Welcome to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Washington, D.C. — Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered opening re marks at today’s Subcommittee legislative hearing titled " Mapping America’s Supply Chains: Solutions to Unleash Innovation, Boost Economic Resilience, and Beat China ."  Prepared remarks below:  BOLSTERING AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP  "Good morning, everyone. Welcome to today’s hearing on legislation that will help bolster America’s global leadership and secure our nation’s economic and national security.  "Since this committee was created in 1795, it has had a clear purpose on how to promote interstate commerce domestically and conduct business abroad. Learning how our supply chains work and ensuring their integrity is an integral part of that work and historically has not been a partisan issue.  "More recently, this was on display in several emerging technology supply chain bills that formed Chair Rodger’s bipartisan American COMPETE Act legislation that became law in 2020."  NEED TO STRENGTHEN SUPPLE CHAINS AFTER PANDEMIC  "As we learned from the crippling effects of the pandemic on America’s supply chains in 2021, further efforts began in our Committee to examine how we can better map and monitor supply chains to ensure resiliency in the future.  "What started as a positive bipartisan process unfortunately went down a different path. To be clear, I don’t blame my Democratic colleagues on this Committee, as I know this was a top-down decision dictated by Speaker Pelosi. Instead of consensus legislating, the process led to multibillion-dollar spending programs that skipped regular order, which ironically the now minority party insists we preserve.  "The conclusion to that effort was failure, as even the Senate was unable to agree with the enormous price tag and government interventions into the private sector.  "I say this not to re-litigate the past but more to help us get a fresh start."  SOLUTIONS   "Today we have legislation from Dr. Bucshon that takes us back to our earlier consensus, identifying the special role that emerging technologies will have in our future economy. It is best to promote and deploy these technologies now with our values driving the process, rather than to spend billions to figure out how to reclaim them later if they are deployed and developed with an adversary’s values.  "I believe both sides of the aisle can appreciate this legislation on the docket in draft form to continue a dialogue that results in a bipartisan consensus.  "We have all been legislating long enough to know that America cannot simply throw taxpayer dollars at an issue to rectify concerns.  "The multibillion-dollar semiconductor program enacted last Congress has been hamstrung by issues we flagged during its consideration for not considering regulatory burdens like permitting.  BEATING CHINA  "The way we retain and grow our leadership is not to outspend China, but instead provide a stable regulatory framework that rewards innovators and entrepreneurs with results.  "To secure our future, we need to address problems our nation faces at the root cause.   That means mapping and monitoring supply chains and understanding why we are so reliant on adversaries like China for many critical minerals and components, essential for products our constituents use. We should understand how we can source in America or with allied nations.  "It means promoting the deployment of emerging technologies like blockchains to have greater transparency into a chain of custody, or autonomous vehicles to help deliver goods where we see voids.  "It means removing barriers that small businesses and startups face in their effort to enter markets and developing a plan to promote their growth and their workforce.  And specifically on that note, I also want to thank Representatives Bill Johnson and Dean Phillips for their continued leadership on H.R. 5398, the Advancing Tech Startups Act, and to Representatives Miller-Meeks, Bucshon, Johnson, Kuster, Schrier, and Spanberger for H.R. 5390, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act.  "I look forward to the discussion today and welcome any constructive and specific language we can review to get these bills passed and ultimately succeed in getting them to the Presidents’ desk.  "Thank you to our panelists for your testimony today, and I yield back." 

