Subcommittees

WASHINGTON, D.C . – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s markup of nine bills. Chairman Guthrie’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “As people, as a Committee, and as a Congress, there are few things that are more essential than our responsibility to protect our nation’s children. Today, the harms kids face online are complex, immense, and constantly changing. “In August of 2025, the Ranking Member and I sat down and made a commitment to try to deliver a bipartisan package to empower parents and protect children and teens online. We both recognized the gravity of the issue. We both recognized that parents across this country are asking for action. “Since that time, bipartisan committee staff have spent more than 40 hours directly negotiating these bills and countless more working with members on this committee, stakeholders, and each other to build consensus. Dozens of hours of negotiation. Drafts. Redlines. Counterproposals. Serious engagement. Good-faith efforts. “I am disappointed that, despite that work, we were ultimately unable to reach a bipartisan agreement. This committee has a long history of working across the aisle on issues affecting children and families. In the past, we have shown that when the stakes are high enough, we can put politics aside and work together. “That is why it is unfortunate that the slate of bills before us today is not bipartisan. But at the end of the day, as Members of Congress, our responsibility is to our constituents, especially our children. “Across the country, children are being targeted, groomed, harassed, and exploited online. Algorithms amplify addictive, harmful content. Predators exploit anonymity. And parents are left trying to navigate a digital world that evolves faster than the safeguards they have at their disposal. “Every month we delay, more families experience the kind of devastation that no parent should ever endure. “We worked hard to try to make these bills bipartisan. We meant it when we said we wanted to get there. But the absence of bipartisan consensus cannot be an excuse for inaction. We hoped to do this with our Democrat colleagues. But if we cannot do it together, we still must take steps forward. “The time is now. “We are taking the meaningful steps forward to empower parents and protect children and teens online. We owe it to parents. We owe it to communities. And most importantly, we owe it to the kids who are counting on us to get this right. “Today, we also will mark up five bills from the Energy Subcommittee, which will help ensure the physical and cyber security of one of America’s greatest forms of infrastructure – our electric grid. “As more and more of our lives become digital, the physical and cyber security threats to our grid grow in frequency and impact, particularly from adverse nation states. “These bipartisan cybersecurity bills will help combat those threats by strengthening DOE’s leadership when it comes to securing the energy sector, providing targeted funding and technical assistance to rural and municipal utilities, and authorizing public-private partnerships on grid security that enhance information sharing. “I appreciate the willingness of Ranking Members Pallone and Castor to work with us on these important bills and look forward to moving them forward. “Thank you and I now yield to the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, the gentleman from New Jersey.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Ready for Reuse: Legislative Proposals to Unleash the Potential of America’s Brownfields Sites. Subcommittee Chairman Palmer’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Our country is facing a novel set of challenges, and the global economic and security landscape is shifting. Having to rely on adversaries such as China for critical materials jeopardizes our national security and economy. In order to address these challenges, strengthen our economy, and deliver jobs to communities back home, we need to increase our domestic capacity to manufacture crucial products, produce a reliable supply of energy, and secure our position in the global artificial infrastructure race.    “As we heard at a Subcommittee hearing a year ago, our country is home to thousands of sites known as brownfields, which are underutilized, idled, or abandoned property where redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. These sites can be environmental hazards and a nuisance to local communities, but they can also be opportunities.    “While not All Brownfields Sites are appropriate for ALL uses, we should be looking for opportunities to accomplish the compatible goals of siting crucial infrastructure that is a good fit for a particular location, and encouraging remediation and reuse of idle or underutilized properties.    “To that end, we plan to discuss four bills.    “The Brownfields Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act reauthorizes both the EPA Brownfields Grants Program and the state response program through Fiscal Year 2031. It also builds on a previous discussion draft of reauthorization legislation considered at a hearing last Congress. This draft again includes expanding eligibility for brownfields grants to certain private entities, as well as a program to assist rural communities with developing competitive grant applications. It incorporates requests from brownfields stakeholders, such as increased award amount limits and expanded eligible uses for funding. It also updates the criteria EPA shall consider when ranking applications to support reuse for nationally significant infrastructure projects, such as critical mineral and semiconductor facilities, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and energy generation from all power resources. The existing criteria only supports renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.    “The second bill, the Brownfields Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, creates a new loan program, similar to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act ‘WIFIA’ and Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act ‘TIFIA’ programs used to finance water and transportation infrastructure projects.    “The third bill is the Brownfields Inventory and Permitting Efficiency Act, which directs the EPA and states to work together to compile a list of sites suitable for nationally significant infrastructure projects. It also streamlines permitting for projects on certain brownfields sites, and requires EPA to provide guidance to other federal agencies on how to conduct more efficient reviews of these previously disturbed and often previously studied sites. Finally, it directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of impediments to timely and efficient removal of Superfund sites from the National Priorities List.    “Lastly, we have the Brownfields Reauthorization for an Affordable and Revitalized America Act offered by the minority. While this bill increases some grant award limits and directs the EPA to waive cost share requirements in certain circumstances, it also significantly increases the authorization of appropriations for both the Brownfields Grant Program and the state response programs.    “We have four witnesses here today to help us analyze these proposals.    “First, we have Mr. Chris Wells, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and the current President of the Environmental Council of the States to provide the state perspective.    “We also welcome Mr. Gerald Pouncey, Jr., Senior Counsel at Taft Stettinius & Hollister. Mr. Pouncey has led numerous efforts to permit and finance redevelopment of industrial sites, ports, and former military facilities.    “Also joining us is the Honorable Alan Tomson, Mayor of Davis, West Virginia, and representing the National Brownfields Coalition, who will speak to the impact of the Brownfields Program in local communities.    “Finally, we have Mr. David Robinson, Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, for Aligned Data Centers, whose testimony will address his company’s work on brownfields sites.    “I’d like to reiterate that these bills are all discussion drafts, so I look forward to hearing robust discussion on these proposals, both today and on future occasions.    “Thank you.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Full Committee Markup. Read more below.  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss legislation to reauthorize the PHMSA pipeline safety program.  DATE:  Wednesday, March 4, 2026   TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment is holding a hearing to examine legislative proposals supporting the remediation and redevelopment of America’s Brownfields Sites.   DATE:  Wednesday, March 4, 2026  TIME:  2:00 PM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP:  The Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of nine bills.   DATE:  Thursday, March 5, 2026  TIME:  10:00 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building   ###