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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, announced a hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the Prescription Drug Supply Chain.

“This marks the second hearing in our health care affordability series, confirming Republicans’ commitment to meaningfully lowering the cost of care for American families,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. “After hearing big insurance companies pledge to do more for American patients, we are continuing our commitment to the American people by calling in representatives across the entire prescription drug supply chain—pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and providers—to examine the root drivers of prescription drug costs and ways to keep them both accessible and affordable. We look forward to hearing from the panelists on potential solutions to lower the cost of care for all Americans.”

Subcommittee on Health hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the Prescription Drug Supply Chain.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Health hearing on exploring the role that the prescription drug supply chain plays in health care affordability.

DATE: Wednesday, February 11, 2026

TIME: 10:15 AM 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 Annabelle Huffman with the Committee staff at Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Katie West at Katie.West@mail.house.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Evaluating FirstNet: Performance, Accountability, and Reauthorization.

Subcommittee Chairman Hudson’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning, and welcome to today’s legislative hearing on the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet. FirstNet’s authorization expires at the beginning of next year, and it is this Committee’s duty to reauthorize the program before it expires. In the process, we should examine FirstNet’s activities since its creation 15 years ago and make any changes necessary to improve its performance. The future of public safety relies on safe resources like FirstNet, so thank you all for joining us to ensure our country is taken care of in times of need.

“During the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, first responders from different agencies found they could not communicate with each other because they used different radio systems, and overloaded networks prevented communications from going through. In the aftermath of these attacks, Congress stood up the 9/11 Commission, which made recommendations to prepare for and guard against future attacks. One of those recommendations led to Congress establishing FirstNet, a nationwide broadband network specifically built for public safety.

“FirstNet was allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to build out the network in all 50 states and the territories. In 2017, AT&T was selected to deploy this network. Shortly after, FirstNet began providing priority and preemption. During a crisis when there is increased network traffic, non-FirstNet AT&T subscribers will be removed from the priority line to ensure first responders can always make the call. On December 20, 2023, the FirstNet Authority verified the initial nationwide buildout of the network.

“However, the successful buildout of this network does not mean it has not faced challenges. Since 2014, the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued 21 reports regarding significant concerns about FirstNet and the deployment of the nationwide public safety broadband network, its operational responses, and other administrative matters.

“Several of these reports highlight contract oversight shortcomings, resulting in modified buildout objectives that jeopardize first responders’ ability to do their jobs. Other reports indicate a failure of the network to adequately respond to a natural disaster, and that a senior official at FirstNet interfered with the OIG’s investigations and retaliated against whistleblowers who cooperated with the OIG.

“This Committee’s work over the last several months has also identified a consistent and troubling finding: the ambiguous language regarding FirstNet’s independence—while simultaneously placing it directly within an Executive Branch agency—has created confusion and strife for all parties involved when trying to manage this program. To ensure the long-term success of FirstNet, it is imperative there is clear and consistent leadership.

“This leadership must be able to work hand-in-hand with the FirstNet board, not against it. I would like to emphasize that this draft legislation does not, in any way, remove the statutory requirement to have a Board, or their responsibilities to the First Responder Network Authority. The Board is a valuable component of FirstNet and crucial for ensuring the experience and needs of first responders and the general public, not government bureaucracy, are reflected in the direction of the network.

“Additionally, we must ensure that this network can evolve along with the technological landscape. Networks of 15 years ago are different than those of today and could be even more different 15 years from now. For the benefit of first responders, FirstNet should have the statutory flexibility to incorporate new network technologies to provide the most advanced service that public safety requires.

“I want to be clear, FirstNet has succeeded despite the challenges it’s faced, and I would like to commend AT&T for building a nationwide safety communications network, making it a success and continuing to build it out and improve for the safety of others, and being the only ones to take it on. Congress is here to evaluate this program to ensure its long-term success for our first responders. Today is the first step to reauthorize the program.

