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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, the Washington Examiner published an article featuring a letter from House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), along with Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), and Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), requesting a briefing on HRSA’s ongoing oversight of patient safety in the nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. In Case You Missed It: “House Republicans and Democrats are pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to increase transparency on possible ‘systemic problems’ and ‘threats to patient safety’ in the national organ transplant system, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Examiner. “Bipartisan leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to Health Resources and Services Administrator Thomas Engels on Friday, probing whether the agency is able to conduct a wide-ranging review of patient safety after multiple reported incidents of organ donor patients being egregiously mistreated by organ procurement organizations. “Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), along with ranking Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ), John Joyce (R-PA), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), said in a joint statement on Tuesday that their investigation into the organ procurement system ‘has demonstrated the need for further oversight’ and that problems may exist nationwide. “The American people should be able to have full faith and confidence in our organ donor and transplant system, and we will continue to work together to prevent these harmful practices from continuing,’ said the bipartisan representatives in their statement. “The Energy and Commerce Committee began its longer-term investigation testimony last fall about a Kentucky patient, Anthony Thomas Hoover II, whose family agreed to proceed with organ donation following an overdose in 2021. “Although Hoover’s neurological condition improved, representatives from the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, the organ procurement organization serving Kentucky, moved forward with the organ retrieval process. Records indicate that Hoover woke up on the operating table before the retrieval surgery, and hospital staff intervened to stop the procedure. “HRSA, which oversees the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and its contractor organ procurement organizations, conducted its own internal investigation into the Kentucky situation following the revelation of Hoover’s case. “The HRSA corrective action plan, issued in May, examined 351 organ procurement cases in Kentucky between December 2024 and February 2025 that did not result in donation. “About 30% of those cases, 103 patients, presented ‘concerning features,’ including 73 patients who showed neurological signs of life after being approved for organ donation surgery and 28 patients who may have survived entirely since there was no cardiac time of death recorded. “Other ‘concerning features’ of the incidents in the HRSA report, according to Guthrie and his House colleagues, include ‘issues related to patient and family interactions, medical assessments and healthcare team interactions, recognition of high neurological function, and recognition and documentation of drugs in patient records.’ “HRSA’s testimony and other public reports suggest that these patterns are not limited to instances detailed in HRSA’s report and may exist in other parts of the country,’ Guthrie and his colleagues wrote. “The bipartisan representatives in their letter cited a New York Times piece published in August about Misty Hawkins, 42, from Alabama, who was taken off life support in the spring of 2024 and prepped for organ donation. Doctors discovered while she was on the operating table that her heart was still beating and she was breathing during her organ retrieval surgery. “Last week, another story came to light of a 22-year-old patient from Kentucky who, in 2019, was taken to surgery to have his organs removed for donation despite still having a heartbeat and not being declared brain dead. “Larry Black Jr., who arrived at the hospital a week prior due to a gunshot wound to the head, was rescued from surgery just in time by another physician. Now at 28, he is a father to three children. “HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed HRSA in July to conduct a deeper investigation into the Kentucky organ procurement case, saying that ‘the entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves.’ “But the agency has not yet announced plans for a nationwide review of organ transplant systems. “Guthrie and his House colleagues requested that HRSA provide more information on the current status of all patient safety complaints that the agency has received and whether or not HRSA has the capacity ‘to initiate other wide-ranging reviews appropriate, in response to a patient safety complaint that may suggest a systemic problem.’ “The committee requested a staff-level briefing no later than September 26. “Americans’ confidence in the system comes when patient safety is protected,’ said the bipartisan House coalition.