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Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) today announced a hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.” “The Federal Trade Commission has a long, bipartisan history of protecting consumers, without unduly burdening legitimate business activity. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen the Commission take a different approach when it comes to its historical norms. Such a shift raises questions on its preparation for rulemakings, its retention of staff, and the long-term impact on its effectiveness in sustaining court challenges” said Chairs Rodgers and Bilirakis. “We look forward to a conversation with experts on how the FTC’s departure from its traditional standards is affecting Americans in their daily lives, consumer safety, and American businesses across the country.” Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.” WHAT: Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing to discuss the change in norms and practices of the Federal Trade Commission. DATE: Thursday, September 19, 2024 TIME: 10:30 AM ET LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building 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 Alex Khlopin at Alex.Khlopin@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Kate Roberts at kate.arey@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “From Gas to Groceries: Americans Pay the Price of the Biden-Harris Energy Agenda."   “Today, we are going to review the past four years to examine how record high energy prices have impacted American families and the pursuit of the American dream. “Since the beginning of this Congress, Members of this Subcommittee have attended numerous hearings and roundtables focused on the issues that impact our everyday lives.” EFFECTS OF THE BIDEN-HARRIS AGENDA “Since day 1, the Biden-Harris administration has waged war on American energy and the results have been devastating. “The facts are undeniable. “Inflation surged out of control, and price levels remain unacceptably high. “Records have been set with historically high prices for gasoline, diesel, fertilizers, and many fossil-fuel based commodities. “Supply chain shortages have rippled across the economy, affecting everything from computer chips to toilet paper. “Americans are paying more for groceries, housing, and credit card bills than when the administration took over. “Massive government spending and tax subsidies have distorted energy markets and have destabilized our electric grid. “Who pays the price for all of this? “Every American, rich and poor, is paying more and getting less under the Biden-Harris agenda.” KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES “Americans are suffering under the Biden-Harris administration’s energy policies.   “Energy powers our economy. The cost of energy—fossil fuels and electricity—is embedded in everything we buy.    “From gas to groceries, everything costs a lot more than it did four years ago.   “My Democratic colleagues may not want to admit it, but American families are feeling the pain. "Inflation. Grocery bills. Housing costs. These are the issues people are talking about around their kitchen tables. “These are the issues people care about.” HIGH ENERGY COSTS ARE CRUSHING EVERYDAY AMERICANS “Today’s hearing will give members an opportunity to hear the stories of Americans on the frontline of the Biden-Harris administration’s war on American energy. “We will learn how the American dream is being threatened by energy and economic policies that prioritize a global climate agenda over American families. “We will hear how federal regulations targeting fossil fuel production and electric generation are resulting in record-shattering electricity bills and forced power outages. “We will also learn why our groceries cost so much more now than they did four years ago. “We will examine the false promises of a ‘green transition’, and why claims of ‘price gouging’ are another distraction from the administration’s failed policy agenda.  “Prices are high because of the built in costs of energy and commodities— these trends are directly related to the policies of the Biden-Harris administration. “Today’s hearing highlights this Subcommittee’s work this Congress. “We’ve held dozens of hearings with expert witnesses and administration officials. We’ve explored the issues sector-by-sector across our jurisdiction. “And a consistent lesson has emerged: increasing the supply of energy and reducing regulatory roadblocks to ease the cost of delivering energy provides a powerful driver for the economy and for lower prices. “Republican’s have worked to do this. “We have also passed important legislation, including H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, to reform the energy permitting process and reverse harmful regulations that threaten economic growth. “We still have important work to do, and I hope to use the remainder of this Congress to push these important reforms over the finish line.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee hearing titled “From Gas to Groceries: Americans Pay the Price of the Biden-Harris Energy Agenda."  “Before we begin today, we remember all those we lost and the heroes who bravely confronted evil on 9/11. “We can never forget them or their sacrifices, so we remember what’s at stake: our values, our country, and our children’s future. “Thank you to our witnesses for appearing before the Subcommittee today. We look forward to your testimony. “Affordable, reliable energy is foundational to everything we do. “It’s key for our national security and for the prosperity of American families, businesses, and communities. “From the manufacture and production of the everyday goods we need to take care of our families, to the power necessary to keep homes warm in the winter, and cool in the summer, it all starts with energy.” HARMS OF RUSH-TO-GREEN POLICIES “Over the past two years, the Energy and Commerce Committee has led the way to expose how the Biden-Harris administration’s war on American energy is fueling the out-of-control inflation decimating the financial security of the American people. “We have examined how the administration’s radical rush-to-green agenda and regulations are threatening our national security and economic growth by restricting energy expansion, by shutting down reliable baseload power generation, and replacing it with unreliable, expensive generation, and by driving up the costs of mobility and homeownership, putting the American dream out of reach for many. “We’ve also examined how the radical Biden-Harris EPA has set new emissions standards at levels that will make it nearly impossible to permit the expansion or building of new manufacturing in most parts of the country, crushing many good-paying jobs and further drive up the cost of goods.” THE ECONOMIC PAIN HAS BEEN REAL AND IS NOT SUBSIDING “This administration’s war on American energy impacts every aspect of our lives, and hardworking Americans are facing the consequences every day from the gas pump to the grocery store. “Today, American families pay on average 30 percent