“With FirstNet’s statutory authority set to expire in 2027, it’s time for Congress to assess FirstNet’s progress and ensure that we provide a governing structure that sets up FirstNet to succeed in the future.

“Today, we will hear from our witnesses who are directly involved with FirstNet about the current state the network, and how the legislation before us will strengthen the First Responder Network Authority.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s markup of five bills.

Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today the Energy Subcommittee will mark up five bills that will update and enhance programs to help ensure the physical and cyber security of our nation’s electric grid.

“These bills, two of which we have moved through the Committee in past Congresses with strong bi-partisan support, also strengthen the Department of Energy’s ability to carry out its energy emergency functions.

“At our legislative hearing three weeks ago, witnesses emphasized the importance of robust collaboration between industry, states, and the federal government to ensure secure energy systems.

“These bills will strengthen this work by enhancing DOE’s existing energy sector authorities and by providing new tools to ensure fuller industry involvement.

“We consider these bills today against the backdrop of growing threats to our energy systems—including advanced threats from our adversaries.

“As noted in recent hearings, Communist China remains the most active and persistent threat to American critical infrastructure networks. Its proxies have pre-positioned attack capabilities in American infrastructure, to be used during a major crisis or conflict.

“Addressing these and related threats is difficult and can be resource intensive.

“The interconnected nature of our energy systems requires constant intelligence sharing, clear visibility into threat landscapes, and sufficient resources to fill gaps in security protections, particularly for rural and small utility service territories.

“The bills we will consider today take important steps to accomplish this and more.

“H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026, led by the gentlelady from Florida’s fourteenth congressional district and the gentleman from Colorado’s eighth congressional district, authorizes a program that improves information sharing and coordination on threat analyses that impact the power sector.

“A key ingredient of this program involves two-way sharing of information between grid operators and the intelligence community to their mutual benefit: improving the ability to assess risks and threats and then how to act upon that information.

“H.R. 7258, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, led by the gentlelady from Florida’s fifteenth congressional district and the gentleman from Ohio’s first congressional district, represents long-time bipartisan policy of this Committee to strengthen the ability of DOE to carry out its energy sector security and emergency functions.

“The bill requires the energy emergency and security functions at DOE are led by an Assistant Secretary, confirmed by the Senate. This will ensure the Department has the focused and accountable leadership that will strengthen intergovernmental and energy sector collaboration.

“H.R. 7266, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, led by the gentlelady from Iowa’s first congressional district and the gentlelady from Virginia’s fourth congressional district, provides targeted funding and technical assistance so small utilities, electric co-operatives, and public power agencies have the resources to secure their critical electric systems—including systems serving military installations.

“Of course, as we heard during our legislative hearing, States are critical to energy security. They have unique visibility into the interconnected relationships, risks and vulnerabilities related to the energy systems within their borders.

“H.R. 7257, the SECURE Grid Act, which I sponsored with my colleague from California’s seventh congressional district, builds upon the existing State Energy Security Plan framework to expand the visibility of potential threats to local electric distribution and supply chain networks.

“Finally, as the Sector Risk Management Agency for the energy sector, DOE must have visibility over the whole energy sector, which as we heard in the legislative hearing is comprised of increasingly interconnected systems.

“Because of this, DOE actively works not only with the power sector, but also the oil and gas sector to prepare and respond appropriately to emergencies.

“DOE’s technical capabilities and central role in Federal energy coordination make it well positioned to improve the complex layers of communication necessary for energy sector security.

“H.R. 7272, the Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, led by the Subcommittee Vice Chairman from Texas’s fourteenth congressional district and the gentlelady from Michigan’s sixth congressional district, does just this.

“It builds on DOE’s leadership to establish a non-regulatory program to improve the coordination and other assistance across the energy sector, states, and the federal government with regard to the security and resilience of pipelines and other facilities that deliver the nation’s oil and gas—and are necessary for reliable energy and power.

“All told, these bills advance the important bipartisan work of this Subcommittee to protect critical energy infrastructure.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.