Washington, D.C. — Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s legislative hearing titled “American Hydropower: Unleashing Reliable, Clean Power Across the U.S.” UNLEASING MORE HYDROPOWER   “Our goal on the Energy and Commerce Committee is to enact policy that delivers affordable, reliable, and clean energy to all Americans and hydropower is essential to this mission.   “Hydropower and pumped storage provide clean power and storage. They are also flexible and can generate power to the grid immediately, which provides essential backup power in times of major outages or disruptions.”  “ Unfortunately, hydropower relicensing is among the most complicated and bureaucratic permitting processes in the U.S.    “The primary reasons for these delays are due to the number of federal statutes involved as well as the number of federal agencies. There are 11 federal agencies involved in the hydropower licensing process.   “I am glad we have some of these stakeholders in front of us today to give us their perspectives on the process.   “It is no question that in order to ensure hydropower remains a critical part of our energy matrix, the licensing and re-licensing processes must be reformed and streamlined.   “Nearly half of the nonfederal U.S. hydropower fleet will be up for relicensing in 2035. The current process creates uncertainty and confusion, and ends up costing millions of dollars.    “On average, relicensing a hydropower facility can take between seven to ten years, and can cost over 3 and a half million dollars. This doesn’t even consider the potential costs of fish passage, new turbines, and dam safety investments.   “The long and expensive relicensing process causes many hydropower owners to surrender their licenses instead and decommission their plants. That leaves America with less emissions-free, reliable electricity generation at a time when our electric grid desperately needs this type of generation.  “And it’s not just relicensing that requires projects to go through federal approvals.   “In my district, Buzzard’s Roost, a hydro dam in Greenwood County, South Carolina, is currently redesigning a fuse plug that requires FERC approval. This process faced countless delays, and the county feels as if FERC has given them the runaround on numerous occasions.  “Almost 20 years and $3 million later, not a single shovel has broken ground at Buzzard’s Roost to begin the project. This is a prime example of why FERC needs to focus on streamlining their approval processes, providing more certainty to applicants, and enabling projects to begin in a timely manner.”  HYDROPOWER CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE ACT “To address these licensing challenges, Chair Rodgers has introduced the “Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act.”    “Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy, and this legislation will ensure that this clean energy stays online, preserving the existing fleeting and paving the way to bring more power online.    “This of course, is important for Chair Rodgers and her home state of Washington where hydropower accounts for nearly 70 percent of electricity generation; but it’s also critical for states and counties all over the country. For example, this bill will help my home state of South Carolina.   “In my district, the third district of South Carolina, Duke Energy has the Bad Creek Hydro Project, which is a hydro storage facility, is able to provide enough energy to power nearly 1 million homes.   “Last summer I was able to host members of this Committee on a tour of the facility and its approximately 1,600 - megawatt battery that stores mainly renewable solar energy as well as excess nuclear baseload power that would otherwise be curtailed because it was generated during periods of low demand.   “Recently, Duke Energy filed to relicense the existing Bad Creek Facility and also expressed a desire to build a second powerhouse that would offer an additional 1,600 megawatts of storage capacity that would help to integrate carbon free generation across the Carolinas.    “I am hopeful both the relicensing, as well as the possible expansion, are successful as this would help increase reliability and affordability for customers in my home state and the Southeast.   “So, I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on how we can improve hydropower relicensing and licensing in order to unleash this critical source of reliable, affordable, and clean energy in the U.S.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “American Hydropower: Unleashing Reliable, Renewable, Clean Power Across the U.S.” RENEWABLE, CARBON-FREE, BASELOAD POWER “Hydropower is a vital source of energy for the U.S., and especially in Eastern Washington. “Another essential component in an all-of-the-above approach to energy: a renewable, carbon-free, baseload power source that grid operators can dispatch in a moment’s notice. “Renewable energy from sources like weather-dependent wind and solar absolutely play a role in America’s overall energy mix, but they cannot replace hydropower because hydropower is reliable. “Just ask the people of California, a state that imports a significant amount of hydroelectric power from Washington state. “California relies on hydropower to balance its grid when inconsistent resources like wind and solar can’t produce enough energy to meet demand. “For these reasons, we must protect and modernize our existing hydropower fleet and expand production where we can. “And that’s why I appreciate everyone’s consideration of The Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act, which will help with hydropower deployment in America.” THE HYDROPOWER CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE ACT “We have the capability of more than doubling hydropower in the U.S, modernizing an outdated permitting process, promoting next-generation hydro technology, and eliminating barriers to new dam development. “This bill also enhances coordination among dozens of agencies by authorizing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to set schedules, clarify responsibilities, and resolve disputes. “H.R. 4045 builds on the important permitting reforms contained in H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, to expand clean, reliable, and affordable energy for all Americans.” IMPORTANCE OF COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM “We know hydropower is an especially vital resource in the Pacific Northwest, which is home to the Columbia-Snake River system. “There are over 60 dams in the Columbia River Basin, including the four Lower Snake River dams. “This system helped transform our region which was a dry, barren sagebrush area to now one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. “This critical investment in energy infrastructure strengthened our energy grid, has lowered costs for families and businesses—we have some of the lowest electricity rates in America —while also reducing carbon emissions. “In fact, the dams along the Columbia-Snake River system provide more than one-third of all the “hydropower capacity in the United States. “They provide critical flood control benefits, supply water for irrigation, and make it possible for farmers to barge their products—wheat, apples, potatoes—all across America and to countries around the world.” “Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. “We have dam breaching advocates. And I’m quite disappointed that President Biden, Governor Inslee, and Senator Murray and others are advocating that we tear out these dams.” SAVING THE LOWER SNAKE DAMS “I am troubled by conversations happening right now at the highest levels of government, with the Biden Administration’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) secretly coordinating with environmental groups behind closed doors, ignoring the voices of the people whose livelihoods depend on this infrastructure. “Let me be clear breaching the Lower Snake River dams would permanently harm our way of life in Washington State, not to mention all the other states in the region that have come to rely on them. “Over the past two years, I have led a series of letters demanding transparency in this mediation process to ensure ALL voices are heard in the debate over the future of these dams. “And I would like to remind our witnesses from the administration here today that Congress—and Congress alone—has the authority to change the operations of the federally-operated Snake River dams. “This was a federal investment; these are federally operated dams. “And that's why I’ve introduced legislation to protect the dams and the many benefits they provide. “As we work towards a final outcome, we must consider all the facts, prioritize transparency, and utilize sound science and input from all tribes, industry groups, and the people in our Pacific Northwest, not just a small group of those organizations or officials that seem to want to rip out the dams.” HYDROPOWER VITAL TO WAY OF LIFE “Hydropower is vital. It’s been around for a while in the Pacific Northwest. “It is vital to our way of life. It is vital to controlling the flooding that used to take place. “It is vital to lowering energy costs, enhancing grid reliability, and ensuring that America will be and continue to be the leader in reducing carbon emissions.”  