more for electricity, 25 percent more for gas to heat their homes, and 56 percent more for gasoline to fuel their cars than they did in January 2021. “Right now, families are paying the largest portion of their income on food in 30 years. “I recently read about a mom living in North Carolina who said ‘Sometimes I have to choose whether I'm going to pay the light bill, or do I pay all the rent or buy food or not let my son do a sport?' “It doesn’t have to be this way, and it shouldn’t be this way. “In my home state of Washington, the average family is paying an additional $1,066 more per month on average than they did in January 2021 for the same goods and services, according to the Joint Economic Committee. “This adds up to more than $27,000 in additional spending due to inflation since the start of the Biden-Harris administration. “In California, it’s even worse. On average, households have spent $35,000 more since this administration took over. “In spite of all of this, the Biden-Harris administration has doubled down on its radical policies.” UNLEASH ENERGY, REDUCE REGULATION TO LOWER COSTS “Today we will focus on how the administration’s rush-to-green energy policies contribute to the high costs Americans face every day across the board and the resulting consequences on families and businesses. “Without taking action to promote American energy expansion, there is tremendous uncertainty for the future. “While the United States has regained its leadership in oil and gas production thanks to the pro-American energy policies of the previous administration, current restrictions led by the Biden-Harris administration on future energy production jeopardizes this success. “The administration’s increased taxes, regulations, and limits on drilling puts us on a path to not being able to meet America’s growing energy needs.” THE CHOICE GOING FORWARD “There is an important choice we must make going forward. “We can continue down the path of energy restrictions, reduced reliability, and unaffordable costs, or we can choose the path of energy dominance, security, and economic prosperity. “I believe the choice is obvious. “We must focus on advancing policies that reduce costs for American families and businesses, and that begins with unleashing American energy production. “To lower costs and make life affordable again, we must reject the Biden-Harris administration’s rush-to-green agenda and stand up for the American values of free market competition, innovation, and environmental stewardship. “That is how we will win the future.”

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are pressing for answers regarding Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awards. The letter to Administrator Regan, signed by Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Chair Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA), requests an unredacted copy of all GGRF award agreements that have been finalized.  It follows up on an Oversight Subcommittee hearing from earlier this year, where Mr. Zealan Hoover, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, assured Committee Members that the award agreements that EPA entered into with recipients to receive GGRF program awards would address the concerns raised.   LETTER TEXT BELOW:   Dear Administrator Regan,  We write to you as part of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s (the Committee) continued oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). As you know, Committee Members have many questions regarding this first-of-its-kind, $27 billion program, including those discussed at a January 30, 2024, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on the GGRF, with Mr. Zealan Hoover, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, testifying on behalf of the EPA. In numerous instances, Mr. Hoover assured Members that the award agreements that EPA would enter into with recipients that the EPA selected to receive GGRF program awards would address the concerns they raised.   For example, in response to a question from Committee Chair Rodgers about what conflicts of interest policies would govern funding recipients responsible for further distributing this money, Mr. Hoover responded that “they will be subject to all of the terms and conditions of their financial assistance agreement.” After Representative Guthrie pressed for more information on whether organizations with foreign ties could receive GGRF funding, Mr. Hoover stated that “one of the terms and conditions in each of the award agreements is going to be a prohibition against entering into any form of contractual relationship with a foreign entity of concern.” Mr. Hoover also replied to Representative Lesko, “[e]ach grantee is applying with a rigorous investment plan, proposed project pipeline, and timeline for a wide array of necessary activities covering their investment work, their governance, their organizational structure. All of that will be enshrined in our terms and conditions of the grant agreement.”   Members also submitted follow-up questions for the record after the hearing. Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Griffith requested more detail about performance audits, and the EPA responded, in part, “[w]e expect that the terms and conditions of GGRF grants, as provided in 2 C.F.R. § 200.208, will authorize the project officer to closely monitor recipient performance and compliance with grant requirements.” Additionally, in response to Chair Griffith’s inquiry on how the EPA could evaluate the past performance of applicants that included new organizations or coalitions, the EPA stated that it required applicants to submit risk management plans, and that awardees would have to comply with specific terms and conditions in their award agreements. In response to a question on Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) compliance, the EPA stated that it was “including terms and conditions in the award agreements to reinforce that all grants are subject to [BABA] by statute,” and that “EPA will hold selected applicants accountable to BABA requirements through the terms and conditions of the award agreements.” Finally, the EPA also responded to a question from Representative Crenshaw, saying that “EPA will include a term and condition in all award agreements to protect against federal funds flowing to entities with certain connections to the People’s Republic of China.”  In short, the EPA repeatedly sought to reassure the Committee that its award agreements with selected recipients would address the issues of concern and potential risks. The Committee seeks additional detail on how these award agreements will address the issues of concern and potential risks.    As such, please provide a complete and unredacted copy of the award agreement, including all of the attachments, appendices, and any amendments, that the EPA executes with each funding recipient under the GGRF. By no later than August 29, 2024, please provide a copy of all award agreements that have been finalized as of the date of this letter, and please provide a copy of all remaining agreements as soon as they are finalized. 