Subcommittee Chairman Joyce’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing entitled ‘Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.’

“Recent criminal prosecutions and continued allegations of fraud in the State of Minnesota’s Medicaid and other benefits programs have shone a spotlight on how vulnerable these programs are. Americans are outraged. Any amount of waste, fraud, or abuse of resources and taxpayer funds is too much, but it is particularly alarming when it happens on a scale as large as what is being uncovered in Minnesota.

“What’s happening in Minnesota’s Medicaid program is critical and worth discussing, but it is just the tip of the iceberg — Medicare and Medicaid fraud is common, happening nationwide, and has been egregious for decades.

“Some estimates place annual Medicare and Medicaid fraud losses at $100 billion annually. This is only a conservative estimate because fraud can only be accounted for if it is detected.

“The Government Accountability Office placed Medicare on its inaugural ‘high-risk’ list in 1990, and it has remained there ever since. Medicaid also joined Medicare on the ‘high-risk’ list in 2003. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has also sounded the alarm on the unsustainable rates of waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid.

“Here are just a few examples of some of the fraud schemes we are seeing in these programs:

“In New York, an adult day care owner defrauded Medicaid over $68 million through illegal patient referral kickbacks and bribery schemes.

“In Arizona, a man based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates allegedly billed Arizona Medicaid $650 million in a fraud scheme targeting the homeless and Native Americans seeking substance abuse treatment.

“In another case last year, seven defendants across Arizona and Nevada were charged in connection with an alleged $1.1 billion Medicare fraud scheme for medically unnecessary amniotic wound allografts, or skin substitutes.

“Just a few weeks ago, a Florida laboratory owner pleaded guilty to $52 million in medically unnecessary genetic tests billed on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.

“In all these cases, patients suffer from unnecessary, inadequate, or a complete lack of medical care. In other cases, patients are unknowingly victims of identity theft or misleading marketing practices perpetrated by fraudsters.

“And as highlighted in one of the above examples, nation-states and overseas criminal gangs are also targeting Medicare and Medicaid. Recent criminal indictments and convictions show the trend is getting worse and exemplify the scale of the fraud. It has been said that health care fraud is becoming easier and more lucrative than the illicit drug trade.

“Patients will suffer if these health care programs cannot continue on a responsible fiscal path. It is our duty to protect these programs for our most vulnerable Americans. American taxpayers invest hundreds of billions into Medicare and Medicaid. We must do better to protect these programs from fraud that is draining them of billions of dollars annually.

“We applaud law enforcement efforts that investigate and prosecute fraud, but we can save more money by detecting and preventing fraud before it occurs, rather than paying and chasing funds after they are paid to criminals.

“I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. Your knowledge about this important topic will help us understand the challenge of Medicare and Medicaid program integrity we are facing today. As our witnesses will testify to today, these are real, legitimate fraud schemes.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans.

Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

_“Good morning and welcome to today’s Energy subcommittee hearing with all five Commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. _

“We welcome Chairman Swett and Commissioner LaCerte for their first appearance before our subcommittee, and welcome back Commissioners Rosner, See, and Chang.

_“FERC was established in 1970 by Congress as an economic regulator to ensure that electricity, natural gas, and oil is delivered to the American people safely, securely, and reasonably priced. _

“Now, as our nation stands at the precipice of substantial change in the global economy, it is imperative for FERC to remain steadfastly focused on their core mission in order to fuel technological advancements and stabilize the bulk power system to keep the lights on.

“It is no secret that our grid is under extreme stress. The head of North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, called the reliability crisis a “five alarm fire.”

“Average utility bills rose by 11 percent in 2025 after increasing by 29 percent in the four years prior, and substantially higher across our nation’s bluest states.

“Grid operators are flashing red alarms about the mismatch between growing demands and dwindling baseload resources.

“In fact, the Department of Energy found that the current pace of baseload retirements and load growth raise the risk of blackouts by 100 times by 2030.

