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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Building the American Dream: Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies . “ Over the last decade, it has become apparent that the statutory process for energy efficiency standards is broken. We must reform the process to restore consumer choice, appliance affordability, and true energy savings as the foundation of DOE’s Appliance and Equipment Standards Program,” said Chairman Latta . “Everyone here supports true energy efficiency and the benefits it yields to our constituents. However, over the last several years, the focus has clearly strayed from enhancing efficiencies and realizing cost savings. This misdirection has gone well beyond DOE’s energy conservation standards—we have also seen a misalignment of priorities in building codes, performance standards, and state local restrictions on the use of fossil fuels.” Watch the full hearing here .     Below are key excerpts from yesterday’s hearing:   Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14): “There’s no reason why the Department of Energy, or anybody else, should be mandating that Texans have to have a certain efficiency. No two homes are alike. No two homeowners are alike, and we all know our own individualized circumstances and preferences better than any one size fits all regulatory process. And so, with the furnace rule that will take effect in 2028, there are a lot of homes that won’t get the furnace that makes the most sense for them.” Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “How do decisions by local officials to phase out natural gas use, which may seem like local, isolated decisions, negatively impact consumers and consumers in other regions or other states?” Mr. Steffes: “Thank you, Congressman. This is a straightforward question of supply and demand. For the customers that I serve, a lot of their needs are heating. Natural gas heating, hot water heating, cooking. If you mandate in our communities that no more natural gas will be used, then those customers are going to find another way to provide heating. They’re not going to go without heat. They will use electric heat that will add additional demand to the electricity market. While it’s very difficult to add supply, additional demand without supply increases prices.” Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07): “Instead of empowering families, the federal government has been telling the people how long that their dishwashers can operate and what kind of stove they can buy, and even how much water that the showerhead could use. And so, my bill—the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act— restores some of that common sense. Let’s get back to it. And it’s a core. It’s about protecting families from bureaucratic overreach. We see this time and time again where the ivory tower of Washington, D.C. comes in their infinite wisdom and tells the rest of everybody how to live. Mr. Lieberman, can you describe the whiplash regulations between the last few administrations as they relate to showerhead water flow?” Mr. Lieberman: “Well, actually, the showerhead saga has been going on since 1992. There was the energy policy act of 1992, which originally had these showerhead provisions. Some people don’t like the lower flow. I think it’s quite frankly, a very silly regulation. If the shower is hitting you with too much water, you turn the knob down.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Building the American Dream: Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies . Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s hearing, ‘Building the American Dream: Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies.’ Thank you to our witnesses for your participation. “Today, we will discuss policies that have raised energy and product prices for American families and business owners, put home ownership out of reach, and jeopardized grid reliability. “Many of these policies have been implemented in the name of energy efficiency. But, the forced electrification from the Left does not equate to increased energy efficiency, and it ignores affordability and consumer choice. “Energy conservation will play an important role in meeting our nation’s growing energy demand, however, consumer choice, affordability, and innovation must be prioritized in the execution of those goals. “Over the last decade, it has become apparent that the statutory process for energy efficiency standards is broken. We must reform the process to restore consumer choice, appliance affordability, and true energy savings as the foundation of DOE’s Appliance and Equipment Standards Program. “Everyone here supports true energy efficiency and the benefits it yields to our constituents. However, over the last several years, the focus has clearly strayed from enhancing efficiencies and realizing cost savings. “This misdirection has gone well beyond DOE’s energy conservation standards—we have also seen a misalignment of priorities in building codes, performance standards, and state local restrictions on the use of fossil fuels. “Nowhere is that more reflected than in the cost of homes. Over the last 15 years, home prices have steadily increased, putting the dream of home ownership out of reach for millions of Americans. “Today, more than 80 percent of adults in the United States say housing affordability is a problem in the city or county in which they live, and homeowners now spend 34 percent more on household appliances than in 2010.   “While there are a variety of factors that have contributed to these rising costs, we cannot ignore the impact misguided policies have had. “The Biden administration tied Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to the forced adoption of the 2021 model energy codes, which restricted the use of gas and promoted electrification even if it was not an appropriate choice for consumers. This was done despite their own data that showed homes with natural gas hookups are over 3 times more affordable than electric options. “But the Biden administration didn’t stop there. DOE issued a rule to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in all new and modified federal buildings beginning in 2030. This would have included military installations and housing, some residential buildings, and sites of critical national security importance—like the Pentagon. “Not only would this compromise our security, but the rule would also have actually increased energy usage and added further strain to our nation’s electric grid. “We must strike a healthy balance between utilizing affordable energy and implementing common sense, effective energy conservation measures. “Again, I thank our witnesses for their participation today and look forward to hearing their perspectives.