Welcome to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled American Energy Dominance: Dawn of the New Nuclear Era.

Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today’s hearing will examine the current state of the nuclear industry, the emerging prospects for the rapid and widespread deployment of new nuclear technologies, and what more may be done to enable success.

“The importance of successful growth of American nuclear energy cannot be understated.

“Most importantly, what we need in this country is more energy.

“We need firm, reliable power, versatile power, and more of it. We need power for emerging industrial output and the AI race—also for homes and businesses.

“A robust and growing nuclear industry also strengthens our national security. It does so through increased nuclear commerce with allies and through a more cost-effective industrial base.

“Congress has already taken significant steps that will optimize the regulatory system and related policies to assist in domestic nuclear deployment.

“The ADVANCE Act, major provisions of which were developed by Energy and Commerce Members, focused on licensing efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing predictability in Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing.

“It also provided for improved coordination among agencies and increasing access to nuclear technology for our allies. It increased the ability of allies to invest in American nuclear projects.

“Congress also enacted legislation to secure nuclear fuel supplies.

“It did so by providing funding to jump start work to develop advanced fuels and banning Russian fuels to create the market conditions that will incentivize new domestic fuel capacity.

“This legislative work builds upon other legislative measures concerning federal loan and credit programs, nuclear demonstrations, and technical support, and long-term liability protections for nuclear reactors.

_“Congress has established a strong framework for nuclear development for coming decades. How this is being implemented will be an important topic for this hearing. _

“By any measure, the prospects of expanded nuclear power in the United States have been improving dramatically in recent years.

“Consider that only five or six years ago, we were confronting a wave of nuclear retirements. Today, closed nuclear reactors are being restarted, and utilities are seeking to produce more power at existing sites.

“This Monday, NRC for the first time approved replacement of analog safety equipment with digital controls—which paves the way for modernizing safety controls across the fleet. This action, finally taken after years of regulatory churn, creates a template for other plants to seek NRC approval of digitization.

“There is growing interest in new builds for the large Westinghouse AP1000—the advanced light-water reactor brought on-line at Plant Vogtle in Georgia.

“And a growing number of advanced nuclear technologies are moving into or through the licensing pipeline.

“Major new players, including manufacturers, are providing support and financing for new projects.

“The Trump Administration, meanwhile, is also working to advance nuclear on a number of fronts.

“It is accelerating regulatory reforms—consistent with the ADVANCE Act—for more efficient, risk-informed licensing. It is working to bring in more foreign investment, accelerate innovative new technology demonstrations, and develop small reactors for military bases.

“How this is going and how it can work more effectively will also be a useful focus for this hearing.

“Our witnesses today will provide important perspective to help us assess what more may be necessary to ensure success.

“Maria Korsnick, President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a nuclear engineer, former chief nuclear officer and plant operator, will offer the broad industry view for what is necessary for advancing nuclear.

“John Williams, Senior Vice President of Southern Nuclear Operating Company, among other experience overseeing nuclear operations brings the perspective of having overseen the construction and operation of the first new nuclear units in 30 years.

“Judi Greenwald, President and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, will offer the views of a leading Washington nuclear policy organization, which informed some of our work on the ADVANCE Act.

“And, finally, John Wagner, Director of Idaho National Laboratory, will provide the perspective of the National Lab responsible for a substantial amount of nuclear research and development and what he sees across the landscape of nuclear policy today.

“The success of our work in Congress to advance durable nuclear deployment will depend on appropriate and efficient regulatory decisions, dependable supply chains and fuels, predictable construction and deployment costs, and, of course, market demand.

“This hearing can help us in our work.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced a hearing titled Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.

“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ensures that every American has access to next-generation communication technologies,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson. “As the Committee with jurisdiction over the FCC, we conduct regular oversight to maintain the agency’s focus on the issues that matter most to our constituents. We look forward to hearing from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, along with Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty, about their efforts to close the digital divide, secure our communications networks, and advance American leadership in wireless innovation.”

Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing on oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.

DATE: Wednesday, January 14, 2026

TIME: 10:15 AM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Noah Jackson with the Committee staff at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled American Energy Dominance: Dawn of the New Nuclear Era.

“The importance of the successful growth of the American nuclear energy industry cannot be understated.” said Chairman Latta. “We need firm, reliable power, versatile power, and more of it. We need power for emerging industrial output and the AI race—also for homes and businesses. A robust and growing nuclear industry also strengthens our national security. It does so through increased nuclear commerce with allies and through a more cost-effective industrial base.”