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 letters to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The letters come as part of the Committee’s ongoing investigation into federal laboratory biosafety practices, and the handling of dangerous pathogens in bioresearch.  KEY EXCERPT :  “Committee is investigating the safety and security of federal high-containment laboratories. We are writing to obtain further details about the performance and enforcement of the federal select agent program (FSAP), jointly managed by the CDC/Center for Preparedness and Response/Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)/Veterinary Services/Agriculture Select Agent Services.”  BACKGROUND :  At an April 27, 2023, oversight hearing titled “Biosafety and Risky Research: Examining if Science is Outpacing Policy and Safety,” Members and witnesses discussed the FSAP and how to strengthen the oversight of safety in life sciences labs.  According to the seven published FSAP Annual Reports from 2015 – 2021:  The FSAP conducted 1,316 inspections: 173 by the Agriculture Select Agent Services, 857 by the Division of Select Agents and Toxins, and 286 joint inspections by CDC’s DSAT and USDA’s APHIS  The FSAP conducted 46 compliance inspections  17 entities participated in the FSAP Corrective Action Plan program  The FSAP made 20 referrals to the HHS OIG and/or the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Investigative and Enforcement Services  The Chairs requested documents and answers to questions, including the following, by September 29, 2023:  Please provide copies of all referrals the FSAP has made to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General and/or APHIS Investigative and Enforcement Services since January 1, 2015. Please provide the outcomes of these referrals.  According to the 2020 Annual Report, FSAP received one report involving a complaint about transportation issues that were unrelated to the SAR. FSAP referred this complaint to the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Transportation. Please provide a copy of this referral. Please provide the outcome of this referral.  Please provide copies of all FSAP compliance inspections conducted at laboratories at FDA, NIH, and CDC since January 1, 2015.  Since January 1, 2015, please list all entities levied civil money penalties as a result of FSAP enforcement actions, the nature of the violations, the kinds of pathogens involved, amount of the penalties, and the total amount of civil money penalties collected. Did any federal government entity have SAR violations that would have subjected a non-federal entity to civil money penalties? If so, which ones, and why were civil money penalties not levied?  For 2015-2021, the FSAP reported conducting 1,316 inspections. How many of those inspections were unannounced inspections?  Since December 22, 2022, has there been a release, loss, or theft of an agent or toxin listed as a federal select agent from or within a laboratory facility owned or operated by the HHS, or any other Federal laboratory facility?     If so, was there a notification to this committee or the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate no later than 72 hours after such event was reported to the HHS Secretary, including (1) the Federal laboratory facility in which such release, loss, or theft occurred; (2) the circumstances of such release, loss, or theft? If not, why not?  Not later than 14 days after such notification to the committees, was an update provided to the committees on (1) any actions taken or planned by the HHS Secretary to mitigate any potential threat such release, loss, or theft may pose to public health and safety; and (2) any actions taken or planned by the HHS Secretary to review the circumstances of such release, loss, or theft, and prevent similar events. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

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 requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a study on the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) effectiveness in overseeing grant funding. BACKGROUND :  NIH is one of the top research and development funding agencies—particularly for biomedical research.    NIH’s program level funding for Fiscal Year 2023 as enacted is $47.678 billion.   In fiscal year 2020, the agency obligated nearly $43 billion for research in areas such as infectious disease prevention, cancer treatment, and mental health.   NIH obligated as much as 80 percent of these funds towards extramural research, performed by outside organizations including universities, medical centers, and other research institutions.   Organizations receiving extramural research awards from NIH may, in turn, award sub-grants for a portion of the work.   As highlighted in HHS OIG and GAO reports , the use of sub-grants may further complicate the management and oversight of NIH research funds.  KEY EXCERPTS :  “A January 2023 report by the Office of Inspector General within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS OIG) detailed failures by NIH to monitor effectively its grants with EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit research organization. According to that report, the organization had overcharged the government for its services and improperly used federal grant funds. Further, a July 2023 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) raised similar concerns about NIH’s oversight of grant recipients and recommended that NIH make improvements to its oversight processes.”  […]  “In light of the recent problems in NIH’s oversight and the scale of NIH’s funding of extramural research awards, more transparency is needed about NIH’s policies and procedures as well as its effectiveness in overseeing financial management of its extramural research awards.” The Chairs requested answers to the following questions:  How much funding did NIH provide—using grants, cooperative agreements, or other award mechanisms—for extramural research since fiscal year 2014? For the same time frame, what resources did NIH and each of its institutes and centers have to conduct financial management oversight?  What are the trends in award funding including, for example, the research areas and types/characteristics of award recipients funded; the number, size, and duration of awards; the types of award mechanisms used?  What policies, procedures, and processes does NIH follow to administer and oversee its extramural research awards using grants, cooperative agreements, or other award mechanisms? How do policies, procedures, and processes differ among the NIH institutes and centers in administering and overseeing extramural research awards?   To what extent is NIH, consistent with its policies and procedures, ensuring effective financial management oversight of extramural research funding throughout the award life cycle?  What are the roles and responsibilities of those involved in such oversight including the award recipient?    How, if at all, does NIH’s oversight of extramural research funding differ for intramural research funding?  What internal assessments, if any, does NIH conduct to provide reasonable assurance that funds are being used as intended—including that proposed rates and costs are reasonable and funds are being used appropriately?  How much money has NIH recovered as a result of such internal assessments?    What changes, if any, has NIH implemented based on the findings and lessons learned from such assessments?  What data does NIH collect on the findings and results of its internal assessments? Are there data gaps, and can these gaps be addressed?   What are the lessons learned or best practices from institutes and centers that could be implemented across NIH? CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Health Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), along with Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Committee on Oversight Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY), wrote to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in an effort to force officials to comply with previous requests for COVID-19 origins information and cease stonewalling.  In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the Chairs renewed requests from four previous letters for potentially incriminating documents and communications concerning EcoHealth Alliance, Wuhan Institute of Virology, and the now infamous “Proximal Origin” publication. The Committees have also asked individuals potentially involved with a COVID-19 origins cover-up to appear voluntarily for transcribed interviews—most notably Dr. Francis Collins, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, and Dr. Hugh Auchincloss. If HHS does not meet the stated deadlines, the Chairs will be forced to consider the use of subpoenas to obtain the requested COVID-19 origins information. “This letter consolidates our previous requests regarding the origins of COVID-19 and, as a further accommodation to the Department, tables some requests, adds significant topic specificity, scopes down the time frame of our previous requests, and prioritizes requests most important to the Committees. Considering these significant accommodations, we expect full and timely compliance with each request,”  wrote the Chairs . “If the Department fails to meet any of the prescribed deadlines, the Committees will be forced to consider the use of the compulsory process.” In a second wave of letters, the Chairs reiterated invitations to three individuals with extensive involvement in COVID-19 origins related operations to appear for voluntary transcribed interviews. Notably, the renewed request for the testimony of Dr. Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth Alliance, is critical to the investigation into the potential use of American taxpayer funds to conduct dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.  Further, the Chairs requested voluntary transcribed interviews with Mr. Greg Folkers—who served as Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Chief of Staff—and with Mr. F. Gray Handley—who served as Associate Director for International Affairs at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Should Dr. Daszak, Mr. Folkers, and Mr. Handley continue to refuse to cooperate with the Committees, the use of subpoenas will be considered. Read the letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra here.  Read the voluntary transcribed interview requests for Dr. Peter Daszak, Mr. Greg Folkers, and Mr. Gary Handley below:  Dr. Peter Daszak , EcoHealth Alliance President   Mr. Greg Folkers , Former Chief of Staff at NIAID  Mr. Gary Handley , Former Associate Director for International Affairs at NIAID