big billionaire bonanza bill that added $4 trillion to the U.S. debt. | ||
| Philly will suspend. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 6 of Rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania will be postponed. | ||
| What purpose does the gentleman from Tennessee seek recognition? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Chairman, I move the committee do rise. | |
| Questions on the motion that the committee rise. | ||
| All those in favor say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| The motion is adopted accordingly. | ||
|
unidentified
|
When the committee rises, he's going to say Mr. Chairman and then you will. | |
|
House Committee Stalls Resolution
00:01:58
|
||
|
unidentified
|
Okay. | |
| Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, having had under consideration H.R. 4553, directs me to report that it has come to no resolution thereon. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union reports that committee has had under consideration H.R. 4553 and has come to no resolution thereon. | |
| Pursuant to clause 12A of Rule 1, the chair declares the House in recess, subject to the call of the chair. | ||
| Today, House lawmakers are considering four measures, including 2026 energy and water spending legislation, as well as three resolutions to overturn Biden-era Bureau of Land Management plans in Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota. | ||
| And on a party line vote today, members approved the Oversight Committee continuing its Jeffrey Epstein probe and the creation of a new January 6th investigative panel. | ||
| The two resolutions were included in today's rule governing the natural resources and appropriations bills. | ||
| Also, during the session, lawmakers killed a GOP resolution that would have censured Congresswoman Lamonica McIver and remove her from the Homeland Security Committee. | ||
| That action is in response to the Democratic lawmaker being charged with assaulting an ICE officer at a Newark, New Jersey detention facility. | ||
| Watch live coverage of the U.S. House when members return here on C-SPAN. | ||
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