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Today is National Agriculture Day! Farmers work hard every day to provide food for Americans to eat, but they're being hurt by President Biden's war on American energy production. Earlier this Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee heard directly from David , a fifth-generation farm owner and operator, who shared how energy is foundational to everything he does. Farmers across the country are being crushed by higher prices as a result of President Biden's American liquified natural gas (LNG) export ban. American LNG creates jobs, energy security, and economic prosperity. It’s past time for President Biden to end his war on American energy. Energy and Commerce Republicans led on H.R. 7176, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act , to reverse President Biden’s American LNG export ban and lower energy costs, advance U.S. energy security, and reduce emissions. The bill, led by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 224-200. Read more about the LNG ban’s consequences on American farmers here : “Natural gas development over the past 15 years has had a significant impact on agricultural stakeholders in this state. The partnership between two leading economic sectors in this state, natural gas and farming, has led to farmers receiving royalty payments from natural gas companies in return for leasing out the minerals found on their lands. “So when President Joe Biden announced at the end of January that he was pausing all exports of natural gas, his decision not only chilled the producers and employees in the industry, but also equally distressed American farmers. This was particularly true of those here in Pennsylvania and neighboring Ohio, where hundreds of millions of dollars last year alone went to farmers and landholders who hold leases. “[Chris] Herr [Executive Director of PennAg Industries Association] said this source of income for farmers in the past few years here in Pennsylvania has been a game changer, 'Especially for family farms. They are now provided a source of revenue to expand their operations, or invest in new equipment or technologies, and sometimes just to save a farm on the brink.' “Jonathan Fritz, who has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2017, said what he has seen in the rural swaths of Wayne and Susquehanna counties thanks to the natural gas industry has improved his constituents’ overall quality of life, and 'It has also contributed to young people to stay here rather than move away because of new opportunities.'     […] “The pushback on Biden’s pause has been notable. Pennsylvania’s three major statewide elected officials, Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey Jr., and Gov. Josh Shapiro, all are Democrats as Biden is, but all three stridently oppose his decision.” […] “Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration and Production Council, said when America is the world leader in LNG exports, it isn’t just the people in the industry that benefit, but everyone in the country does in ways they perhaps don’t always think about. “‘Not only do LNG exports strengthen our economy and our allies’ energy security, but they also provide direct financial support to families, farmers, and landowners in the form of royalty payments,’ she said.” […] “Herr, meanwhile, added another concern. ‘I think there is the other thing I think about when we put on LNG it also creates higher prices,” he said. “When you stymie production, you raise prices and we’ve all seen the impact of when farmers have to raise their prices because of energy prices like the cost of diesel. We haven’t begun to understand the economic costs this is going to have.’” CLICK HERE to read about how Biden’s LNG export ban is a gift to Putin. CLICK HERE to read the letter from more than 150 House Republicans demanding President Biden end his de facto LNG export ban.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) today announced a Full Committee markup. The Committee will consider legislation from the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security; Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials; Health; and Communications and Technology subcommittees.  Chair Rodgers released the following statements:  On the Energy and Environment bills:  “The Energy and Commerce Committee has a rich history of enacting solutions that improve people’s livelihoods and freedom, all while maintaining America’s global energy and environmental leadership. We look forward to building on this legacy with solutions that modernize our pipeline infrastructure, enhance air quality standards and public health, and ensure Americans are free to choose the home appliances that work best for their lives.”  On the Health bills: “Americans are counting on us to deliver on bipartisan solutions that will help improve their health and wellbeing. We’re proud of the hard work that Members both on and off the Energy and Commerce Committee have done to bring forth these proposals to support patients and caregivers across America.”  