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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 two bills. Chairman Guthrie’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Thank you all for being here today as we prepare to consider two bills that would strengthen our ever-important public safety communications infrastructure. “Many of us have seen natural disasters up close and personal in our districts, and our constituents deserve the best version of the infrastructure and alert systems we are considering today. “In moments of crisis, every American must be able to trust that our networks are strong and reliable. FirstNet is a central part of that mission, and why I am looking forward to advancing the bipartisan First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act today. “That’s why it's so important that we remove the legislative ambiguity currently plaguing the program, while preserving the importance of the FirstNet Board and the voices of first responders. “Since our hearing and markup in the beginning of February, we have worked tirelessly with first responders and public safety officials to incorporate wide-ranging edits and technical assistance to make this bill as strong as possible. “We have run a very open process, and we truly appreciate their efforts to engage with us and find common ground wherever possible in this reauthorization. “I would also like to thank the sponsors of this bill, Representatives Dunn and McClellan, for their leadership and commitment to improving accountability, reliability, and transparency in the FirstNet program. “Our markup today also includes the Mystic Alert Act, led by Representative Pfluger, which will facilitate the use of satellite alerts to quickly convey information about potential threats in areas where traditional cell service may not be available. “We had multiple members of this Committee, including my friend from Texas Mr. Pfluger, who experienced first-hand the horrific events last summer. That’s why I’m glad we’ve been able to advance this bill today. “On so many issues, the Energy and Commerce Committee is the place where we are able to work in a bipartisan way and advance strong, commonsense legislation. So, I’ll close by thanking Ranking Member Pallone and his staff for working closely with us to advance these joint priorities.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, led by Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), reported two bills to the full House of Representatives. “Many of us have seen natural disasters up close and personal in our districts, and our constituents deserve the best version of the infrastructure and alert systems we are considering today,”   said Chairman Guthrie.  “On so many issues, the Energy and Commerce Committee is the place where we are able to work in a bipartisan way and advance strong, commonsense legislation.” Legislative Vote Summary: H.R. 7386 ,  The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act, was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 51 yeas – 0 nays. H.R. 7022 ,  Mystic Alerts Act, was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 52 yeas – 0 nays. Watch the full markup  here . Below are key excerpts from today’s markup: Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09) on H.R. 7386, The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act:  “We heard directly from NTIA's public testimony that they rely on the board to provide crucial expertise and direction on the needs of public safety. This legislation preserves that existing relationship and goes even further to strengthen public safety's voice by requiring two additional seats on the board to be dedicated to public safety. I firmly believe this legislation will pave the way for a stronger and more resilient First Responder Network Authority.” Congressman Neal Dunn (FL-02) on H.R. 7386, The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act: “ FirstNet is not just a network. It is the backbone of public safety communications in this country. When Congress first established the First Responder Network, the objective was clear – build a preemptive network for first responders that they could rely on. These brave men and women, the ones who step forward while others step back, who risk their lives to protect our communities, deserve nothing less than a resilient communication system.” Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) on H.R. 7022, Mystic Alerts Act:  “Many of you know this is a personal issue for me. After the July 4th flooding that swept through central Texas, including the all-girls Camp Mystic, where two of my daughters were attending, I knew that Congress had to act and had to act quickly to improve the redundancy and the reliability in the wireless emergency alert system, to ensure that alerts reach families and first responders even in the most challenging circumstances. H.R. 7022, the Mystic Alerts Act is the result of these efforts, and this legislation ensures that during natural disasters wireless emergency alerts can still be delivered via satellite.”

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.  FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP: The Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of two bills to reauthorize FirstNet and modernize the emergency alert system.  DATE:  Wednesday, March 25, 2026   TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to review the 1996 Telecom Act.   DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026   TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is holding a hearing on how the Committee is cracking down on illicit drug threats in order to protect Americans families and keep communities safe.  DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026  TIME:  2:00 PM 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, announced a Full Committee markup of two bills to reauthorize FirstNet and modernize the emergency alert system. WHAT : Full Committee markup of two bills. DATE: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building Items to be considered: H.R. 7386 , The First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act (Reps. Dunn and McClellan) H.R. 7022 , Mystic Alerts Act (Reps. Pfluger and Fletcher) 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 energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Matt VanHyfte at Matt.VanHyfte@mail.house.gov . ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36), Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, issued the following statement after the White House released a  federal AI framework . “AI has begun to demonstrate its potential to improve Americans’ lives. To ensure we continue to harness its potential and beat China in the global AI race, Congress must take action. Today, the Trump Administration took a critical step in releasing a framework that gives Congress a roadmap to pursue legislation that provides innovators with much-needed certainty, while protecting consumers and prioritizing kids’ online safety. House Republicans look forward to working across the aisle to enact a national framework that unleashes the full potential of AI, cements the U.S. as the global leader, and provides important protections for American families.” ###

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  Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats. “As new and emerging drug threats arise in communities across America, it’s vital this Committee continues to implement solutions that prevent illicit drugs from causing any more damage for American families,”  said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith . “This hearing builds on critical pieces of legislation that President Trump signed into law last year, like the HALT Fentanyl Act and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. We will also discuss several additional bills that actively promote the safety of our constituents and crack down on the infiltration of lethal substances into our communities. We are grateful to our bill sponsors for championing these policies, because there is always more that can be done to combat the illicit drug crisis.” Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing titled  Policies to Protect Our Communities From Illicit Drug Threats . WHAT:  Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing on how the Committee is cracking down on illicit drug threats in order to protect Americans families and keep communities safe. DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026       TIME:  2:00 PM ET LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building This hearing will focus on the following bills:  H.R. 1266 ,  Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act (Reps. Panetta and Pfluger) H.R. 5630 ,  To amend the Public Health Service Act to require additional information in State plans for Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services block grants (Rep. Houchin) H.R. 5629 ,  To provide that the final rule of the Department of Health and Human Services titled “Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder”, except for the portion of the final rule relating to accreditation of opioid treatment programs, shall have no force or effect. (Rep. Houchin) H.R. 2004 ,  Tyler’s Law (Reps. Lieu and Latta) H.R. 7970 ,  STOP Nitazenes Act (Rep. Latta) H.R. 8000 ,  END 7-OH Act (Rep. Bilirakis) H.R. 7184 ,  PRESS Act (Rep. McDowell) H.R. 8005 ,  Stop Pills That Kill Act (Rep. Evans) H.R. 5880 ,  Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act (Reps. Hageman and Stansbury) H.R. 1227 ,  Alternatives to Pain Act (Reps. Miller-Meeks and Barragan) H.R. 2715 ,  Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act (Reps. Higgins and Carter) H.R. 1561 ,  ALERT Communities Act (Reps. Crockett and Gooden) H.R. 7994 ,  HERO Act (Rep. Ruiz) H.R. 7407 ,  Prohibiting Tianeptine and Other Dangerous Products Act of 2026 (Rep. Pallone) 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. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced a hearing titled  The Telecommunications Act of 1996: 30 Years Later .  “The communications marketplace has transformed dramatically in the thirty years since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson.  “ This hearing will examine what parts of the law have worked, what have not, and how Congress can build on those lessons to modernize our laws to promote innovation, strengthen competition, and drive investment in modern communications networks.”   Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled The Telecommunications Act of 1996: 30 Years Later.   WHAT: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing to review the 1996 Telecom Act.  DATE:  Thursday, March 26, 2026  TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building 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 energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Noah Jackson with the Committee staff at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov .  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, sent a letter to Garney Companies, Inc., a contractor that was under consideration for an Emergency Master Service Agreement with DC Water to rehabilitate the Potomac Interceptor (PI) sewer line prior to its collapse on January 19, 2026.  “The collapsed portion of DC Water’s PI sewer line has resulted in what has been called ‘one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.’ The consequences of this spill continue to be evaluated, and the Committee remains concerned by the potential impacts to public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism,”  said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer.  “The resilience of our wastewater infrastructure systems remains critical, and the Committee aims to understand what risks were determined prior to this incident and how future incidents may be prevented.”   Key excerpt from the letter:   “As part of its investigation, the Committee continues to obtain information from entities and individuals with knowledge that is relevant to this incident. According to the DC Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors, Garney Companies, Inc (Garney) was under consideration for a potential Emergency Master Service Agreement for the PI rehabilitation, which was anticipated to begin on May 15, 2025. However, the contract was never finalized. The Committee is requesting information related to this contract and any additional information that your company may have related to the site of the PI wastewater collapse prior to the incident.   “It is the Committee’s understanding that the potential agreement between DC Water and   Garney would have covered a period of two years. The purpose of this contract was stated to   ‘[p]rovide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to   rehabilitate and provide redundancy for the Potomac Interceptor.’ Additionally, the project   scope included a number of repairs and upgrades to improve the reliability of this critical   Infrastructure.”   CLICK HERE   to read the full letter.  Background:   The Committee launched its investigation into the Potomac Interceptor collapse on February 20, 2026. Today’s letter to Garney represents the next step in uncovering what went wrong.   DC Water was considering an Emergency Master Service Agreement with Garney to “provide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to rehabilitate and provide redundancy” for the PI. That contract was anticipated to begin May 15, 2025, but the contract was never finalized.   The January 19, 2026, collapse of the PI sewer line has been called one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, with consequences for public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism still being evaluated.   The Committee is requesting all documents and communications related to Garney’s proposal, the unimplemented emergency contract, and information related to the collapse site prior to the incident—seeking to understand what risks were known beforehand and how future incidents can be prevented.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape . Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Today we will discuss health care costs and patient access challenges by examining the health care provider landscape.   “This is the third hearing in the Committee’s health affordability series following hearings with health insurance executives back in January and stakeholders from the prescription drug supply chain last month.    “The United States provider landscape includes a wide range of entities and organizations that deliver services to patients.   “Hospitals and large health systems provide acute and specialized care. However, we have also seen these entities expand into outpatient service delivery.   “Independent physician practices and group practices deliver much of the primary and outpatient services that patients rely on every day.   “Although they are not before us in this hearing, I also want to recognize the critical role that federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and community hospitals play in our health system, especially in our most rural and underserved areas.   “It is no secret that across the country patients are faced with fewer choices about where they can receive care, as the provider market has consolidated dramatically.    “Hospitals are acquiring physician practices, systems are merging, and too often, patients have little options among providers.     “In many cases, the states that see the most consolidation have the largest rural populations—exacerbating access challenges, leaving communities strained, and contributing to overall unaffordability.   “On top of vertical integration limiting the viability of independent practices, the so-called Affordable Care Act has enabled the landscape to become even more narrow.   “In fact, because of the Affordable Care Act, any existing physician-owned hospital built before 2010 is prohibited from growing beyond the size it was when the bill became law. How does that make sense?   “As a result, many patients face limited provider options in their communities and may encounter higher prices with little insight into the cost of health services.   “At the same time, transparency amongst the health care provider system remains insufficient.   “Prices can vary widely for the same service depending on where care is delivered, and billing statements may include facility fees, multiple providers, and negotiated rates that are difficult for patients to understand.    “Additionally, programs such as the 340B Drug Pricing Program have become opaque and some hospitals have gone against the true intent of the program.    “The 340B Program was created with the intention of helping safety-net providers care for low-income and vulnerable patients; however, as hospitals and larger entities participate and expand affiliated contract pharmacies, visibility has become limited into how the program’s generated discounts are used and whether those savings are reaching patients.   “In many cases, the result of this system is that Americans are left navigating complex, and often expensive, medical bills—whether from a hospital visit or routine appointment—that they did not anticipate, cannot easily afford, and sometimes only learn about weeks or months after receiving care.   “When provider markets lack competition and transparency, prices can rise without patients having the information needed to make cost-conscious decisions.   “Today we will hear from different organizations that represent health care providers across a variety of settings, so that we can look for ways to try and make delivering and receiving care more affordable.    “We have the American Hospital Association in front of us who represents many types of hospitals and health care networks.   “We will also hear from the American Medical Association who represents physicians across the country.   “The American Academy of Family Physicians is here to give the perspective of family medicine practitioners.    “We also have the Purchaser Business Group on Health before us to provide insights into the relationship between private employers and public purchasers.   “We also have a neurosurgeon from the University of California San Francisco to give the perspective of specialty doctors and the care they provide to patients.    “Lastly, we have Barbara Merrill from the American Network of Community Options and Resources.   “These witnesses have unique insights into the factors that are currently leading to the high costs patients are facing when receiving care, and I am looking forward to the discussion.”   ###