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, issued the following statement in response to an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of a decision to decertify the organ procurement organization (OPO) covering South Florida, as well as new efforts by the Health Services and Resources Administration’s (HRSA) to improve operations within the organ procurement and transplant system. “It is critical to ensure that all entities involved in the organ procurement and transplantation process operate safely, and we are grateful to HHS for their instrumental action taken today to mitigate some of the harmful practices that have come to light through rigorous investigations by this Committee and HRSA,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce. “The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on issues related to patient safety in July and will continue working to protect patients and their families to restore trust in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. We applaud HHS for building upon those efforts through the actions taken today and look forward to continuing to work with them.”   Background:   Today, HHS announced it is moving to decertify an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO)—the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, a division of the University of Miami Health System—after an investigation uncovered years of unsafe practices, poor training, chronic underperformance, understaffing, and paperwork errors.  HHS also announced reforms to restore integrity and trust in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), including:  Imposing safeguards to prevent line-skipping in organ allocation, immediately protecting nearly 300 patients.  Holding a special election, which spurred record turnout, to install an independent OPTN board.  Establishing a strengthened misconduct reporting system, giving patients and providers a direct channel for safety concerns.  Creating a transparency tool that shows when organs are allocated outside the standard match list.  Removing “DEI” provisions from the 2024 IOTA model to ensure procedural fairness.  Through its extensive investigation, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has uncovered concerning practices in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system.   On July 22, 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing examining concerning practices within our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system that were also identified by HRSA’s investigation.    On September 12, 2025, Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce and Ranking Members Pallone and Clarke wrote a letter to HRSA requesting a briefing on its ongoing oversight of patient safety in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, released the following statement following the passage of H.R. 3062, the Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act, H.R. 3015, the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act, and H.R. 1047, the GRID Power Act. “Today’s passage of H.R. 3062, H.R. 3015, and H.R. 1047 reflects the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s relentless work to secure American energy dominance. These bills streamline the permitting process for critical cross-border energy projects, restore expert advisory input from the coal industry that the Biden-Harris Administration eliminated, and ensure that electricity grid operators have the tools they need to secure the reliability of the bulk power system. With rising energy demand and growing threats to grid reliability, House Republicans are ensuring the U.S. has the tools to deliver affordable, abundant, and reliable energy,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Thank you to Congresswoman Fedorchak, Congressman Rulli, and Congressman Balderson for their tireless work to strengthen our grid and power our communities.”   H.R. 3062 passed the House by a vote of 224 to 203, H.R. 3015 passed the House by a vote of 217 to 209, and H.R. 1047 passed the House by a vote of 216 to 206.  “Republicans are delivering on our promise to strengthen the grid, create American jobs, and lower energy costs for American families,” said Speaker Johnson. “This week, House Republicans passed three pieces of key legislation to build on the energy provisions within the historic Working Families Tax Cuts and codify President Trump’s Executive Orders to unleash American energy. As Democrats continue to push radical, job-killing, impossible-to-attain green agendas – Republicans are focused on real solutions that grow the economy and put American workers first. Together with President Trump, Republicans in Congress are helping pave the way for a return to American energy dominance.”   “The Keystone XL pipeline should have never been cancelled. Yet on his first day in office, President Biden used the stroke of a pen to shut it down,” said Congresswoman Fedorchak. “By passing my legislation, the House has taken a critical step to end years of regulatory uncertainty and partisan games that have delayed energy infrastructure projects, crushed good-paying jobs, and undermined America’s energy security.” “For decades, the National Coal Council was a powerful voice for coal and a tireless champion for American workers and communities. Coal has reliably fueled our factories, powered our homes, and helped build the greatest economy the world has ever known – it’s ridiculous to neglect it,” said Congressman Rulli. “We need common-sense energy policies that keep coal in the mix, strengthen our grid, and protect good-paying jobs. Codifying the National Coal Council into law ensures that politics doesn’t get in the way of good policy. I’m grateful to House leadership and my colleagues for voting to restore this vital council and secure America’s energy future.”   “With American power demand far outpacing our ability to generate more electricity, our grid is heading toward a reliability crisis,” said Congressman Balderson . “The interconnection queue is overwhelmed and bogged down, leaving shovel-ready power projects waiting for years while demand continues to climb. The GRID Power Act clears the path for the most critical projects, giving grid operators the tools they need to add more dispatchable baseload power—lowering costs for households and businesses while keeping America’s grid reliable.” Background on H.R. 3062, Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act: The expansion of cross-border energy transportation infrastructure—pipelines for oil and natural gas and electric transmission lines—is necessary to ensure our nation’s energy dominance and safeguard our national security. H.R. 3062 replaces the Presidential permit requirement with a more transparent and effective review process by authorizing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review applications for cross-border oil and natural gas pipelines, and the Department of Energy to review applications for cross-border transmission facilities. Background on H.R. 3015, National Coal Council Establishment Act: This legislation makes the National Coal Council permanent by removing requirements under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to re-charter every two years, therefore preventing future administrations from disbanding this essential council. While the United States is projected to increase electricity demands by 151 GW over the next ten years, coal fired units are pre-maturely retiring at an alarming rate. Premature retirements of coal fired units are largely driven by federal and state policies designed to intentionally attack their financial viability. Background on H.R.1047, GRID Power Act: The GRID Power Act provides Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators with authority to prioritize energy projects that are ready to bring more baseload power onto the grid immediately, improving grid reliability and resiliency and helping to meet the demand of industrial and household customers alike. Expediting resources that advance reliability provides grid operators with additional tools to re-balance the grid’s resource mix to keep the lights on at affordable prices for all Americans and reverse the legacy effects of the Biden-Harris energy policies that continue to drive prices higher.  ###

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 Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting . Subcommittee Chairman Hudson’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:  “Closing the digital divide has long been a bipartisan priority for this subcommittee. Under both Republican and Democratic majorities, we have discussed and found ways to ensure that every American has access to high-speed broadband. Today, we have the opportunity to achieve this goal with the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.   “I think members of both parties would agree that BEAD has not gone as we had hoped. After almost four years, not a single home has been connected. Some in my party want to completely scrap BEAD and start over because of how the previous Administration ran the program. But that is not my view. My goal has been to fix the program so that we can deploy broadband quickly. The name of my bill, the SPEED for BEAD Act, reflects this.    “I am pleased that many of my proposed reforms have been adopted by the Trump Administration and that they are working quickly to review and approve state proposals.    “Still, money alone will not close the digital divide. Burdensome, opaque, and expensive permitting reviews that exist at every level of government continue to prevent or delay deployment. I have heard this from broadband providers across the country.   “In my home state of North Carolina, one provider has waited over a year for the Department of the Interior to review its application to build on federal land—even though the agency is required to provide a response within 270 days.    “Another North Carolina provider’s project was delayed because it has to do a historic preservation review despite the fact that it was on previously disturbed terrain that likely already had a review. And this is in addition to lengthy state and local application reviews that can include excessive costs unrelated to approving the permit.    “Unless we streamline the permitting process, all of the money we have dedicated to deployment will be tied up in burdensome reviews resulting in more unnecessary delays, forcing millions of Americans to continue to wait for connectivity.   “Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to reforming this process. For the past three Congresses, we have introduced a package of bills to address this problem. Each of these bills tackles an obstacle that has either prevented, delayed, or complicated deployment, with the goal of instilling certainty, predictability, and savings into this process.  “For example, my RAPID Act would exempt small cell wireless antennas from burdensome and expensive environmental and historic preservation reviews, as well as reform the Tribal notification process to expedite wireless broadband deployment. I look forward to the discussion today to find the best path forward together.  “Some of these bills passed the House last Congress with bipartisan support. I hope we can pass those bills, as well as the others, into law this Congress. Enacting this package will make deploying broadband cheaper, more predictable, and less burdensome, ultimately connecting more Americans.  “I want to acknowledge our partners at the Federal Communications Commission for their work on this issue. Under then-Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC used its authorities to remove state and local obstacles to deployment, implement shot clocks, and cap fees where they can. That work is continuing under Chairman Brendan Carr, as they will seek comment later this month on additional proposals. We are grateful for this work and, through these bills, hope to codify and build on what they have done.  “I hope that instead of playing the blame game today, we can focus on making sure every American has access to the broadband service that is essential to life in the 21st Century. We have an esteemed panel of witnesses with us today, all of whom have experience with the challenges of deploying broadband. I look forward to hearing from them and I look forward to this discussion.”  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a legislative hearing on examining policies to enhance seniors’ access to breakthrough medical technologies. “These policies are essential to reducing regulatory barriers to help patients get timely access to care, while also bringing more transparency into the coverage process at CMS,” said Chairman Griffith. “It is our job as Congress to ensure that patients are able to access treatments, screenings, or devices in a timely manner—especially if there are no other alternatives on the market.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) on the bill To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure transparency in the national coverage determination process under the Medicare program and to make certain adjustments to Medicare local coverage determinations: “My question is, how should Medicare prioritize coverage pathways for therapies that address these high burden diseases?” Dr. Brinton: “As I said, this is obviously a huge number of Medicare beneficiaries [that] suffer from cardiovascular disorders. Ultimately, as we mentioned before, transitional coverage—the [Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies] as we exist today—provides an opportunity, but it’s limited basically to five technologies. This is a pace that requires [Coverage with Evidence Development] to get to a national coverage decision, but there’s an opportunity for a lot more than that to broaden the capability. There are technologies that we need to have available to seniors. The opportunity to do that basically provides accelerating this process.”   Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) on the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2025: “Innovation has long been the cornerstone of American medicine. It’s how I practiced medicine for 25 years. America has consistently led the world in development of new and innovative therapies and cutting-edge medical devices. However, due to the current payment structure of Medicare, our nation’s seniors frequently can be excluded from accessing the newest medical device technology. In fact, this delay in coverage following an FDA approval by CMS has the unfortunate name of the valley of death.” Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) on the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act: “Late-stage cancer diagnoses are the deadliest, require treatments that take the hardest toll on patients, and cost the most to treat. That’s why I was proud to coauthor the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act with my colleagues Representatives Hudson, Arrington, Sewell, Ruiz, and Kelly. This critical legislation gives CMS the authority to cover multi-cancer early detection tests once they’re approved by the FDA, ensuring our nation’s seniors have access to groundbreaking innovation that will transform how we diagnose and prevent cancer progression.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting . “Closing the digital divide has long been a bipartisan goal. But after four years and $42 billion, not a single home has been connected through BEAD,” said Chairman Hudson. “My priority is to fix this program, cut red tape, and speed deployment so families in North Carolina and across America can finally get the broadband they deserve. Money alone will not solve this problem. We must streamline the permitting process and remove unnecessary delays so communities can get connected faster.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Subcommittee Vice Chairman Rick Allen (GA-12): “How does streamlining broadband permitting help us to stay ahead of global competitors?” Mr. Spalter: “It tries to even the playing field. Let’s be clear about what’s going on today in the world. In China, in 2025, it is expected that there will be $100 billion of [capital expenditure] invested. [...] Unless and until we have the guile and the focus to be able to move aggressively, to streamline and make more logical our own permitting systems so that we can truncate the time from application to approval, we are going to fall behind in the AI race, and we can’t let that happen.” Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01): “In my home state of Idaho, Cambridge Telephone Company tells me that they have projects that still take somewhere between two and four years to get through permitting. [...] In Midvale, Idaho, MTE communications had a project stall due the need for multiple NEPA studies, and that was simply because they were trying to run a conduit and a fiber cable about 100 feet from a roadway on federal land.” Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL): “We have made leaps and bounds in the technology since the days of old AOL dial tone for internet connection. We’ve got 5G. We’ve got so many advances, but our permitting process is still stuck in the old, AOL dial tone kind of mentality. We’re so stuck in that, and we have to bring our permitting processes up to the modern age and to meet the demands of the time that we’re in right now where we need to get this infrastructure out quickly.