“And across the country, a growing number of Americans are concerned about the potential for data center development to raise their utility bills.

“How did we get here?

“Decades of poor policy decisions from federal and state governments steered utilities away from reliability-centric investments and towards one intended to meet renewable energy goals.

“Even while fuel and generation costs have plummeted since the shale revolution, utility spending has been buoyed by costly investments on transmission and distribution to connect variable remote resources like wind and solar.

“Across the country, retail rate filing cases at state commissions have highlighted several reasons for upward price pressures – transmission development for state energy policies, interest rates, wildfire and disaster mitigation, among others.

“In our wholesale market states, higher prices should act as a signal for new entrants.

“Unfortunately, permitting delays, excessive litigation, and blue state policies to prevent pipeline construction are preventing market forces from responding appropriately.

“The current situation is untenable and unsustainable.

“It is important to remind everyone about what’s at stake in the AI race.

“Ask yourself, do you want your family’s personal, banking, or health information stored in Communist China?

“But winning the AI race, reshoring manufacturing jobs, and lowering costs are not mutually exclusive.

“When done properly, research continues to show that the growth of large energy users like data centers and manufacturing facilities can help stabilize the grid and make electricity more affordable.

“To achieve this reality, we need FERC to remain laser focused on its core mission as an economic regulator.

“Along with the Trump administration, the Commission is righting the ship towards a more secure and prosperous future for all Americans.

“Throughout 2025, FERC returned to a methodical approach to permitting interstate natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities.

“They are working to streamline the process for licensing hydropower facilities to maintain and grow vital baseload resources.

“The Commission has also made substantial progress on addressing jurisdictional lines between federal and state authority over co-location and flexible power arrangements.

“FERC, along with the Administration and states, are ensuring that costs associated with the development of data centers are not falling on the backs of ratepayers.

“And importantly, the Commission has continued working through the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) collaborative to establish meaningful, productive, and effective dialogue between federal and state partners to tackle challenges facing our nation’s energy systems.

“While substantial progress has been made to reaffirm American energy dominance, more work remains.

“Today’s hearing is a pivotal opportunity for the committee to better understand how FERC can best serve the interests of the American people.

“I look forward to today’s discussion and yield back.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.

“What’s happening in Minnesota’s Medicaid program is deeply concerning and requires robust Congressional oversight; however, it is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Chairman Joyce. “Medicare and Medicaid fraud has been occurring in communities across the U.S. for decades, diverting necessary resources from patients in need. It is our duty to protect these programs for our most vulnerable Americans.”

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today's hearing:

Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01): “I’m from the state of Idaho—which, sometimes, may not be the first state you think about when there might be fraud, but that is kind of the basis of my question. Have you noticed any trends where states might get targeted or regions might get targeted as a function of potentially them having a lower barrier for entry, or maybe perceived as not being as likely to be audited?” Ms. Gay: “Absolutely. We talk a lot in the industry how [fraud] can be regionally generated. It tends to start in one particular area, and then I don’t know if they’re all hanging out, talking to each other, or how that spreads, but it does tend to start in certain populations and then branch out from there based on controls.” Mr. Fulcher: “What if the bad actor is a foreign actor? How much of that do you see? And if so, what kind of a challenge does that bring to potentially pursuing that fraud, if it’s perpetrated by a foreign actor?” Ms. Wooten: “Certainly, states have seen both fraud cases perpetrated by foreign and by U.S. citizens or people in the U.S., and from our perspective, as being a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, it makes no difference. We look at allegations, try to identify whether there is something we can do about them? Is the dollar amount something we can pursue? Are we going to be able to get value back for the Medicaid program? Do we have the laws in place to prosecute whatever type of fraud is referred? And we move forward with that investigation.”

Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02): “So what’s the solution here? I mean, some argue stronger oversight would actually threaten access to care, but based on your experience, what actually happens to access when fraud is not controlled? Who bears the brunt of this?” Ms. Gay: “I think there’s certainly the patient-harm attribute you mentioned—you know, not getting the care that you need. […] We dealt with some cases with ACA enrollments, and by the time we verified with CMS that those were eligible recipients, the health plan was already on the hook for $1, $2, $3 million. Were these patients even receiving the care? In some cases, yes. In other cases, they had no idea that they were in a facility for such treatment. […] Now you have somebody that doesn’t even have that challenge, but that is now on their record. And even worse—those that do, that are getting subpar treatment at a very exorbitant rate and still not getting better.”

Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01): “Auditors found 112 hospice providers operating out of a single physical address. 112...holy cow. As a result, hospice agencies in LA County alone likely overbilled Medicare by $105 million in just one year. […] It looks like it’s a problem in a lot of different places. And that’s why I want to ask you, Ms. Wooten, have you seen instances of copycats where fraudsters see a successful fraud scheme happening in one location, so they try to replicate the same fraud elsewhere?” Ms. Wooten: “Absolutely. We definitely see replicated fraud schemes in hospices; an excellent example. I share your concerns about home health and hospice because I owned a home health agency for many years, and I didn’t even choose to be a hospice because there were specialized agencies that could handle that part, and we would refer to them under the right circumstances. What we now see, though—hospices who are admitting patients who are not terminally ill, patients who don’t know they were put on hospice, patients who maybe aren’t getting treatments that they need, because the hospice philosophy, as you know, is for comfort care, not for treating illnesses. We have seen the same thing in Utah that the hospices have exploded. Now, I’m not saying they’re all fraudulent either, but absolutely; fraudsters learn from fraudsters and it’s an area we have to investigate.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans.

“Now, as our nation stands at the precipice of substantial change in the global economy, it is imperative for FERC to remain steadfastly focused on their core mission in order to fuel technological advancements and stabilize the bulk power system to keep the lights on,” said Chairman Latta. “Winning the AI race, reshoring manufacturing jobs, and lowering energy costs are not mutually exclusive. When done properly, research continues to show that the growth of large energy users like data centers and manufacturing facilities can help stabilize the grid and make electricity more affordable.

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “How is FERC working with states that block pipelines? And how are you balancing the affordability mission when you have states like New York that actually kill pipeline projects?” Chairman Swett: “That is a 100-billion-dollar question. Effectively, under the regime that Congress has created, and the Clean Water Act, states have the ability to veto a project if they do not give a certification, and that is a problem that FERC simply cannot work around. If Congress saw fit to change that, we would be happy and ready to implement any directives.” Mr. Pfluger: “Is it your belief that having those pipelines in the capacity to deliver that natural gas lowers prices?” Chairman Swett: “Well, I think as you very wisely stated at the beginning of your comments, the proof is in the pudding. The fact that areas that don’t have enough gas are paying maybe 300 times what they should, as you said, is unacceptable. That is not a just and reasonable rate for Americans.”

Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “When opponents claim that LNG exports raise domestic prices, they ignore the factors that actually increase natural gas costs for consumers, such as the lack of pipeline capacity during the storm. Regions with pipelines to deliver natural gas had significantly lower prices than areas with constrained capacity. In fact, on January 26, 2026, the Monday after Winter Storm Fern, Northeast winter gas prices were up 2.4 times higher than the Appalachia supply. FERC has taken important actions to address constrained pipeline capacity, like repealing Order 871 and examining cost thresholds for blanket approvals. Can you discuss what other action FERC is considering taking to expedite the construction of needed energy infrastructure projects? And how will these actions help deliver affordable, reliable energy to our constituents?” Chairman Swett: “Thank you for the question. I also am very concerned about Northeast prices, and one thing that was really shocking for me coming out of the storm was that, in the Northeast during Fern, 40 percent of generation came from fuel oil or diesel, and that’s simply because we don’t have enough gas infrastructure to bring gas to New England. So, I fully agree with you. That’s why we are looking to, wholesale across the board, take a hard look at our permitting actions. And when it comes to pipelines in particular, we are trying to streamline our NEPA process.”

Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07): “Chairman Swett, the Seven County [Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County] Supreme Court decision was remarkable in a way, because it was won unanimously. So, in a body like ours that oftentimes has several different ways to view any particular issue, when you see a unanimous Supreme Court decision, it kind of raises your eyebrows a little bit. The Court held that courts should—afford substantial deference to an agency as to the scope and contents of an environmental impact statement. How has FERC changed its NEPA practice in response to the Seven County decision? And to piggyback on top of that, what is left to do to come in line with that decision?” Chairman Swett: “Thankfully, the Seven County decision allowed FERC, in my opinion, to realign our emissions analyses with our statutory responsibility as a primarily economic regulator charged with encouraging the development and plentiful supply of natural gas at reasonable prices, per Congress’s instruction. So, what that means, when the rubber hits the road, is now we no longer analyze the indirect emissions from upstream production or downstream combustion.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding three Subcommittee Hearings and one Subcommittee Markup. Read more below.

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss oversight of FERC.

• DATE: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
• TIME: 10:15 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing on how fraudsters are draining state and federal governments through schemes in our government-run health programs.

• DATE: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
• TIME: 10:30 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2360 Rayburn House Office Building

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a legislative hearing on FirstNet reauthorization.

• DATE: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
• TIME: 10:15 AM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will hold a markup of five bills.

• DATE: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
• TIME: 2:00 PM ET
• LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation’s 2025 Hatch Center Policy Review featured an essay by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, titled Dominance, Deployment, and Safeguards: The Path for American AI Leadership.

In the essay, Chairman Guthrie warns that America risks falling behind China in artificial intelligence and outlines a strategy to strengthen U.S. innovation, secure supply chains, and expand global leadership.

In Case You Missed It:

“One of the defining traits of the American experiment has been a commitment to exploring the unknown. From the early explorers who first landed in the Americas to the modern technology industry that has placed a powerful computer in the pocket of every American, we are a nation of trailblazers.

“What makes this moment unique is the pending threat to America’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) technology by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP)–backed companies, many of which have developed advanced technologies nearly at parity with that of American AI companies. Knowing that the AI revolution will define economic growth and global competitiveness for the next century, the United States must choose to innovate.

“The stakes couldn’t be higher. China already deploys next-generation technologies to advance many of the regime’s most sinister goals focused on enhancing the power of its Orwellian surveillance state utilizing advanced computing. Even more concerning to the American public is the threat of an adversary’s technology stack serving as the building blocks for future advancements or as a strategic chokehold. For example, we have unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way through Chinese bottlenecks related to telecommunications equipment and critical mineral mining and processing.

“Strengthening our supply chains is an area where Republicans and Democrats largely agree. Even the Biden Administration took dramatic action to address national security risks from autonomous and connected vehicles to prevent cars and trucks built by CCP-aligned manufacturers from operating in the United States.

“President Trump has also been crystal clear: American supply chains can no longer rely on our adversaries’ goodwill. China will use any economic and technological leverage over Americans and the products we use if given the opportunity. The ongoing threat of China doesn’t just call for an agenda that restricts the aggression of the PRC, but also an agenda that promotes American innovation at home and abroad.

“At the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, we have three pillars that guide our approach to AI: dominance, deployment, and safeguards.

“For the United States to be dominant in AI, we must be the ones to actually develop and deploy these new technologies at scale. When I talk with business leaders, they tell me we have the brainpower and the capital necessary to compete. However, we still need to increase our energy production to meet rising electricity demand, and we need to ensure our regulatory environment is structured to meet this moment.

“China has chosen the path of top-down government control to drive its AI industry. While this strategy affords the CCP some advantages, the American model of bottom-up, free-market capitalism has long been the engine of innovation for the world, and it is more efficient in the long run.

“Unfortunately, our allies across the Atlantic have taken the opposite approach and made the mistake of racing to heavily regulate technologies, slowing innovation as a result. Onerous, conflicting, and confusing regulations are suffocating European technology companies and effectively grounding the AI industry there before it can even get off the ground.

