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Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today announced a legislative hearing titled "Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity." “Medicaid is indispensable to millions of Americans, particularly those with disabilities who rely on long-term services and supports. It’s critical that we work to bolster access to those services while also improving the integrity of the program to ensure that states can continue to offer care for years to come,” said Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie. “We thank the Members who have led on these proposals—many of which are bipartisan—and look forward to hearing from Deputy Administrator Tsai on how we can strengthen Medicaid for those it was designed to assist.” Subcommittee on Health hearing titled "Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity.”  WHAT : A hearing to discuss legislative proposals that will strengthen the Medicaid program for individuals most in need.    DATE : Tuesday, April 30, 2024      TIME : 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building      WITNESS :   Daniel Tsai, Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)   LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO BE DISCUSSED :  H.R. 124 , Byron Nash Renal Medullary Carcinoma Awareness of 2023 (Rep. Green)  H.R. 468 , Building America’s Health Care Workforce Act (Reps. Guthrie and Dean)  H.R. 670 , Think Differently Database Act (Reps. Molinaro and Sherrill)  H.R. 3227 , Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act (Reps. Estes and Connolly)  H.R. 7513 , Protecting America’s Seniors Access to Care Act (Reps. Fischbach and Pence)  H.R. 7573 , Stop Unfair Medicaid Recoveries Act (Rep. Schakowsky)  H.R. 8084 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require States to verify certain eligibility criteria for individuals enrolled for medical assistance quarterly, and for other purposes (Reps. Bilirakis and Craig)  H.R. 8089 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program (Reps. Garcia and Peters)  H.R. 8094 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to modify certain asset recovery rules (Rep. Kean)  H.R. 8106 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the requirement that an individual need an institutional level of care in order to qualify for home and community-based services under a Medicaid waiver (Reps. McMorris Rodgers and Pallone)  H.R. 8107 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove certain age restrictions on Medicaid eligibility for working adults with disabilities (Reps. Ciscomani and Gluesenkamp Perez)  H.R. 8108 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require medical assistance under the Medicaid program for certain home and community-based services for military families (Reps. Kiggans and Kaptur)  H.R. 8109 , To amend the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make permanent the Money Follows the Person rebalancing demonstration (Reps. Dingell and Balderson)  H.R. 8110 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to make permanent the State option to extend protection against spousal impoverishment for recipients of home and community-based services under Medicaid (Reps. Dingell and James)   H.R. 8111 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure the reliability of address information provided under the Medicaid program (Reps. Miller-Meeks and Cartwright)  H.R. 8112 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program (Rep. D’Esposito)  H.R. 8113 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require reporting on certain directed payments under the Medicaid program (Rep. Griffith)    H.R. 8114 , To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from finalizing a rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to place certain limitations on Medicaid payments for home and community-based services (Rep. Cammack)  H.R. 8115 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow for the deferral or disallowance of portions of payments for certain managed care violations under Medicaid (Rep. Sarbanes)  This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Emma Schultheis with the Committee staff at Emma.Schultheis@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov . 

Americans Support a National Data Privacy Standard The American Privacy Rights Act puts people in control of their own data, gives Americans enforceable data privacy rights, and eliminates the patchwork of state laws. Americans overwhelmingly support stronger data privacy protections, which would protect people, especially children, from Big Tech and other companies who are exploiting our personal information to target and manipulate us. On Wednesday, April 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a legislative hearing to discuss the bipartisan, bicameral data privacy legislation along with other proposals to protect kids online. As Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said , “ Right now, the average American spends nearly seven hours online a day, with two and a half hours of that time being spent on social media platforms. “The consequences range from increased suicide rates and depression, to increased polarization and loss of trust in our institutions. All the while, these companies are collecting nearly every data point imaginable which they use to then control what we see and when we see it.” [...] “Many companies are using their control over our data to erode people’s agency, their rights, and their identity. It’s time for that status quo to change.”   [...] “Congress has been trying to develop and pass comprehensive data privacy and security legislation for decades. With the American Privacy Rights Act, we are at a unique moment in history where we finally have the opportunity to imagine the internet as a force for prosperity and good.”   Every witness at our hearing agreed: This is Congress’s best chance to establish comprehensive data privacy protections. Watch:   Kara Frederick, Director of the Tech Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation , said, “I firmly believe the issue before us, data privacy, is the lynchpin upon which every piece of tech policy legislation will hinge.” [...] “Nowadays, when you give your kid a smartphone, you are not giving your kid access to the world, you are giving the world access to your kid.”   