Committee Leaders request GAO review CMS Part D premium stabilization program Lawmakers are calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration recently announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), noting its dubious legality and the danger it poses to health care affordability for seniors. The effort comes as part of a letter to GAO from House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO).  Through new taxpayer-financed policy adjustments, the demonstration seemingly intends to deflate seniors’ premiums that are otherwise slated to increase dramatically following the counterintuitive, haphazardly-written Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price provisions. However, the agency has not produced any budgetary analysis and appears to lack a clear statutory basis or credible research goals for the proposal. Rodgers, Crapo, and Smith request GAO review the demonstration’s legality under section 402 of the Social Security Amendments of 1967; what budgetary analysis CMS undertook in developing the demonstration; and the estimated budgetary impact of the demonstration. From the letter: “We write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct an expedited review of the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, as announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 29, 2024. In response to the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) problematic design features and rushed legislative process, the proposed demonstration employs arbitrary policy levers to achieve short-term objectives. The initiative lacks any budgetary analysis, clear statutory basis, or credible research goals. The integrity of the Medicare program and the taxpayer dollars that finance its benefits demand more than partisan aspirations to justify extra-statutory, eleventh-hour policy changes." [. . .] “[T]he policies advanced through the recently announced demonstration would simply shift costs from plan sponsors and enrollees to taxpayers, obscuring the law’s impacts without addressing their underlying drivers. Moreover, consideration of these types of programmatic changes should fall within the purview of the legislative branch. Instead, however, this agency action seeks to sidestep Congress, waiving statutory directives under the guise of a ‘demonstration project,’ with no meaningful research aims, budgetary assessments, or empirical rigor.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) yesterday sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging the Department of Energy to prioritize the onshoring of our critical mineral supply chains following the Chinese Communist Party’s July 1 declaration that rare earth metals were the “property of the state.” CLICK HERE to read exclusive coverage by E&E News. KEY QUOTE “Critical minerals are essential to America’s economy and to America’s capacity to manufacture goods and high-tech devices. Many critical minerals are essential to the energy sector, as they are needed to manufacture solar panels, batteries, and electrical equipment. As the DOE is aware, the CCP announced limitations on gallium, germanium, natural and synthetic graphite last October. These critical minerals are vital for our defense and energy technologies and are listed as critical and at high risk of supply disruption. On November 21, 2023, the Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter raising security concerns over the CCP limiting exports of gallium, germanium, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite. Your response to that letter failed to address these concerns and lacked basic information to help Members of Congress assess the risks of America’s increasing dependence on CCP controlled minerals.” [...] “The administration should prioritize the onshoring of domestic mining and processing industry for these critical minerals and materials. The answer to a lack of mining and processing is not to extend credits to companies using minerals from a major geopolitical adversary that relies on child labor and exploitation.” Chairs Rodgers, Duncan, and Carter asked Secretary Granholm to answer the following questions by August 13, 2024: Are you concerned by reports that the Chinese government has declared rare earth metals property of the government of China? What actions will the DOE take in response to the Chinese government’s announcement? Please describe any actions DOE has taken to prioritize onshoring domestic mining and processing of synthetic and natural graphite. Please describe any actions DOE has taken to prioritize onshoring domestic mining and processing of gallium and germanium. How will DOE work to expedite projects to ensure a secure and stable supply chain of these critical minerals and materials given these recent announcements? What actions will DOE take to mitigate potential domestic supply shortages of these minerals? Were you consulted about the Treasury Department’s decision to extend the graphite exemption through 2027? Did you advise or recommend that the White House extend the graphite exemption through 2027? Please explain. CLICK HERE to read the letter to Secretary Granholm. CLICK HERE to read the November 21, 2023, letter to Secretary Granholm raising concerns over the CCP’s decision to limit exports of gallium, germanium, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite.