Welcome to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  The following op-ed authored by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, appeared in  Fox News  this morning.  “It’s been almost two weeks since the House of Representatives passed the 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' Act (OBBBA). Yet, we continue to hear constant fearmongering by my Democrat colleagues.  “I’ll remind you that the OBBBA makes tremendous strides in providing further tax cuts for middle-class, working families, promoting American manufacturing and energy dominance, and importantly, protecting the integrity of our healthcare programs to support our most vulnerable Americans. “It is a top priority of House Republicans to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse in the programs and safeguard expectant mothers, their children, low-income seniors and especially individuals living with disabilities who are receiving Medicaid coverage. Regrettably, Democrats continue to fuel the falsehood that 13 million individuals will lose healthcare coverage under OBBBA.  “According to the Congressional Budget Office, millions of ineligible individuals are receiving benefits through Medicaid, with 1.6 million people enrolled in two state Medicaid programs at the same time (and getting care paid for in both states), 1.4 million illegal immigrants, and 1.2 million enrollees who no longer qualify for eligibility. CBO also assumes there are 4.8 million able-bodied adults without dependents who would rather lose Medicaid coverage than choose to work or give back to their communities. Continuing to direct scarce resources to these ineligible recipients ultimately takes away from Americans truly in need.  “Through the OBBBA, Republicans are strengthening the Medicaid program by removing ineligible beneficiaries and sustaining the program for our most vulnerable Americans. When states are no longer paying for those who shouldn’t be enrolled in the first place, that frees up money they can invest for those who actually need the care most.  “As chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, please allow me to tell you the truth: pregnant women, children, seniors, and individuals living with a disability are protected under this legislation.  “During our 26-and-a-half-hour marathon markup, Democrats shared stories using scare-tactics, not facts. The Democrats cited story after story about vulnerable individuals who rely on Medicaid for their daily care – like children and people with disabilities and their families – and the fact is, this bill does not impact them. If anything, we are protecting Medicaid for them.  “Every vulnerable American who needs Medicaid should be protected and have access to care. That’s why House Republicans have thoughtfully curated a bill that realigns incentives in Medicaid for states to care for the most vulnerable over individuals who aren’t eligible for the program, including illegal immigrants. “While Medicaid is predominantly funded by the federal government, states are in the driver’s seat and contribute at least a third of all Medicaid costs, ultimately determining which individuals are covered, what services they receive, and how much taxpayers pay for their care. Our bill reverses a Biden-Harris policy that prohibited states from removing ineligible individuals from their rolls.  “When top-down mandates from Washington crowd out state decision-making, states lose their ability to focus their efforts on core services for vulnerable populations. Our bill changes this. For example, the commonsense community-engagement requirements, also known as work requirements, require that states ensure that able-bodied adults without dependents are either working a part-time job, participating in educational programs, or volunteering in their community for 80 hours per month in order to receive Medicaid benefits.  “Additionally, the bill repeals oppressive Biden-Harris era mandates that forced states to impose unrealistic staffing requirements for nursing homes that were set to close facilities and severely restrict access to care. The Biden-Harris regulators also prohibited states from following standard procedures to disenroll people who are ineligible for coverage, or even fraudulently enrolled, in Medicaid.  “The rational policies in the House bill that stops coverage for illegal immigrants and allows states to remove deceased and duplicative enrollees, and otherwise ineligible beneficiaries from state Medicaid programs further ensures our federal dollars are serving the population that Medicaid was created to protect.  “While the Committee’s savings help to slow the growth of the program, Medicaid is projected to grow by an estimated 25% by 2034. Over the next decade, spending in the program is expected to increase by over $1 trillion above inflation. Only Washington Democrats would say that increased funding is a cut.  “Every dollar misspent on illegal immigrants and ineligible individuals in the Medicaid program means less money going to our children, our pregnant women and mothers, individuals who are disabled, and seniors.  “It is disappointing that Democrats are prioritizing politics through lies and fearmongering instead of actually helping the most vulnerable Americans. House Republicans make no apologies for our continued fight to strengthen government programs that have since been riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, announced a hearing titled  Short-Circuiting Progress: How the Clean Air Act Impacts Building Necessary Infrastructure and Onshoring American Innovation. “American innovation should not be stifled by unreasonable government red tape and regulatory overreach. Over the years we saw how regulations have gone far beyond their original intent, chilling investments and pushing manufacturing overseas,”  said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith .  “This hearing offers a chance to examine ways that Congress can take steps to make environmental statutes more workable, increase domestic manufacturing, and support American jobs.” Subcommittee on Environment hearing titled  Short-Circuiting Progress: How the Clean Air Act Impacts Building Necessary Infrastructure and Onshoring American Innovation WHAT:  Subcommittee on Environment hearing to discuss how the Clean Air Act impacts building infrastructure and onshoring American innovation and potential legislative solutions. DATE:  June 11, 2025 TIME:  10:15AM LOCATION:  2322 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. This hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions about this hearing please contact Calvin Huggins at  Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press related questions please contact Ben Mullany at  Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s markup. Subcommittee Chairman Latta's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s subcommittee markup of 13 bills to increase energy production and restore energy leadership. “Over the last few months, this subcommittee has held several hearings to examine the issues holding back our ability to meet projected energy demand growth over the next decade.  “In our first hearing of the Congress, the subcommittee heard from national security experts and energy workers to hear the importance of American energy for the world’s future.  “We also have heard directly from the power sector to discuss challenges meeting current demand, as well as the ability to scale up operations to meet projected demand growth.  “Additionally, the subcommittee had executives from each of the nation’s RTOs and ISOs to hear a boots-on-the-ground perspective from grid operators.  “ Finally, the subcommittee held a legislative hearing on this suite of legislation with the Department of Energy and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as representatives from impacted industries.  “At each of the subcommittee’s hearings, I asked each of our witnesses if we need more or less energy moving forward. Every single one agreed that we need much more energy to power our nation’s economic and technological future.  “I believe the legislation we are considering today will help address the challenges our energy and power sectors face as they work to provide abundant, reliable, and affordable energy to consumers. “The subcommittee will consider several pieces of legislation aimed at addressing threats to our bulk power system and resource adequacy. The gentleman from Ohio’s 12th district’s Reliable Power Act would amend the Federal Power Act to require FERC to review federal regulations that impact reliability.  “Additionally, the subcommittee will consider the gentleman from Ohio’s 12th district’s GRID Power Act, which would direct FERC to require transmission providers prioritize and expedite interconnection queue requests for dispatchable generation projects. “The subcommittee will also consider the gentleman from Virginia’s 9th district’s Power Plant Reliability Act, which will allow affected parties to contest the retirement of generation resources. Over the next 10 years, 115 gigawatts of dispatchable generation has been announced to be retired across the United States, while demand is estimated to increase by upwards of 151 gigawatts. “To ensure reliability and affordability, it is imperative that avenues to keep generation online are available. This includes hydropower, which is why the subcommittee will consider bipartisan legislation, led by the gentlelady from Washington’s 8th district, to increase transparency from FERC regarding the status of relicensing applications for hydropower dams. “Following up on President Trump’s “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry” Executive Order, the gentleman from Ohio’s 6th district’s National Coal Council Reestablishment Act will codify the National Coal Council, which will focus on keeping baseload generation online.  “The gentleman from New York’s 23rd district’s State Energy Accountability Act and the gentleman from Colorado’s 8th district’s State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act both amend PURPA to require States to consider requirements to evaluate reliability and long-term resource planning.  “We will also consider legislation aimed at assessing and securing electric and critical mineral supply chains, which play a vital role in the ability to build out infrastructure.  “Creating an environment that promotes the building of infrastructure is also imperative as energy demand grows.  “The subcommittee will consider the Improving Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025, the REFINER Act, and the Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act, which will improve federal permitting processes to unlock development of much-needed oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure.  “I had hoped to work with our Democratic colleagues on more of this legislation – including my electric supply chain bill, which all Members should want to support given the challenges today to getting key components for our grid.  “Unfortunately, at this point, we have been unable to find as much bipartisanship as hoped, but we will continue conversations with my colleagues on the other side, including with the gentlelady from Florida’s 14th district, the Ranking Member, on her interconnection queue legislation. “As energy demand is projected to grow to staggering levels, we must enact policies that increase supply, infrastructure, and reliability in the energy sector, while lowering costs for American families and businesses. The bills before us today do just that, and I urge all my colleagues to support them.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging the administration to quickly remove burdensome regulations that have stopped the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from connecting any American to reliable broadband. KEY EXCERPT: “The Biden administration added unnecessary and burdensome requirements that made participation in the program more expensive and less attractive to broadband providers. These include labor and climate change requirements, as well as rate regulation of low-cost broadband plans that were unlawfully imposed.  “To address these issues, we introduced the Streamlining Program Efficiency and Expanding Deployment (SPEED) for BEAD Act, which outlines necessary reforms to BEAD. We appreciate that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is undertaking a review of the program and urge any reforms to be enacted as soon as possible.” BACKGROUND: On March 5, 2025,  Congressman Hudson introduced  the SPEED for BEAD Act to remove harmful regulations that have prevented the $42 billion program from laying even a single inch of fiber to support rural Americans. Also on March 5, 2025, the Committee on Energy and Commerce  held a hearing  to discuss the BEAD program titled  Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. ###

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

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