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “From the standpoint of our constituencies, these new nuclear facilities, how would they work out in the long run for our ratepayers?” Mr. Williams: “There are a lot of benefits of nuclear generation to our ratepayers. First and foremost, they're 24/7. They are baseload generation and capacity for our customers. They provide fuel stability and they have low operating costs. So, in our market, when our nuclear units are running, our customers are paying less for the electricity that they receive than they otherwise would.”

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “While our nuclear industry stagnated, as has been pointed out, China and Russia surged ahead, now accounting for 94% of reactors under construction worldwide. That competition isn't just about electricity, it's about American jobs, domestic manufacturing, exporting knowledge, equipment, and secure supply chains. We've watched critical skills atrophy and lost a generation of nuclear expertise. Rebuilding our nuclear energy industry means rebuilding the workforce, supply chains, and the industrial base that comes with it.”

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “This hearing is very significant, because there's a race and that race is not just for AI, although that is extremely important, but the race is for an assortment of energy needs. That demand is going to continue to increase at an exponential rate, and that leads me to a question for Mr. Williams. Which utilities are seeing unprecedented load growth for data centers and how much regulatory certainty is needed before you can commit nuclear resources to continue to serve that load at scale?” Mr. Williams: “We are seeing tremendous load growth, especially in the southeast, and Southern Company is planning to meet that commitment. You know, we believe that preserving the option for new nuclear generation is important for our customers as we look for that. But we've got to mitigate the risks that are associated with that. We laid those out in our testimony today, and that's our focus. How do we mitigate those risks? Working through public-private partnerships, working with the customers, and making sure that we can do that. Because what we want to do is when we bring that data center on, we want to put downward pressure on rates for the rest of our customers. That's the model that we've established in Georgia, that's what we want to continue to do, and that's what we're focused on.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting a briefing to better understand the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent actions and ongoing work to enhance safety within the organ procurement and transplantation system. On Thursday, September 18, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced major efforts to improve safety, transparency, and efficiency within the organ procurement and transplantation system, including the decertification of an organ procurement organization (OPO) for the first time in U.S. history. According to the announcement , the decision was made “after an investigation uncovered years of unsafe practices, poor training, chronic underperformance, understaffing, and paperwork errors.” The Committee has a history of ensuring patient safety remains the highest priority in our organ procurement and transplantation system, as evident from the Committee’s work last Congress on organ transplantation and donation issues as well as its oversight this Congress. As a part of its ongoing investigation, the Committee requests that CMS respond to questions, including those related to the decertification of the OPO in South Florida and the prevalence of incidents similar to those outlined in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) investigative report, to ensure patient safety remains a top priority. Read the full letter HERE . “While the Committee applauds efforts taken by CMS to uphold the highest standards of care to which all OPOs are expected to adhere, HHS’s announcement decertifying the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency illustrates the urgency of this moment and why the subcommittee is not finished with our oversight of the organ transplant system,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce. “It is our moral obligation as members of Congress to establish safeguards and prevent these harmful practices from persisting further, and we look forward to obtaining answers from the agency about the prevalence of these incidents, as well as how CMS plans to proceed with prioritizing patient safety first and foremost.” Background: During the 118th Congress, the Committee on Energy and Commerce led the passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act to both modernize the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and allow HRSA to institute a competitive contracting process to find the best contractors for various OPTN functions. This legislation was signed into law on September 22, 2023.  On March 20, 2024, the Committee launched an investigation into the organ procurement and transplantation system by sending a letter to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) requesting information related to concerns surrounding data security and operability, patient safety and equity, and conflicts of interest.   On March 20, 2024, the Committee also sent a letter to HRSA requesting information related to implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act as well as other concerns related to effective oversight and management.  On September 11, 2024, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing that focused on the implementation of reforms at the OPTN, including the need for stronger oversight and accountability as well as ongoing patient safety concerns.  During the hearing, questions were raised related to allegations of mismanagement and patient safety concerns after patients began exhibiting signs of increased neurologic function after being previously deemed suitable as an organ donation candidate. Several of these allegations, particularly those related to patient safety, were later substantiated through the findings contained in HRSA’s March 2025 report.  On March 24, 2025, HRSA’s Division of Transplantation issued a report that summarized the findings of its investigation into KYDA, the OPO now known as Network for Hope, which serves Kentucky and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.   