On the Communications and Technology bills:  “In order to win the future, it is vital that our communications networks are secure. Continuing to rely on technology sourced from foreign adversaries jeopardizes people’s homes, schools, hospitals, our financial system, and the military. That is why Energy and Commerce Republicans are leading on solutions to remove dangerous equipment from our communications infrastructure and help cement America's technological and economic leadership for generations to come.”   WHAT: A Full Committee Markup of 28 bills.  DATE: Wednesday, March 20, 2024   TIME: 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building   Legislation to be considered :  H.R. 7655 , Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2024 (Rep. Duncan)  H.R. 7673 , Liberty in Laundry Act (Rep. Ogles)  H.R. 7645 , Clothes Dryers Reliability Act (Rep. Ezell)   H.R. 7637 , Refrigerator Freedom Act (Rep. Miller-Meeks)   H.R. 7626 , Affordable Air Conditioning Act (Rep. Crenshaw)   H.R. 7700 , Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards (SUDS) Act (Rep. Langworthy) H.R. 7650 , Air Quality Standards Implementation Act of 2024 (Rep. Carter) H.R. 619 , NAPA Reauthorization Act (Rep. Tonko) H.R. 620 , Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (Rep. C. Smith)  H.R. 7218 , Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act of 2024 (Rep. Guthrie)  H.R. 4581 , Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024 (Rep. Hinson)    H.R. 2706 , Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act (Rep. Cammack)   H.R. 4646 , SIREN Reauthorization Act (Rep. D. Joyce)  H.R. 6160 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program (Rep. Molinaro)  H.R. 6960 , Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Rep. Carter)    H.R. 7153 , Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act (Rep. Wild)  H.R. 7251 , Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Rep. Chavez-DeRemer)  H.R. 7224 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program (Rep. Cohen)  H.R. 7208 , Dennis John Beningo Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Rep. Pascrell)   H.R. 6829 , Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, and Research, and AED Training in the Schools (HEARTS) Act of 2024 (Rep. Pallone)    H.R. 7189 , Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Rep. Bilirakis)  H.R. 7406 , DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2024 (Rep. McMorris Rodgers)  H.R. 3916 , SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2024 (Rep. Morelle)    H.R. 5074 , Kidney PATIENT Act (Rep. Carter)  H.R. 2864 , Countering CCP Drones Act (Rep. Stefanik)  H.R. 820 , Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act (Rep. Stefanik)  H.R. 1513 , Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhancing (FUTURE) Networks Act (Rep. Matsui)  H.R. 7589 , Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security (ROUTERS) Act (Rep. Latta)  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 Kaitlyn Peterson with the Committee staff at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Sean Kelly at Sean.Kelly@mail.house.gov and Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov . 

This weekend, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) joined the Fox News Rundown to discuss House passage of H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, will protect Americans by preventing foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating the American people through applications, like TikTok. Highlights and excerpts from the interview: “The choice is TikTok’s. They can either choose to continue to operate under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, because they are owned by ByteDance, or they can choose to divest from ByteDance and the Chinese Communist Party and continue to operate in the United States of America and businesses and individual users can continue to use the app the way that they always have.” “This bill only applies to applications that are subject to the control of specific adversaries that are listed in the bill. We list these foreign adversaries as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.” “TikTok has repeatedly been caught in this lie that it doesn’t answer to the Chinese Communist Party through ByteDance. We know that TikTok has been used to spy on American journalists. We know that TikTok has been used to surveil American user data.” “[China] has the potential to manipulate people for their own gain.” “Even internal TikTok employee recordings have revealed ‘everything is seen in China.’ We know that we cannot trust China to safeguard our data.” “We have grave concerns about TikTok being owned by a foreign adversary and having this access and what that means to our national security. We’ve been briefed by our national intelligence agencies, and they have impressed upon us that this is a very real threat.” “Immediately after the bill passed, the [leaders] of the [Senate] Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Marco Rubio issued a statement in support [of the bill]. There’s other Senators that are voicing support for the bill and for us taking action.”