A key focus of the hearing was how the algorithms developed by these companies are designed to hold our attention, a feature that has been particularly harmful to kids. We have all heard countless stories of children being targeted with content that can lead to dangerous, life-threatening behaviors, which is why parents across the country overwhelmingly support stronger online protections for their children. Last week, members heard from Ava Smithing , who experienced first-hand the way that a large-scale collection of data can tailor algorithms to exploit kids’ vulnerabilities.  Watch Ava talk about the need for data minimization in order to protect kids online: Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) asked the witnesses “Who is the greatest threats to Americans’ data security?” They answered that the top threats are individuals who are using data to scam and steal from Americans, foreign adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, and Big Tech companies.  Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) asked Kara Frederick about creating specific privacy protections for children. She replied that “children's consciences are not properly formed before these companies are going at them.”  Rep. John James (R-MI) and Witness Katherine Kuehn of the National Technology Security Coalition also talked about how important the American Privacy Rights Act is for seniors.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is leading to advance the American Privacy Rights Act , which establishes strong data privacy protections for people of every age in every state. Last week, the Committee held a legislative hearing to consider data privacy and security proposals that eliminate the existing patchwork of state laws, protect children online, set clear national data privacy rights, and give Americans the ability to enforce their privacy rights.  Kara Frederick, Director of the Tech Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation, said this on Fox & Friends about the American Privacy Rights Act : “This is the moment. This is the first time the United States could actually pass a national data protection framework which protects us, young and old. [The American Privacy Rights Act] is the thing we should be training our focus on because it underpins everything that kids can do on social media and every predation that Big Tech can train on young children.” Politico Pro – Morning Technology: “ On the same page: One area of consensus was APRA’s data minimization standard [...] which requires a company to only collect the information that’s necessary to provide its services to users.  “Five out of the six witnesses Wednesday said data minimization is the most essential provision in APRA.  “This provision would be a shift from the current data collection model of 'notice and consent,' where companies can collect and use data for purposes disclosed in their privacy policies unless a person opts out.”  [...]  “APRA even came up when the discussion switched to bills about children’s safety online, including the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). Companions to both bills have advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee and are awaiting a Senate floor vote.” Washington Post: “House lawmakers pledged to take swift action on data privacy and children’s online safety at a key legislative hearing Wednesday.” [...] “Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee touted the breakthrough deal struck by Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) as a significant step forward in the debate over privacy protections. Several expressed confidence that Congress will finally get a national law on the books after years of false starts. “'I’m fired up. We’ve got to get this done,’ said Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), whose subcommittee held the hearing. ‘I’m fired up, too. […] We do need to get this done,’ echoed Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.).” The Verge: “Legislators are ‘fired up’ about what they see as an actual chance at passing comprehensive privacy reform.  “ We might really do it this time. “That was the takeaway that House lawmakers were eager to impart at a hearing in the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on innovation, data, and commerce (IDC). Comprehensive data privacy legislation is on the table yet again—but this time, it’s different.” [...] “Comprehensive privacy protection has been a shared bipartisan goal for years but has failed to become law due to disagreements on the finer points: Should they preempt state legislation that’s provided some baseline protections in the absence of federal ones? Should individual consumers have a private right of action to sue for violations of their data rights? “This is the closest that Congress has gotten to advancing comprehensive privacy legislation in some time.”  Read more coverage from Yahoo News , The National Desk , and Inside Radio . CLICK HERE to watch Chair Rodgers on NewsNation discussing the American Privacy Rights Act .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) announced a series of upcoming budget hearings with Biden administration officials as part of the Committee’s ongoing efforts to hold the administration accountable on behalf the American people. “President Biden’s radical, out-of-touch, tax-and-spend agenda will only make the inflation crisis he caused worse for the American people. By bending to the whims of his left-wing base, he’s sacrificing freedom and prosperity for all Americans,” said Chair Rodgers . “It’s nearly three and a half years into his presidency, and all the Biden administration has to show is a war on American energy, a worse national and cybersecurity posture, and a weakened American role on the world stage. These hearings will give our Members the opportunity to ensure this administration is transparent and accountable to the American people.” The following administration officials will testify for budget hearings:  Wednesday, May 1 Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Hearing with the Department of Energy:   Hon. Jennifer Granholm, Secretary, Department of Energy   Tuesday, May 7 Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Hearing with the Federal Communications Commission:   Hon. Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission   Hon. Brendan Carr, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission   Hon. Nathan Simington, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission   Hon. Geoffrey Starks, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission   Hon. Anna Gomez, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission   Wednesday, May 15 Subcommittee on Environmental, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Hearing with the Environmental Protection Agency:   Hon. Michael Regan, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency   Wednesday, May 15 Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Hearing with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration:   Hon. Alan Davidson, Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration   This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearings will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ .  If you have any questions concerning the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearings, please contact Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov .  If you have any questions concerning the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security or Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials hearings, please contact Kaitlyn Peterson at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov .  If you have any press-related questions, please contact Sean Kelly at Sean.Kelly@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today announced that UnitedHealth Group, Inc., CEO Andrew Witty will testify before the Subcommittee on May 1. UnitedHealth is the parent company of Change Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest providers of health care payment management systems, which experienced a cyberattack on its platforms on February 21, 2024. "Americans are still dealing with the fallout of the Change Healthcare hack. Individuals and smaller providers, in particular, have struggled financially following the cyberattack, threatening critical access for patients,” said Chairs Rodgers and Griffith. “While we’re disappointed that UnitedHealth could not join us for the recent Health Subcommittee hearing on cybersecurity, we look forward to learning more on what happened in the lead up to, and in the weeks following, the attack. This hearing will help inform the Committee as we continue working toward solutions that protect the health and well-being of all Americans.” WHAT : A hearing to discuss the cyberattack on Change Healthcare and how it impacts patients and providers. DATE : Wednesday, May 1, 2024     TIME : 2:00 PM ET LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building WITNESSES : Andrew Witty, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, Inc.   This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Lauren Kennedy with the Committee staff at Lauren.Kennedy@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov .  NOTE :  On April 15, the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Full Committee and Health and Oversight subcommittees wrote a letter to Mr. Witty seeking more information about the cyberattack.

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee  hearing  titled “Legislative Solutions to Protect Kids Online and Ensure Americans’ Data Privacy Rights.” "First, I want to welcome our new Subcommittee members, Representatives Obernolte and James. With business acumen and technical expertise, these esteemed members will bring new ideas to the Subcommittee. I’m looking forward to working with you both. "During the 118th Congress, our Subcommittee held multiple hearings to examine the need for a federal data privacy and security law.   "Those hearings illustrated the need to provide certainty for Americans to know their rights online, and for businesses to know their obligations on a consistent basis throughout the country.  "It will also help cement America’s global leadership and ensure we remain competitive in this evolving landscape." HISTORIC LEGISLATION "This bipartisan work has culminated with this discussion draft, the American Privacy Rights Act, which is a comprehensive privacy and data security standard. "This bipartisan, bicameral bill gives Americans the right to control their personal information, including how and where itis being used, collected, and stored.  "This legislation establishes one national standard. It preempts the patchwork of state laws so when consumers and businesses cross state lines there are consistent rights, protections, and obligations.  "The discussion draft creates requirements for companies contributing to the data ecosystem while protecting small businesses trying to provide for their customers. "The bill also directs strong data security standards that minimize and protect against data being used by bad actors, and provides Americans notice if their data is being transferred to a foreign adversary, like China, and allows consumers the choice to opt-out." ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS "We are also discussing proposals that require age verification for certain websites and social media companies, streamline terms of service labeling, and allow third party software providers to make social networks safer.  "There are also two bills that received significant attention in the Senate: Rep. Walberg’s Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA 2.0, and my bill the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA. "I am proud to collaborate on these kids’ privacy and online safety measures with our Subcommittee Vice-Chair Rep. Walberg, and I thank him for his longstanding leadership in this space. "I’m also grateful to work with my fellow Floridian and colleague, Rep. Castor, on a bipartisan basis on these bills. I’m looking forward to continuing to work towards passage of these critical safety measures.  "We know that Big Tech has failed to prioritize the health and safety of our children online, resulting in a significant increase in mental health conditions, suicide, and drug overdose deaths. "It is time for Big Tech to be held accountable for facilitating this activity and manipulating our kids to keep them addicted to their screens for longer than ever before. "I am glad to have Ava Smithing from the Young People’s Alliance here to share her personal story about the harms she experienced as a young woman related to social media. Ava, thank you for being here.  "I’m also looking forward to hearing from Kara Frederick, who can share her experience as a team lead for Facebook. She understands how these companies operate and how to curtail the harms of their products.  "In closing, I want to thank the witnesses for their testimony, and I want to thank Chair Rodgers for her historic bipartisan proposal. Let’s get this done together for the sake of all Americans, and especially our kids."

