Welcome to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Full Committee markup of 44 bills. ENERGY AND COMMERCE LEADING THE WAY   “This committee will mark up a host of legislation that will further unleash affordable, reliable American energy, lower health care costs and expand access to treatments and services, improve consumer protections, and strengthen our national security and bolster our leadership amid threats from China.   “Energy and Commerce has a proud tradition of plowing the hard ground necessary to deliver results for the American people.    “As I look back on this year, I’m proud to note that we’ve passed solutions out of this committee, like the Lower Energy Costs Act to restore America’s energy independence and free us from being reliant on China; broadband permitting reform, which will help more Americans—particularly in rural communities—to access reliable internet and participate in the modern economy; and the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act to drive down health care costs.    “This has been a productive year for the Committee, and I’m grateful for the time and hard work that has been put in by our members and our staffs.   “We have 44 bills ready for our consideration today and tomorrow, and I appreciate everyone’s attentiveness as we work through the list.”  ABUNDANT, RELIABLE ENERGY   “As we head to the holiday season, with hundreds of millions of Americans getting ready to visit loved ones, it’s important to appreciate why that is possible: abundant, reliable energy.     “We often take for granted the basic ability to heat our homes, fill up our gas tanks, or hop on a plane and travel across the nation in mere hours.   “Today’s bills will further unlock American energy and make sure people have an opportunity for a better life and an affordable energy future.”  ENCOURAGING AMERICAN INNOVATION AND SAFETY   “At the same time, I look around the room at all of incredible technology that was not available to our parents’ generation.    “I also see the massive safety improvements made to many because of the work that Congress has done over the years.    “Today, we will continue in that tradition as we work to strengthen on supply chains, promote American innovation in emerging technologies, and improve the safety and reliability of products and services Americans use every day.”  IMPROVING HEALTH CARE   “Finally, America has the unfortunate distinction of spending more on health care as a percentage of our economy than any other developed nation, and for our money, we have not become healthier. Instead, life expectancy in the United States has declined in recent years.   “Today we will consider legislation that will expand access to care and fine tune parts of our health care system to make a stronger, more sustainable system for patients.     “We will report out legislation that will make the American people healthier and better equipped to make health care decisions.    “Again, I want to thank everyone for their hard work in drafting these bills, finding offsets, and getting them ready for today.   “I look forward to moving them through this markup, bringing them to the House Floor, and seeing as many of them as possible—and hopefully all of them—signed into law.     “Energy and Commerce will continue leading the way on delivering results for the American people.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “America’s Future: Leading a New Era of Energy Dominance, Security, and Environmental Stewardship.” AMERICA’S GLOBAL ENERGY LEADERSHIP   “The world is a safer and more secure place with American leadership. And this means leadership with our energy, our technology, and our values.    “As we continue our path towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air and water, we cannot lose sight of the role energy plays in assuring our economic future, our nation’s security, and the security of our allies.    “We also cannot lose sight of the fact that the world will demand more energy, not less, in the future.   “Developing nations are hungry for the benefits of reliable, affordable energy that will help lift their people out of poverty and into prosperity.   “Because of this demand, there will be a great energy expansion in coming years. And America should play a key role in this expansion, not retreat from it, not deprive the world of the benefits of our abundant resources and technologies.   “Pro-growth energy policies, a predictable regulatory environment, and the American entrepreneurial spirit, enabled America to be a leader in energy production while simultaneously reducing emissions.    “We led the world in reducing carbon dioxide emissions while also becoming the world’s number one producer of oil and natural gas.   “The air is cleaner globally and our allies in Europe and Asia are more energy secure because of America’s high-quality energy production and exports.   “Last week, in our Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials subcommittee, we highlighted how the United States is leading the world in reducing emissions of all types and the types of policies that have contributed to this success.  “Today, we will focus on what is needed to continue success and preserve the benefits of American energy dominance, our security, and the environmental benefits that can flow from that.”  BUILDING A STRONG ENERGY MIX   “The United States has become the number one producer of oil and natural gas because of policies that allowed the private sector to innovate and advance their technologies. And we do it cleaner and safer than other countries.  “US LNG exports are 40 percent cleaner than Russian LNG and is cleaner than other alternative fuels.    “Using our gas and gas turbine technologies to meet the demand of the developing world will lead to lower emissions as we heard in testimony just last week. It will also meet our paramount interest in assuring national and energy security.   “Unfortunately, the approach taken by this Administration seeks an aggressive regulatory agenda and transition away from our energy strengths.   “The result would be less reliable and affordable energy and an increased reliance on adversarial nations that have little to no environmental or labor standards.    “As we become weaker our adversaries become stronger.   “H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, passed by the House earlier this Congress, recognizes this and seeks to restore American Energy Dominance by increasing domestic energy production, modernizing the permitting process, boosting the production of critical minerals to secure our energy supply chains, and streamlining permitting for energy exports.”  STRENGTHENING OUR NUCLEAR LEADERSHIP   “A key goal of restoring American energy dominance will be to strengthen our nuclear industry and leadership.  “Of course, nuclear energy is our nation’s leading source of emissions free energy, but it is also a critical national security asset.   “Being a leader in nuclear energy provides us the opportunity to export our nuclear technologies and set global nuclear safety and security norms. If we do not do this, China and Russia, both with robust nuclear programs, surely will to the detriment of our national security.    “I am pleased to have introduced the Atomic Energy Advancement Act with my colleague, Ranking Member DeGette.   “This bill encapsulates the work of many members of this committee on both sides of the aisle and seeks to 'advance the benefits of nuclear energy by enabling efficient, timely, and predictable licensing, regulation, and deployment of nuclear energy technologies.’  “I am excited we are moving forward with this true, bipartisan effort to advance nuclear energy in the United States to help position us for success on the global stage.   “With that, let me welcome our witnesses today. I look forward to the discussion on how we can advance American energy and our global leadership.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announced final methane regulations that would hurt American families and weaken America’s energy independence.  “I’m deeply concerned these latest steps to enact additional burdensome regulations for methane would dramatically expand the agency’s regulatory reach in a manner that will stifle innovation, increase operational costs, and increase the price of energy. These burdens will fall directly on American families and businesses, potentially jeopardizing thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in local economic development. The EPA must be accountable to the American people about how their rush-to-green is encroaching on people’s way of life and the futures they want to build for themselves.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter Chair Rodgers and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-OH) sent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan in November requesting additional information regarding how new methane regulations will hurt American families and further weaken America’s energy independence. This letter followed up on a previous letter sent to the EPA on June 9, 2023.  

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC), on behalf of Oversight and Energy Subcommittee Republicans, today wrote to Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Officer (LPO) Director Jigar Shah. The letter , which follows up on a previous correspondence regarding the LPO, requests information related to a $375 million conditional loan commitment to Li-Cycle, a company whose stock is reportedly tanking and is facing a class action lawsuit. DOE has failed to respond to the Committee’s October 19 letter with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) regarding ethical concerns with Mr. Shah’s association with the Cleantech Business Leaders Roundtable.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS :  “While some have observed that ‘green’ energy companies have experienced difficulties this year, these developments suggest serious struggles for this company. This raises concerns about the LPO’s vetting and due diligence processes as well as potential attempts to implore companies to incur obligations they cannot meet. For example, in 2022, you reportedly met with Li-Cycle Chief Executive Officer Ajay Kochar regarding DOE’s program to encourage him to apply for an LPO loan. When he expressed uncertainty about Li-Cycle’s ability to repay the loan quickly, you urged him to attend a clean-energy conference in Pittsburgh. While news reports did not confirm it was this specific conference, you participated in an event of Cleantech Business Leaders Roundtable, a trade association you helped found, in Pittsburgh on September 22, 2022.” […]  “We also seek more detail on some of your statements before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at an October 19, 2023, hearing. In response to questions from Chairman Joe Manchin, you stated that you ‘don’t make any decisions on which loans we actually underwrite or approve.’ You also stated that ‘[t]hese loans are being overseen by, you know, career federal staff.’  As part of our oversight responsibilities, it is critical that we understand who the decision-makers are in the LPO.”  BACKGROUND :  On February 27, 2023, the LPO announced a conditional commitment to Li-Cycle for a $375 million direct loan to help finance a lithium-ion battery resource recovery facility in Rochester, New York.   However, since that date, disturbing updates about Li-Cycle and the proposed facility have emerged.   On October 23, 2023, Li-Cycle announced it was “pausing construction work” on the Rochester facility, known as the “Rochester Hub,” pending a comprehensive review of the strategy of the project and citing “escalating construction costs.”  Additionally, Li-Cycle stock prices recently plunged following a recent disappointing quarterly earnings report and the pause on construction of the Rochester Hub.   Reportedly , Li-Cycle stock recently lost half of its value following this quarterly report, and, as of November 15, its stock prices had fallen 88 percent year-to-date.  Finally, two law firms recently announced they filed class action suits against Li-Cycle for making false and/or misleading statements and failing to disclose rising construction costs for the Rochester Hub, as well as the severity and impact of those costs.  The Committee has also learned of potential challenges with the DOE loan itself. Reportedly, Li-Cycle stated the DOE loan was to close in June of this year, but that target has been pushed back twice.   Li-Cycle also stated it will need to secure additional financing to meet DOE’s loan terms.  The Chairs requested the following information by December 18, 2023: All documents and information sufficient to show the entire LPO process for reviewing and deciding whether to approve applications for LPO loans and loan guarantees, at both the conditional and final stages, including:  Each step or stage of the review and approval process.  The names and titles of each individual federal government official, employee, consultant, or contractor who participates in each step of the process.   The names and titles of each individual federal official, employee, consultant, or contractor who must grant approval at each stage for an application to progress to the next stage.  The role of any review panels or advisory boards that participate in this process.   Any and all minutes, transcripts, or memoranda from any review panels or advisory boards that participate in this process.  All internal guidance, memos, criteria, or policies governing each stage of the loan and loan guarantee application review process, including both the conditional and final stages. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