After a unanimous vote in the Energy and Commerce Committee, H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 352 – 65. Following the strong, bipartisan vote, Energy and Commerce Republicans touted the bill’s widespread support. Highlights and excerpt from the interviews: Rep. Latta on NewsNation: “This is something that the House has been working on for over a year. When Mr. Chew [CEO of TikTok] appeared before us in Committee, I asked him if anyone in Communist China could see this data from Americans users of the app. ‘Yes it could be,’ was his response. We’ve also had security briefings. That’s one of the other big concerns here is the national security of the United States and making sure we protect our citizens from the Communist Chinese accessing their information.” […] “TikTok is owned by ByteDance, and under Communist Chinese law, anything that the government wants, if you’re a Chinese company, you have to give it to the government. What we’re saying in the legislation is if ByteDance, which is the parent [company], divests themselves of TikTok, TikTok can still be used here in the United States.” Rep. Walberg on Scripps News: “We’re not attempting to ban TikTok. […] That’s what TikTok wants its users and subscribers to think we’re doing, but it's not true. We have said that TikTok can remain as long as it's not connected to an adversarial country—China, Russia, North Korea, Iran.” […] “For the purposes of national security, we don’t want something like TikTok, with 170 million users, to have access opportunity from the CCP. That’s a dangerous setting. So, we have said we’re not banning. It can continue on, but it cannot be owned by any company that is controlled by the CCP and that’s ByteDance. It is wholly responsible to the CCP and that’s a dangerous thing. Rep. Cammack on America’s Newsroom: “The thing that’s really concerning is that the CCP has come out and said they would rather see us ‘ban’ TikTok than divest. [ByteDance] stands to make billions of dollars through divestment, but instead the Chinese government is more concerned with having unfettered access [to U.S. data].” […] “Just this time last year, the CEO of TikTok told my Committee that they didn’t have access to geolocation data. But, it turns out, they tapped into the geolocation data of their users, and if you were in an Energy and Commerce Committee Member’s district, you couldn’t use the app until you actually called through the app. They say that they don’t [surveil Americans], but we know that they do.” Rep. Pfluger on Yahoo Finance: “The goal here is we want to make sure Americans are safe. We want to make sure that data is safe. We want to make sure that a foreign adversary is not taking advantage of an application and using Americans and our privacy to their advantage.” […] “This is not about content. It’s about conduct. In fact, we hope that the application can actually continue, but it needs to happen with a trusted purchase, and so far the Chinese Communist Party has a direct tie to ByteDance. It’s about the link to a foreign adversary that has control over it. […] It’s about divesting and putting that company and the application in the hands of trusted agents which are either American businesses or friendly countries.” Rep. Carter on The Claman Countdown: “The House of Representatives has spoken. They have said we’re not going to shun our responsibility of protecting our homeland and our citizens. Instead, we’re not going to let a Chinese Communist Party-owned app operate here in America. Now, if they want to divest themselves and sell their company, […] that’s fine.” […] “This is a decision TikTok’s got to make. If they will divest themselves, then TikTok continues on and people will continue to enjoy it and continue to watch it.” […] “[The vote] was overwhelming in the House— 352 votes. I think that sends a strong message to the Senate. […] The Senate needs to take up this bill and they need to pass this bill. The White House has already said that they would sign it.” Rep. Crenshaw on the Brian Kilmeade Show: "If you're a company in China, you have to do whatever [the CCP] tells you, and you have to spy on whoever [the CCP] tells you to spy on." [...] "[They] can weaponize that kind of tool, and the Chinese have already been shown to have weaponized it. I don't want a situation where we're in an adversarial relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, and they have the ability to manipulate the minds and opinions of tens of millions of Americans."

Hearing to evaluate safety measures implemented to protect athletes at all levels, from youth leagues to the Olympics and Paralympics Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today announced a subcommittee hearing titled "Timeout: Evaluating Safety Measures Implemented to Protect Athletes." “Congress created SafeSport to protect young athletes so predators like Larry Nassar will never harm children again. However, there have been hurdles to implementing the safety measures provided by the SafeSport program, including a lack of transparency to athletes who have submitted claims. This hearing will give Members an opportunity to hear from SafeSport, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, USA Softball, and the U.S. Soccer Federation as we examine how best to protect athletes from abuse and what challenges the SafeSport program faces to accomplish that goal. We must ensure athletes in our communities are healthy and safe from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse,” said Chairs Rodgers and Griffith.   Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing titled “Timeout: Evaluating Safety Measures Implemented to Protect Athletes.”   WHAT : A subcommittee hearing to discuss oversight of SafeSport’s ability to protect athletes, from youth sports to the Olympics.  DATE : Thursday, March 21, 2024   TIME : 10:30 AM ET  LOCATION : 2322 Rayburn House Office Building   WITNESSES :  Ms. Ju’Riese Colón, Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Center for SafeSport  Ms. Nicole Deal , Senior Vice President for Security and Athlete Safety, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee   Mr. Craig Cress, Chief Executive Officer, USA Softball, Inc.  Ms. Mana Shim, Chair, U.S. Soccer Federation Participant Safety Task Force, U.S. Soccer Federation  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 Lauren Eriksen with the Committee staff at Lauren.Eriksen@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov .  

