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

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

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

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

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, released the following statement following the release of a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report on the savings made by the Committee’s reconciliation text. The report found that over the next 10 years, the proposals passed by the Committee would result in $988 billion in savings.   “Today’s report from the Congressional Budget Office shows how Energy and Commerce Republicans are rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Savings from policies including the spectrum auction, ending the Biden-Harris EV mandate, and enacting work-requirements for capable but unemployed adults are critical for reining in runaway spending. While my Democrat colleagues have been busy sharing inaccurate information for their campaign of fear, this CBO score shows how Republicans have been busy developing commonsense policies to deliver a victory for American families and taxpayers. It is time to pass this legislation and deliver on President Trump’s agenda.”     Read the full bill here .   Read the CBO Estimated Budgetary Effects here .    Background:   According to the Congressional Budget Office the coverage loss from Medicaid enrollees under the bill come from removing illegal immigrants, able-bodied adults choosing not to work, and individuals who are not actually eligible for Medicaid. CBO also estimates that the bill would lower benchmark premiums in the ACA marketplace by an estimated 1.4 percent. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, led a hearing titled The Fiscal Year 2026 Environmental Protection Agency Budget .  “ Our national security, our economic competitiveness, the health of our families, and strength of our communities all depend on an EPA that is working hard and efficiently for the American people ,” said Chairman Griffith. “After four years of economically disastrous, legally questionable, and expensive policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, it is a welcome sight to see President Trump and Administrator Zeldin focused on rebuilding the American economy and fixing the problems of the previous administration .”   Watch the full hearing here .   Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05): “For far too long, the EPA has ballooned well beyond its original scope. Over time, the agency has amassed sweeping regulatory powers that increasingly bypass legislative oversight. What does that leave us with? High costs for the taxpayer, burdensome, unworkable regulatory conditions for industry, stifled innovation and manufacturing, and energy insecurity with decreased domestic production, high costs, and federal overreach for our energy mix. We had heard extensive testimony from industrial leaders across the board that the Biden Administration’s EPA stands for is technologically unfeasible. President Trump proposed a discretionary budget that decreases the EPA budget by over half of last year's budget, making many commonsense reforms to spend American taxpayer dollars in thoughtful ways to effectively improve our environment. What are your thoughts, especially when we hear from the industry that the Biden-Harris Administration’s EPA would come up with some kind of a standard—that there was no existing technology to even meet—but they were demanding that it be done? In a lot of cases, it was just going to put businesses out of business, because they couldn't meet these standards. So, how do you see the EPA dealing in with issues like this in the future?” Administrator Zeldin: “We inherited a lot of regulations that were enacted in 2023, 2024 seeking to strangulate the economy, choosing to suffocate the economy as if it's a binary choice between protecting the environment and growing the economy. The Trump EPA chooses both.” Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23): “I wanted to ask you specifically about a concern I have about some of the reductions in force that have been occurring at the EPA, and I understand this is out of desire to right size the agency – that’s something I certainly am very supportive of that. However, many agencies rely on the EPA to do things like issue permits or issue approvals or review plans, and there has been concern expressed that the reductions in force, even though we're transforming the EPA into a more streamlined organization, will result in delays in those approvals and permits getting issued. Can you give us some assurances that that is not the intention?” Administrator Zeldin: “ Congressman, yes, we are going to fulfill all of our statutory obligations, and the way that the reorganization was proposed a couple of weeks ago allows us to better focus on those statutory obligations and reduce the backlogs. So, for example, as I referenced earlier with a couple of your colleagues, we inherited a massive backlog with the pesticide review, a massive backlog with chemical review with state implementation plans with small refinery exemptions, and much more. We are putting resources into getting through those backlogs we inherited as quickly as possible. And, with the pesticide review backlog as one of the examples, we have already worked through over 2,300 of those backlogged cases. We'll continue at that pace, and we're taking measures to increase the pace of working through the backlog we inherited.” Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL): “One of the first actions I took in this role was to write to President Trump and Secretary Burgum to ask them to repeal 20 burdensome rules and regulations from the previous administration – and you're well on your way to doing that. You have outlined a number of grave abuses from the last administration, and I would say one of the gravest abuses was the impact the past administration had on our power sector. I come from the regulatory side of things. I was the most recently the president of the National Utility regulators Association, and in that role, I worked hard to get the last administration to be reasonable on their 111D rules. They completely ignored everything we said. They ignored the power grid operators, and that rule was completely disconnected from reality. Even though it's being pulled back, it had grave consequences on our power grid, and today we are short or dangerously short of having enough power to meet demand because of that agency's overreach in the last administration. So, thank you for your commitment to correcting that and getting us back on track.” Administrator Zeldin: “I often get asked what the biggest surprise or what was most shocking. Once I was confirmed as administrator, and I would say it was surprising how much we were able to do at once. We've heard your calls for action at the agency and we want to tackle it all at the same time. We don't want to pace ourselves.