Letter comes ahead of Director Cohen’s testimony before Oversight Subcommittee Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), on behalf of the Health and Oversight subcommittee Republicans, today wrote to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen, who is slated to testify before the Oversight Subcommittee tommorrow, November 30. KEY LETTER EXCERPTS :  “ The Centers for Disease Control and Protection’s (CDC) failure to communicate accurate information in real-time during the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined public trust in the agency. If the CDC is to regain credibility with the American people, it must be transparent and forthcoming with the information it has on public health threats facing our nation. “It is widely known that China thwarted international efforts, including efforts by the CDC, to respond to the burgeoning COVID-19 crisis as it began to unfold in China. Even the World Health Organization (WHO), which has long been criticized for being overly accommodating to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has called China’s decision to withhold information from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic ‘simply inexcusable.’ “The WHO has now called on China to provide epidemiologic and clinical information, as well as laboratory results, on the reported pneumonia clusters among children, in addition to information on recent trends of known pathogen circulation. It would be an abdication of the CDC’s duty to the American people if it allows China to repeat its misdeeds from the COVID-19 pandemic. The American people should not have to rely on the unaccountable and untrustworthy WHO to communicate information about Chinese public health threats. Further, we cannot allow the CCP to block the CDC from accessing the information it needs to protect Americans and assist in appropriate public health response efforts.”  The Chairs requested bi-weekly briefings and answers to the following questions by December 13, 2023:  Has the CDC engaged with or interacted with its Chinese counterparts with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia?  If yes, when did the CDC and its Chinese counterparts first interact with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia? Who initiated this interaction?  At any point did the CDC’s Chinese counterparts withhold information or fail to respond to the CDC in a timely manner with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia? Please detail each instance and the topic of inquiry that prompted such failure to respond in a timely manner. What specific information, if any, has the CDC sought from China with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia? What specific information, if any, has the CDC received from China with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia? Please detail the length of time it took China to respond to each inquiry for information. What specific response efforts, if any, has the CDC offered to take part in with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia?  What specific response efforts, if any, has the CDC taken part in, is actively taking part in, or plans to take part in with respect to the increased incidence of respiratory diseases and undiagnosed pneumonia?  Has specific information on the outbreak been communicated to relevant federal agencies and/or key stakeholders, including:  The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR);  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA);  The National Institutes of Health (NIH); The Surgeon General; Department of Defense; Other Federal entities; and/or  State and local public health officials CLICK HERE to read the letter.

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Vice Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA), and 23 other Republican Committee members sent a letter to TikTok demanding answers regarding how the Chinese Communist Party is using the app as a tool to surveil and manipulate Americans.  From the letter: “ Disturbingly, millions of TikTok users have recently viewed videos glorifying Osama Bin Laden’s ‘Letter to America,’ which attempts to justify his horrific murder of 3,000 Americans in the September 11, 2001, attacks while also perpetuating ‘the antisemitic trope claiming the Jews ‘control your policies, media and economy.’” Key excerpts from exclusive reporting by FOX NEWS : “ A group of House Republicans is demanding more transparency from TikTok about how content is amplified and how much insight China has into those processes as accusations mount against the social platform that it’s boosting antisemitic videos. “‘On October 7, the Palestinian terrorist organization, Hamas, brutally attacked Israel and killed more than 1,400 people. Since this terrorist attack, disinformation related to the conflict has run rampant on your platform, stoking antisemitism, support, and sympathy for Hamas,’ they wrote to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. “The letter is being led by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga. It comes just days after TikTok was under fire for facilitating a surge in viral videos expressing support for Usama bin Laden’s 2002 'Letter to America' written in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.” […] “National security hawks have been wary of TikTok’s connection to China, with its parent company ByteDance being based in Beijing.” […] “The lawmakers are demanding to know how many employees at TikTok have connections to ByteDance, how the platform screens for misinformation and anti-Israel content amid the conflict with Hamas, and how its algorithms are curated, among other queries. “‘Given that roughly half of TikTok’s U.S. user base is under 25 years old, American youth are being exposed to extremely violent and disturbing images and videos," they wrote. "This deluge of pro-Hamas content is driving hateful antisemitic rhetoric and violent protests on campuses across the country. The CCP has already co-opted your platform, and it seems TikTok and TikTok’s employees are resigned to becoming a mouthpiece for antisemites, terrorists, and propaganda.’” ICYMI: In October, Chair Rodgers called on multiple tech companies, including TikTok, to brief the Energy and Commerce Committee on their moderation policies regarding the spread of illegal content posted by Hamas. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. CLICK HERE to read the Fox News story on the letter.