“And to those who recommend America follow that path, I would remind you: We are not in a race with Europe to regulate. We are in a race with China to innovate.

“A patchwork of state laws here at home would have the same effect, stalling AI development and deployment and providing our adversaries with opportunity to advance, excluding Americans from the benefits of a new technological revolution founded on fundamentally Western values. It is vitally important for American technology companies to be the ones setting global technology standards for the next generation of tools and systems.

“President Trump’s AI Action Plan includes a range of policies to put us back on track to export a full American stack of AI products and services to our allies. Prioritizing the export of American products and services helps embed American-driven technical standards in global markets, expand our economic influence, and strengthen our national security.

“But maintaining global leadership cannot occur without deploying energy and broadband infrastructure at scale. By consuming enormous amounts of electricity to power vast networks of computers, AI data centers effectively convert energy into intelligence, and at a scale we’ve never seen before.

“The U.S. is blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources that can be leveraged to generate the baseload, dispatchable electricity necessary to power data centers, broader electrification efforts, and advanced manufacturing. But we need the right approach at the federal level to seize this moment, and building the energy infrastructure to power the future is the first step.

“But we also need to look at the broad application of AI technologies and the promise of benefits for consumers that span our entire economy. This year the Committee has already held hearings across our wide jurisdiction demonstrating the ways AI can improve the everyday lives of Americans.

“For example, AI technologies can help to limit the frequency and duration of network blackouts, meaning better coverage in cases of emergencies or cyberattacks. After an expansive operation to cripple telecommunications in New York City was linked to China this fall, this could mean the difference between life and death.

“Autonomous vehicles are on track to have the same effect. The National Safety Council estimated that Advanced Driver Assistance Systems could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the coming decades. Even setting aside the radical improvements in safety, AI-supported vehicles will offer elderly Americans and people with disabilities new options for independence.

“In health care, AI can expedite the repetitive, administrative processes that slow treatment and research, freeing providers to focus on their core skills treating patients. Supporting—not replacing—health care professionals has long been a critical priority for Congress, and artificial intelligence may represent a generational opportunity to advance those efforts.

“You may see a theme emerging: AI can make the world safer and workers more productive. But with that goal in mind, we also recognize the need for narrowly tailored protections to address new and unexpected harms. The TAKE IT DOWN Act—which was signed into law earlier this year—is a perfect example of Congress’s ability to provide guardrails where existing law does not suffice. Bipartisan majorities in Congress worked closely with the President and First Lady Melania Trump to target the spread of sexually exploitative, non-consensual AI images, filling gaps in the law related to emerging technologies.

“With AI advancements continuing to permeate the digital economy, American families deserve tools as sophisticated as the platforms their kids are using. Modern challenges require modern protections, which is why the Energy and Commerce Committee is also working to make the internet safer for kids as AI technologies increasingly shape online experiences.

“Similarly, Americans of all ages should be entitled to commonsense data privacy protections, especially in the era of large language models that use vast amounts of data to train AI algorithms. Passing one national, comprehensive data privacy bill—so your privacy protections do not change crossing state lines—would be a critical step toward restoring trust online, without unduly hurting American entrepreneurs.

“Artificial intelligence is already helping raise the tide so every American can benefit. Continuing that momentum requires commitments and intentional decisions by the leaders of industry, government, and civil society. Challenges will inevitably arise, but that has never stopped our nation from innovating, creating, and growing before.

“The rest of this century will either belong to the United States and its allies or China. If we cede the technological edge, we risk losing our ability to expand our influence abroad and will provide a platform for China to expand its authoritarian state and stifle human freedom.

“The strong U.S. economy and our workers are the greatest assets we have. As long as we choose to embrace those strengths instead of holding ourselves back, America will continue to succeed. Our leadership has undoubtedly made the world stronger and more prosperous in recent decades, and we don’t plan on stopping now.”