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Appliance and Building Policies: Restoring the American Dream of Home Ownership and Consumer Choice . “Throughout this Congress, our Committee has heard testimony from witnesses on how red tape and bureaucratic mandates have led to higher energy costs and fewer options for American families,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “During this legislative hearing, we will examine several bills that support consumer freedom by undoing harmful regulations, reduce costs for Americans, and help strengthen our electric grid by using reliable and affordable baseload power sources.” Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Appliance and Building Policies: Restoring the American Dream of Home Ownership and Consumer Choice. WHAT : Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss building and appliance policies that could strengthen consumer choice, lower costs for American families, and make our electric grid more reliable. DATE : Tuesday, September 16, 2025       TIME : 10:15 AM ET LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building    This hearing will focus on the following bills: H.R. 4626 , Don’t Mess with My Home Appliances Act (Rep. Allen) H.R. 4758 , Homeowner Energy Freedom Act (Rep. Goldman) H.R. 3699 , Energy Choice Act (Rep. Langworthy) H.R. 3474 , Federal Mechanical Insulation Act (Rep. Weber) H.R. 4593 , Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act (Rep. Fry) H.R. 4690 , Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (Rep. Langworthy)   H.R. 5184 , Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act (Rep. Houchin) H.R. 1355 , Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025 (Rep. Tonko)  This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .  

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Subcommittee Markup. Read more below. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to discuss FirstNet and public safety communications. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss the impact of appliance and building regulations on affordability, consumer choice, and grid reliability. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a markup of several public health reauthorization bills. DATE: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Building the American Dream: Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies. “During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Energy imposed energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings that are inefficient, ineffective, and harmful to consumers,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta . “These standards have initiated cascading effects, leading to rising prices for families, builders, and manufacturers across the country. Heavy-handed, burdensome regulations have contributed to rising housing prices that continue to climb out of reach for would-be buyers, limiting consumer choice and exacerbating housing issues. This hearing will offer our Committee a chance to examine the impact of onerous building and appliance policies on housing affordability, energy costs, and, ultimately, grid reliability for American families.” Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Building the American Dream: Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies. WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss the impact of appliance and building regulations on affordability, consumer choice, and grid reliability. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. This hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions about this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .    ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement regarding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement that it would issue funding opportunities to support the mining and processing of critical materials and minerals. “Ensuring that the United States has access to the critical materials and minerals that are used in everything from cell phones and missile guidance technology to energy applications must be one of our top priorities. Over the past several months, our Committee has held multiple hearings on the urgent need to secure our critical mineral and material supply chains, including by increasing domestic mining and finding new ways to recycle these materials from coal ash and electronic waste,”   said Chairman Guthrie .  “As we continue to counter adversaries, like China, the Department of Energy’s announcement is a strong step toward ensuring that Americans will continue to have access to the tools and technologies we rely on.” CLICK HERE  to read the DOE’s announcement. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Strengthening American Energy: A Review of Pipeline Safety Policy. “Pipelines are not only vital for the safe transportation of the reliable energy that Americans rely upon, but they will continue to ensure our nation’s energy dominance,” said Chairman Latta . “ Today’s hearing offered the opportunity to address multiple issues including rule making for the PIPES Act, closing penalty loopholes for pipeline vandalism, and examining ways that certain technologies, like AI, can be used to increase efficiencies in the pipeline system." Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “Would you agree that if we’re going to meet the rising demand, while also keeping the lights on, that we need to get serious about modernizing and expanding our natural gas infrastructure?” Mr. Moriarty: “ Yes, I would agree with that. Natural gas pipelines are the safest way to move the energy that this nation needs. And there’s ever more demand for energy across our surface territories, which is the United States. And to meet those demands, we need to construct and safely operate pipelines as well as LNG storage facilities.” Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15): “Mr. Moriarty, you mentioned that one of the top risks you perceive for pipeline safety is in fact cybersecurity. Would you share with us a bit more about the cyber threat landscape you are seeing and how you’re partnering with federal agencies like the FBI and CISA to meet that threat?” Mr. Moriarty: “ Because of the cyber threat, we took our SCADA system, which is responsible for the safe operations of our systems, off our corporate system and we put it into what we call a DMZ zone, which means nobody can get access to it. So, even if there is a breach somewhere on our system, it won’t get into the pipeline safe operation. Every day, we have threats we have a scoreboard where we see threats coming in in real time. Because of the investments we have made, most of those are stopped before they become a real threat.” Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12): “Building up our pipeline capacity is critical to delivering affordable energy to our constituents across the country and our allies. We’ve heard from the witnesses that pipelines are the safest way to deliver energy. As we are working on modernizing the role of Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration, it is critical we ensure it works to enhance our pipeline infrastructure.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement regarding the release of America’s AI Action Plan, which focuses on safeguarding U.S. global leadership in artificial intelligence.   “Today’s announcement is a major victory in our work to win the race for AI. The future of American global competitiveness, innovation, and economic growth depends on strong investments and a unified approach that promotes AI development and deployment at scale. President Trump’s ‘AI Action Plan’ is an important step toward harnessing the full power of American innovation and aligns with our Committee’s work to unleash infrastructure development and advanced manufacturing, promote a national AI framework, and safeguard Americans where existing protections fall short,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Throughout this Congress, we’ve heard a clear message that to win the race for AI, we need to bring more baseload energy sources online, including natural gas, coal, hydropower, and nuclear. We cannot cede leadership in the development and deployment of AI technology to the Chinese Communist Party, which does not share our values. “We look forward to continuing our work with President Trump to ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in AI development.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Strengthening American Energy: A Review of Pipeline Safety Policy. Subcommittee Chairman Latta's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s hearing, “Strengthening American Energy: A Review of Pipeline Safety Policy.” And thank you to our witnesses for your participation. “Today, we will examine the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety program. “PHMSA is a Department of Transportation agency tasked with developing and enforcing federal safety regulations for the nation’s onshore pipeline infrastructure and the transportation of hazardous materials. “The witnesses before us represent different segments of PHMSA’s regulated community and can provide important perspectives on the reauthorization of PHMSA. “Pipelines are the safest and most efficient mode of transportation for oil, natural gas, liquid energy products, and hazardous materials, and they play an instrumental role in delivering the products that drive our nation’s economy forward. “The agency has about 3.3 million miles of pipelines under its purview. In order to ensure these pipelines are operated in a safe and reliable manner, PHMSA partners and coordinates with States to administer pipeline safety programs and inspect infrastructure within a state's boundaries. “PHMSA was last authorized in the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act (PIPES) of 2020, through Fiscal Year 2023. “I hope we can work in a bipartisan fashion this Congress with our House and Senate colleagues to reauthorize PHMSA to continue carrying out its mission and associated duties. This subcommittee has a responsibility to ensure PHMSA maintains a strong focus on safety and operates within its statutory authorities. “The PIPES Act of 2020 included several statutorily mandated rulemakings that never fully got out the door under the previous administration. Today, the subcommittee will examine implementation of the PIPES Act to ensure PHMSA is on track to carry out Congressional intent in a cost-effective and workable manner. “Additionally, the subcommittee will examine new challenges and opportunities for pipeline safety. “For example, the replacement of aging infrastructure must be a top priority for PHMSA, States, and pipeline operators, but it presents cost and operational challenges. “Especially as energy demand is projected to increase significantly in the immediate future, the upgrading of our natural gas network must be prioritized to ensure the safe transportation of natural gas and other important energy sources and products. “While substantial progress has been made in replacing aging pipes, there is still work to be done. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how PHMSA can best address the remaining 1 percent of iron distribution pipes. “American innovations and new technologies, like artificial intelligence technology, also present opportunities to bolster the quality of risk assessments and advance safety towards our collective goal of zero incidents. However, these technologies will also pose challenges to information and operational security. It is important that a PHMSA reauthorization gives the agency the tools needed to have an effective approach for the opportunities and challenges ahead.  “In his confirmation hearing last week, Paul Roberti, President Trump’s nominee for PHMSA administrator, committed to pursuing opportunities to utilize new, cost-effective technologies to enhance safety. The subcommittee hopes to collaborate with PHMSA and pipeline operators in this endeavor. “A PHMSA reauthorization must prioritize the improvement of the agency’s core responsibility: safety. I am concerned that the previous administration advanced extraneous priorities and set safety to the side. However, President Trump’s administration has recommitted to this critical mission, and I hope this Committee can produce a reauthorization that maintains safety as the cornerstone of PHMSA’s pipeline safety program. “Pipelines are imperative to public safety and the energy security of our nation. I look forward to hearing from pipeline operators today as we build on American energy leadership.”