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  The Fiscal Year 2026 Environmental Protection Agency Budget. Subcommittee Chairman Griffith's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “I’m glad to have Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, a friend and former colleague, back in the House today to testify before the Subcommittee on Environment on President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget request. “This is certainly an important time for the EPA. “After four years of economically disastrous, legally questionable, and expensive policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, it is a welcome sight to see President Trump and Administrator Zeldin focused on rebuilding the American economy and fixing the problems of the previous administration.  “I remember when Administrator Zeldin was in the House, representing the eastern part of Long Island, he was willing to work across the aisle in a pragmatic way to try and address environmental issues like protecting the Long Island sound or addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS. “It is great to see him bringing these same problem-solving skills to EPA, and to be frank, there are a lot of problems there to solve. “I’m pleased to see that the Administrator recognizes that there is a middle ground to tread, where environmental protection does not need to come at the expense of good jobs and a strong economy. “I know that the Administrator is already working to closely examine the previous EPA’s spending spree on Green New Deal-style programs that provided unprecedented levels of taxpayer funds to environmental groups and consultants and to undo burdensome regulations that increased energy costs and made it more difficult to make things in America. “The reconciliation bill passed out of this Committee last week is an important step in saving taxpayer money and redirecting EPA to focus on its core mission of cleaning up the environment and protecting human health. “In February, Administrator Zeldin announced the broad pillars that the Agency will focus on under his “Powering the Great American Comeback” plan. “In March, Administrator Zeldin announced 31 regulatory actions to support greater energy production, a more robust auto manufacturing sector, a more predictable permitting process, and a more state-based enforcement system. “I’m glad to see that EPA is taking another look at a lot of the rulemakings from the last Administration, particularly those regarding air pollution. “As many of those rulemakings didn’t take into account industry’s ability to meet compliance timelines or which pollution mitigation technologies were able to be installed. “EPA has a duty to enforce the statutes that Congress passed, though I do believe encouraging co-operative compliance with industry will lead to better environmental outcomes and less economic disruption. “In recent years, EPA’s budget has been about $10 billion per year. “However, under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act EPA received an astounding $41.5 billion, or more than four times its historical budget, to spend on electric vehicles, environmental justice, and renewable energy programs. “From its founding and up until the past few years, EPA mostly operated as a scientific investigator and regulatory agency, and with the exception of the water infrastructure and Superfund programs, it did not administer lots of large grants. “President Trump’s proposed budget would reduce EPA spending to a more sustainable level after years of out-of-control spending on programs and rules that bore little relation to EPA’s traditional mission of regulating pollution, setting science-based standards for potentially hazardous substances, and cleaning up waste sites. “It seems that the goals of EPA in the last few years were an attempt to force a change that Americans are not buying. “I look forward to hearing more details from Administrator Zeldin about the reorganization and reform efforts he is making at EPA. “The Environment Subcommittee stands ready to work with you, Administrator Zeldin, to help get EPA back on track. “At this Subcommittee’s first hearing of the Congress, we examined the implementation of the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act, often referred to as the TOS-CA law. “We heard how the process for reviewing new and existing chemicals are in need of reform, particularly the ways in which EPA evaluates potential chemical risks. “We also held a hearing in March on ways to maximize brownfield cleanups to support economic development. “As we work on brownfield reauthorization, I hope to collaborate with EPA on ways to possibly setup some sort of pre-clearance permitting pilot program. “Our national security, our economic competitiveness, the health of our families, and strength of our communities all depend on an EPA that is working hard and efficiently for the American people.  “Thank you again for appearing before us today, Administrator Zeldin, I look forward to your testimony.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement after President Trump signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act into law. “I want to thank President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for their steadfast leadership, as well as the millions of Americans affected by online exploitation, for their courage. As the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I am proud that we delivered on our commitment to advance this important legislation to protect victims of online exploitation. I want to honor Eli Heacock, and express my gratitude to his mom, Shannon Cronister-Heacock, for having the courage to share her son’s devastating story. The scourge of sexual exploitation online has upended the lives of innocent victims all across our country. The TAKE IT DOWN Act is an important step forward in protecting kids from new, 21st century threats to their well-being,” said Chairman Guthrie. “This bill would not have been possible without the bravery of families like the Heacocks, and the TAKE IT DOWN Act works to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.” ###