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C . – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s legislative hearing on policies to enhance seniors’ access to breakthrough medical technologies. Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Today’s legislative hearing will focus on several bills aimed at enhancing seniors’ access to life-saving and life-sustaining breakthrough medical technologies.   “These policies are essential to reducing  regulatory barriers to help patients get timely access to care while also bringing more transparency into the coverage process at CMS. “I think we can all agree that federal agencies can be inefficient and very bureaucratic in instances. “It is our job as Congress to ensure that patients are able to access treatments, screenings, or devices in a timely manner, especially if there are no other alternatives on the market. “This hearing is the next step in the process. “One of the bills we are considering is H.R. 842, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, led by Representatives Arrington and Sewell, would establish a new coverage pathway at CMS for multi-cancer early detection screening test—so that once these tests are approved by FDA, Medicare beneficiaries can access these tests in a timely manner. “These multi-cancer screening tests allow for patients to take a blood test to screen for over 50 different types of cancers. “This allows us to do additional testing to narrow the results down to one potential cancer and yields a low false positive rate. “It is essential that Medicare beneficiaries can get screened for cancers early and get treated. This can save lives and reduce costs for patients and Federal taxpayers. “I am proud to be one of this bill’s 300 bipartisan cosponsors. “Another bill being considered today is the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act, which will ensure seniors have timely access to innovative medical technologies. “Many medical devices currently fall into what is known as the ‘valley of death.’ “This refers to the period between FDA approval of a device and when Medicare covers this technology. During the first Trump Administration, this led to CMS issuing a proposed rule in 2020 titled Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology (or MCIT). “This pathway would have provided FDA-approved breakthrough medical devices four years of Medicare coverage while working on a longer term coverage determination. “The goal was to accelerate the benefits of these innovative technologies to benefit patients quicker. “This rule was repealed in 2021 by the Biden Administration and was replaced with the Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies (or TCET) pathway. “They cited the repeal was due to it having ‘unknown or unexpected risks’ for Medicare beneficiaries, which compared to MCIT, had many more regulatory hurdles and barriers for devices to come to market and is limited to only five new breakthrough technologies each year. “Getting this bill signed into law will bring us back closer to the original MCIT rule, spurring more innovation in the medical device and enhancing seniors timely access to medical innovations. “I personally am frustrated with CMS acting more as a scientific regulatory agency than an agency focused on reimbursing for FDA approved products. FDA is the scientific regulatory agency. “I am sure everyone here has heard complaints about the opaque and slow-moving National Coverage Determination process at CMS or had frustrations with Local Coverage Determinations. “One of the bills in front of us today will bring more transparency and accountability at CMS into both these coverage determination processes. “The final bill being considered today is H.R. 3826, the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act by Representatives Schrier and Bilirakis. “This bill expands access to Diabetes Self-Management Training. This training is critical for individuals living with diabetes since it will help them cope, manage, and learn best practices when dealing with their diabetes. This bill will help increase the amount of educational opportunities for diabetes wellness training, lower costs for patients, and provide more access to certain services. “All of these bills before us today are important to bring more care to patients and achieve better health outcomes overall. “I am excited to hear from our expert panelists today to learn more about these bills and the importance of them.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, led by Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), reported six pieces of legislation to the full House of Representatives. Legislative Vote Summary: H.R. 2493 , Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025, was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 49 yeas – 0 nays. H.R. 3419 , To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs, was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 48 yeas – 0 nays. H.R. 2846 , To amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries), was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 46 yeas – 0 nays. H.R. 1262 , Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025, was reported to the full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 47 yeas – 0 nays. NOTE: H.R. 1843, led by Congressman Neal Dunn (FL-02), was included in H.R. 1262 as an amendment. H.R.3302 , Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2025, was reported to the full House by a roll call vote of 49 yeas – 0 nays. H.R. 979 , AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025, was reported to the full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 50 yeas – 1 nay. Watch the full markup here . Below are key excerpts from today’s markup: Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23) on the bill To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs: “ Rural and frontier areas often struggle with shortages of health care providers, limited access to specialists, and long travel distances to the nearest clinic or hospital. That is certainly true in my rural district. It is true in Congressman Valadao's district as well, and I'm sure in many other districts across the country. The grant programs we are reauthorizing today help close those gaps by equipping providers with the resources, training, and technical support they need to deliver care through telehealth. Tens of thousands of patients across the country have already benefited from these initiatives. Patients who no longer need to drive several hours for an appointment, families who can more easily manage ongoing health needs, and providers who are able to serve more people effectively because of the support these programs provide. Already, tens of thousands of patients across the country have benefited.” Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) on the Give Kids a Chance Act: “The Give Kids a Chance Act is a comprehensive pediatric health care package, aimed at accelerating the development of pediatric cancer treatments and expanding access to life saving therapies for children with all types of rare diseases. Among many critical provisions, the bill reauthorizes the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program at the FDA. Since its creation in 2012, the pediatric PRV program has resulted in the discovery and development of life saving therapies, leading to the approval of 53 new treatment options for 39 different rare pediatric diseases. The impact of this program is profound for patients. I'd like to take a moment to recognize the countless families in the rare disease community who have hope thanks to this provision in the bill. ” Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025: “From newspapers to television stations, AM radio keeps our content locally and hyper-locally focused. It is absolutely essential to my district. Stripping AM radios from automobiles would be a death blow to the AM radio industry. This legislation makes sure that every new vehicle sold in America continues to have that trusty AM radio as standard equipment, and it is essential. That means whether it's a farmer in the field, a trucker on the highway, or a family driving down a back road, they will still have access to the emergency information that they need in real time. But AM radio's value goes far beyond emergencies, it serves as the community's public square, a place where local voices are heard on local topics. Small town broadcasters stay connected with their neighbors, and diverse perspectives are shared.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s Full Committee Markup. Chairman Guthrie's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Thank you all for being here today as we examine critical, and bipartisan, legislation. First, we will consider important legislation that extends vital programs that support our nation’s public health. Patients in rural areas often face unique challenges with the health care system. This includes long travel times, increased waitlists, and a shortage of specialized health care providers. H.R. 2493, led by my good friend Mr. Carter of Georgia, would reauthorize the rural health care services outreach and rural health network development programs, which are aimed at increasing access to care in these areas. “Additionally, patients across the country have benefitted from increased access to telehealth services. H.R. 3419 would reauthorize the telehealth network and resource center programs. We also will be considering H.R. 1262, the Give Kids a Chance Act, led by Rep. McCaul, and H.R.1843, Increasing Transparency in Generic Drug Applications Act, led by Rep. Dunn. “The Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 builds on current programs to accelerate research and drug development for rare pediatric diseases, including cancer. One important part of this legislation is the reauthorization of the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher, or “PRV.” This program provides a critical incentive for companies to develop treatments and cures. Since 2012, the program has proven successful, leading to over 50 new treatment approvals for nearly 40 different rare pediatric diseases, many of which had no options prior. “I am very pleased we are finally providing certainty to this critical program – and the patients it benefits. In addition, we are considering H.R. 1843, which would increase access to generic drugs by eliminating bureaucratic hurdles and increasing transparency during the drug approval process. “Both of these bills were considered last Congress in a bipartisan fashion, and I look forward to that continued support today. “We also will be considering the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025, which requires automakers to include AM broadcast radio as standard equipment in their vehicles. AM broadcast radio is an important component for vehicles, especially in rural areas, as it is the most reliable medium for emergency alerts. I want to thank Chairman Bilirakis and Ranking Member Pallone for their bipartisan efforts on this legislation, which is cosponsored by 37 Members of this Committee and nearly 300 of our colleagues in the full House. “I appreciate the hard work of Members and staff on both sides of the aisle for their work on all of these bipartisan bills.”