HRSA’s investigation examined an “index case” and an additional 351 unique cases of authorized, not recovered (ANR) patients. This means that the patients were considered for donation after circulatory death recovery, but no organs were transplanted. The report showed that nearly 30 percent of the cases “had concerning features.” The concerning features included problems with patient-family interactions, medical assessments and team interactions, recognition of high neurologic function, and recognition and documentation of drugs in records.  On May 28, 2025, HRSA issued a corrective action plan to the OPTN, which directed the OTPN to take specific actions within a specified period of time, including developing a 12-month OPTN monitoring plan for KYDA to address concerns identified. The corrective action plan also requires the OPTN to propose policies for public comment to improve safeguards for potential donation after circulatory death (DCD) patients in the organ procurement process and increase information shared with patient families regarding DCD organ procurement.  On July 22, 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing examining concerning practices within our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system that were identified by HRSA’s investigation.  On September 12, 2025, the Committee sent a bipartisan letter to HRSA requesting a briefing on its ongoing oversight of patient safety in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, sent a letter to Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting an assessment of available or emerging technologies and materials that could be used to supplement critical minerals in semiconductors. “Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential for technologies used in many sectors of the economy, including energy, transportation, national defense, health care, and consumer electronics,” said Chairmen Joyce and Palmer . “These minerals are vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions for several reasons, including U.S. reliance on foreign sources, as well as the rapid growth in demand for critical minerals in the U.S. and abroad.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter. The letter asks the GAO to examine: The status of domestic technologies and supplemental materials, such as critical minerals found in mine waste, tailings, or reclaimed from end-of-life batteries and electronic waste, that can serve as substitutes for foreign-sourced critical minerals from non-allied nations needed for semiconductors and energy grid or power electronics, including impacts on material and product performance. Key technological challenges to the development or adoption of these domestic supplemental and materials to advance the diversification of U.S. critical mineral sources. BACKGROUND: In May, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on ways to enhance our critical mineral supply chains. Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to strengthening our critical mineral supply chains and finding solutions to reduce our reliance on foreign sources, particularly when it comes to foreign adversaries like China. The Trump Administration has also worked hard to bolster these supply chains. Critical minerals are essential to American technologies and industries, and finding innovative domestic solutions that can contribute to our independence from non-allied nations is essential as we work to onshore American innovation and strengthen our national security. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, sent a letter to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker following the recent announcement that student athletes and athletic department staff will be allowed to bet on professional sports. KEY EXCERPTS: “The Committee on Energy and Commerce is examining the NCAA’s recent policy change permitting student athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports.” [...] To assist the Committee in its oversight, we request a briefing by no later than November 13, 2025, that addresses the following: Why is the NCAA changing its policy allowing student athletes to bet on professional sports? Has the NCAA conducted any studies, analyses, or reviews of the impact of gambling on student athletes? If so, what are the results? What role did they play in the NCAA’s decision to allow student athletes to bet on professional sports? How does this change allow the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to better protect the integrity of college games and encourage healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports? How is the NCAA engaging with athletic conferences, member institutions, and teams to address questions and concerns about this rule change? Amid recent allegations of illegal sports betting among student athletes and concerns expressed by member institutions, is NCAA reconsidering implementation of the policy? What guardrails are in place to prevent the type of illegal sports betting activity that is allegedly occurring in the NCAA and NBA, considering that some student athletes will go on to become professional athletes? Please provide details about any fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NCAA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NCAA players identified in recent infraction decisions; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above. Please describe the NCAA’s “layered integrity monitoring program,” for maintaining competition integrity and pursuing sports betting violations. What gaps, if any, are in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur in college sports? BACKGROUND: On October 24, 2025, the Committee on Energy and Commerce launched its investigation into sports fixing and illegal gambling after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) unsealed indictments of current and former NBA players and coaches. An initial announcement stated that, effective November 1, 2025, student athletes and athletic department staff in all three NCAA divisions would be permitted to bet on professional sports. A few days before the policy change was supposed to take effect, the Division I Board of Directors voted to delay implementation of the rule change across all three divisions to November 22, 2025. A recent NCAA press release stated that “enforcement staff has opened investigations into potential sports betting violations by approximately 30 current or former men's basketball student-athletes.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.