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Health Subcommittee hearing titled “Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Health and Human Services Budget.”  “I wish I could say this hearing is an exciting opportunity to learn more about President Biden and Secretary Becerra’s vision for how we can all work together to plow the hard ground necessary to improve the lives of the American people by addressing major issues such as the fentanyl crisis and rising health care costs. “I wish this budget contained bold, new ideas from the HHS Secretary on how to lower health care costs or at least prioritized implementation and enforcement of existing initiatives to lower health care costs. “Instead, what we have before us today, is a budget request that proposes more than $1.8 trillion in spending for fiscal year 2025 with misplaced priorities throughout. “It prioritizes spending $.25 trillion to large health insurance companies to subsidize insurance premiums rather than innovative proposals to lower the actual cost of health care. “It favors the pursuit of far-left priorities over implementation and enforcement of bipartisan health care laws, and it signals to the American people who are struggling under the weight of an overly expensive and complicated health care system, that help is not on the way from this administration.” UNRESPONSIVENESS & MISPLACED PRIORITIES “Secretary Becerra, this is the third time you have testified on an HHS budget before the Energy and Commerce Committee, and you have already testified before the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees this year. “If those are any indication, we will hear platitudes about lower drug prices, but nothing on what you have done to lower outrageous hospital bills and empower patients with the ability to know the price they will pay for care up front. “We will hear about what HHS is doing to address climate change, but not what HHS is doing to tackle the fentanyl crisis that is devastating communities and killing hundreds of Americans a day. “We will hear that ‘you’ll get back to us’—as we have seemingly countless times in the past—on questions of critical importance to the American people . “Secretary Becerra, I hope you prove me wrong.” OUTSTANDING INQUIRIES “Secretary Becerra, I’ll also raise a very disturbing lack of transparency from the NIH—a subagency under your purview—regarding sexual harassment at the agency and institutions it provides grants to—a very serious issue that this Committee has been investigating for almost three years. “At the direction of your department, Mr. Secretary, the NIH continues to obstruct the Committee and cover for individuals found to have committed sexual harassment or abuse at NIH-funded institutions, including many convicted of crimes. “You need to stop withholding critical information from this Committee, you need to stop protecting sexual abusers. The victims deserve full accountability and justice.” INFLATION IN HEALTHCARE “I’ll close with a somber reminder: rampant inflation is not behind us. “The latest reports showed that inflation remains persistently high, and it is compounding, making everyday expenses more and more difficult for American households. “Your failure to propose a responsible fiscal policy shows again how little this administration cares about inflation and the impact it has on everyday Americans. “You are quick to propose more reckless spending, without regard to how it will fuel the fire of increasing prices and then refuse to take any accountability for the harmful result. “I look forward to hearing from you on how you plan to address these concerns. I hope you prove my predictions wrong.”

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Health and Human Services Budget.”  “Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here before us. Today we are here to examine the Fiscal Year 2025 budget request for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.” BIDEN’S RECKLESS SPENDING IS HURTING EVERYDAY AMERICANS “Just last week, the monthly inflation data showed that year-over-year inflation increased by 3.5 percent in March. Instead of including policies to help everyday Americans, HHS’ budget request doubles down on the tax-and-spend policies that have cut Americans paychecks. “The budget request totals nearly $1.85 trillion, an over $100 billion increase over last year’s request. “Today we will hear the Secretary talk about why the budget doesn’t not lower health care costs and spends trillions in new dollars. This misses the mark. “The budget does little to address the costs of care for the average family of four with employer-sponsored insurance paid almost $24,000 in annual premiums in 2023, which represents a 22 percent increase in the average annual premium a family paid in 2018. “Just because someone has a health insurance does not mean they can afford health care.” MEDICARE PRICES ARE ON THE RISE THANKS TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION “Further, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, changes made by the mis-named Inflation Reduction Act will lead to 'substantially higher' premiums for seniors enrolled in a Medicare Part D drug plan next year. “This year seniors are paying an average of 21 percent more in Part D premiums with seniors in the five states seeing the highest levels of Part D use projected to pay upwards of 57 percent more in monthly premiums in 2024, including in California. “Those costs are likely to skyrocket even higher in 2025. Evidence suggests that these price controls are also leading to less research and development in critical research areas, undermining patient access to life-saving therapies. “Instead of working with House Republicans to find ways to ensure working class families can access the care they need at a price they can afford, the administration’s budget request doubles-down on more handouts for the wealthy by permanently expanding ACA insurance company subsidies and drug price controls, which would be paid for by raising taxes.” BURDENSOME OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION IS HURTING THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY “Additionally, this budget request furthers previous actions from the administration to impose burdensome and unnecessary oversight over nursing facilities and long-term care providers. “While I agree we ought to do as much as we possibly can to protect patient safety, this top-down approach will only place more strain on an already overrun part of our health care sector and reduce access to care for vulnerable patients. “These new proposals come on top of pending regulations that would establish minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities, costing Kentucky long-term care facilities $69 million annually just to come into compliance. “Regulations like these are being considered despite more than 500 nursing home closures across the country since 2020, as well as the industry significantly experiencing unprecedented workforce shortages.” SECRETARY BECERRA HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE INFLUX OF DEADLY DRUGS AT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER “I am disappointed that the budget request does nothing to address the influx of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, coming across our border at a rapid rate. “In fact, the budget only mentions fentanyl once in a footnote despite Customs and Border Protection seizing nearly 10,000 pounds of deadly fentanyl at our Southwest Border in the first 6 months of Fiscal Year 2024. “We have policies that passed out of this very committee that I am disappointed were not included in this year’s budget request, such as the HALT Fentanyl Act and the Securing the Border for Public Health Act. “Both of these bills would give law enforcement, including our brave border patrol agents, with the tools to crack down on drug traffickers and keep these drugs off our streets. “I’m glad to see the HHS budget request $6 million for the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers program, which I led in establishing in 2018. These recovery centers provide wrap around services for individuals seeking help to overcome substance use disorder.   “This was included in the SUPPORT Act Reauthorization, which just passed the House with a broad bipartisan vote. I look forward to working with the Senate to get the SUPPORT Act signed into law. “In closing, I believe it’s time for commonsense solutions to solve some of the most serious programs effecting American patients, especially the high costs of health care. “I urge the Biden administration to work with Congress to find bipartisan policies that can truly lower the costs of care, eliminate ineffective programming, reduce federal spending, and provide more choices for American patients by incentivizing, not stifling, innovation.”

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “Legislative Solutions to Protect Kids Online and Ensure Americans’ Data Privacy Rights.” “Right now, the average American spends nearly seven hours online a day, with two and a half hours of that time being spent on social media platforms. “The consequences range from increased suicide rates and depression, to increased polarization and loss of trust in our institutions. “All the while, these companies are collecting nearly every data point imaginable which they use to then control what we see and when we see it. “Many of these tools were created with good intentions to bring people together. “But over time they have strayed from their core mission in the interest of more control over our lives. “This isn’t the American dream. America was built on individual liberty and freedom, freedom of thought, expression, and speech.” REFLECTING BACK ON WHERE WE STARTED “Our founders fought for these freedoms because they were tired of living under the crushing weight of tyranny. “They were tired of being told how to think and how to live by a few elites who thought they knew best and who exploited others for their own power and wealth. “Fast forward to today, we find ourselves living in a similar, modern form of digital tyranny, where a handful of companies and bad actors are exploiting our personal information, monetizing it, and using it to manipulate how we think and act.” HOW WE GET BACK ON TRACK “Many companies are using their control over our data to erode people’s agency, their rights, and their identity. “It’s time for that status quo to change. “Today, we will be discussing several pieces of legislation, including the American Privacy Rights Act, to give people the RIGHT to control their personal information online and not have it used against them. “We’re putting people back in control of who they are, what they think, and how they live their lives. “This is especially necessary for our children. “As a mom of three school-aged children, Big Tech platforms are my biggest fear. “The algorithms developed by these companies are specifically designed to get kids addicted to their platforms, and they’ve been used to target children with content that leads to dangerous, life-threatening behaviors. “For me and my husband, as well as millions of parents across the country, this is a battle for our kids’ development, their mental health, and ultimately, their safety. “We must build a better future for our children. They are our future. THE AMERICAN PRIVACY RIGHTS ACT “The American Privacy Rights Act is foundational for protecting our kids online. “Working together with other important legislation, like the Kids Online Safety Act, the Children’s and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and other bills, which we’re also discussing today, these solutions will ensure the best protections to date for our children. “Today we find ourselves at a crossroads. “We can either continue down the path we’re on, letting companies and bad actors continue to collect troves of our data unchecked while they trample on core American values, like free expression, free speech, and identity, or we can give people the right to control their information online. “Congress has been trying to develop and pass comprehensive data privacy and security legislation for decades. “With the American Privacy Rights Act, we are at a unique moment in history where we finally have the opportunity to imagine the internet as a force for prosperity and good. “I’d like to thank Senator Cantwell for working with me on this landmark draft bill. “I would also like to thank Ranking Member Pallone, who has been a trusted partner over the years as we have worked together on privacy. “We would not be here today without his tireless efforts and leadership, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to strengthen privacy protections for Americans. “I’d also like to thank the members of this committee—Republicans and Democrats—many of whom have also been involved in these efforts over several congresses. “I look forward to continuing to work together to get this legislation through Congress and signed into law.”