“TikTok is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) joined Fox News to discuss House passage of H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, will protect Americans by preventing foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating the American people through applications, like TikTok. Highlights and excerpts from the interview: “We know that TikTok has repeatedly been caught in this lie that it is not beholden to the Chinese Communist Party through ByteDance, and yet we have internal recording from employees that have said ‘everything is seen by China.’  “We know that China surveils its own citizens. We know that the Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted with American user data. “We cannot trust them to protect American values like freedom. That’s why the House voted overwhelmingly [today] […] 352 yes votes to force TikTok to break away from ByteDance.” […] “TikTok really has the choice to make. This is not a ban. This is TikTok deciding whether or not it remains with its current ownership structure, ByteDance, and ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, or if divests. “If it breaks away from ByteDance, it will continue to operate in the United States of America. “That’s why the bill does—it’s a very narrow, specific legislation that we’ve working on for months to take into account the national security concerns.” […] “This is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, and we need to be taking action to protect American user data.” [...] “The legislation is focused on the national security threat. This is about data that would be controlled by foreign adversaries. We are not getting into content at all—I think that’s a very important note to make." […] “This bill is unique in that its targeting foreign adversaries. We’re working separately on legislation for privacy, data security, and believe that a national data privacy and security bill is very important for protecting Americans and protecting Americans—as well as our kids—online.” CLICK HERE to read Chair Rodgers’ statement on H.R. 7521. CLICK HERE to for what top conservative voices are saying.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today announced a subcommittee hearing titled "Evaluating Approaches to Diagnostic Test Regulation and the Impact of the FDA’s Proposed Rule." “Patients and providers increasingly rely on the results of diagnostics to detect, guide treatment decisions, and monitor a host of medical conditions and illnesses. The FDA has proposed a rule that relies upon dubious and misguided legal, economic, and public health arguments and has provided limited opportunities for stakeholders to offer input. The proposed rule extends far beyond the scope of any legislative proposals and would threaten access to reliable tests for children and patients with rare diseases. Any paradigm-shifting changes to the current regulations must come from Congress—not the Executive Branch,” said Chair Rodgers and Guthrie.   Subcommittee on Health hearing titled "Evaluating Approaches to Diagnostic Test Regulation and the Impact of FDA’s Proposed Rule."   WHAT : A hearing to discuss the FDA’s proposed rule to regulate lab developed tests and alternative approaches to diagnostic regulation.  DATE : Thursday, March 21, 2024    TIME : 10:00 AM    LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building    WITNESSES :  Susan Van Meter , President, American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA)   Zach Rothstein, JD , Executive Director, AdvaMedDx   Donald S. Karcher, MD, FCAP , President of the College of American Pathologists (CAP)  Jeff Allen , PhD, President and CEO, Friends of Cancer Research    Dara L. Aisner, MD, PhD , Medical Director, Colorado Molecular Correlates Laboratory, Professor of Pathology, University of Colorado; Representative of the Academic Coalition for Effective Laboratory Developed Tests  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 Emma Schultheis with the Committee staff at Emma.Schultheis@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov . 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act . The bipartisan legislation will protect Americans by preventing foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating the American people through applications, like TikTok. “I rise today in support of H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. “Foreign adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, pose the greatest national security threat of our time. “TikTok’s access to 177 million American users makes it a valuable propaganda tool for the CCP to exploit. “Over the past week, we saw in real time how CCP-controlled TikTok used its influence and power to force users to contact their representatives if they wanted to continue using the app. “This is just a small taste of how the CCP weaponizes applications it controls to manipulate tens of millions of people to further its agenda. “Today’s legislation will end this abuse by preventing apps controlled by foreign adversaries from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating the American people. “We have given TikTok a clear choice: Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP, and remain operational in the United States, or side with the CCP and face the consequences. “The choice is TikTok’s. “Companies controlled by a foreign adversary, like the CCP, will NEVER embrace American values like freedom of speech, human rights, the rule of law, and a free press. “If given the choice, they will always choose the path for more control, more surveillance, and more manipulation. “And in the case of TikTok, we wouldn’t even know. “Today we will send a clear message that we will not tolerate our adversaries weaponizing our freedoms against us.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released a statement applauding H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , which passed out of the House today with a strong bipartisan vote of 352-65. “H.R. 7521 is the result of diligent and bipartisan efforts to protect Americans’ data and address the serious national security threat posed by our enemies. Applications controlled by foreign adversaries can be weaponized to target, manipulate, and surveil millions of Americans. This cannot continue. I commend Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) as well as our colleagues, Reps. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi, for their leadership on this important legislation. I urge our colleagues in the Senate to act as swiftly as the House and advance this bill to the President’s desk.”