Rep. Rick Allen

R

Georgia – District 12
representative

Leadership

Vice Chairman Communications and Technology

118th Congress

News & Announcements

Jul 23, 2025
Energy

Subcommittee on Energy Holds Hearing on Pipeline Safety

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

Jun 4, 2025
Press Release

C&T Subcommittee Holds Hearing on network infrastructure demands for AI and uses in the media and entertainment industries.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled AI in the Everyday: Current Applications and Future Frontiers in Communications and Technology “Our adversaries will stop at nothing to undermine our leadership in technological advancement and utilize AI to threaten our way of life. We must continue to innovate and develop to prevent that from happening,” said Chairman Hudson. “Competition in AI is a global issue, and it is imperative that the United States maintains its leadership.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12) : “My district experienced significant telecommunications disruptions from Hurricane Helene. It took weeks in some areas for phone services to return to normal. Could artificial intelligence help mitigate these disruptions in the future, and if so how?” Mr. Pickering: “The answer is yes. The AI application, whether it is in our fiber, wireless, or in any of our networks, is able to both manage and optimize redundancy, resiliency, and be able to get systems back up and running and identify where issues are much more quickly than in the past.” Congressman Jay Obernotle (CA-23):  “[One] assertion that’s been made is that this [AI moratorium] is a giveaway to big tech. Is that something you would agree with or disagree with?” Mr. Pickering: “As an advocate for competitors for 40 years, for the new entrants, the new technology, the upstarts, the innovators, the entrepreneurs, it’s the exact opposite . If you’re a small startup, you cannot afford the patchwork of 50 states.” Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Artificial intelligence is no longer a far-off concept. It’s already changing how we live, work, and communicate, but its success still depends on the basics: fast, reliable, broadband infrastructure, access to spectrum, cybersecurity, and reliable energy. For rural communities like in Southern Indiana, like mine and across the country, those fundamentals are not always guaranteed. That’s why I’m fighting to close the digital divide and make sure that those small communities aren’t left behind.” ###

May 22, 2025
Press Release

Chairman Guthrie Applauds the Passage of a Congressional Review Act Resolution to Defend American Job Creators from Costly Biden-Harris Administration Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement after the House passed S.J. Res. 31, to rescind the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Once-in, Always-in” rule, which permanently classified industrial facilities as “major sources” of emissions under the Clean Air Act, even if they made considerable investments in order to reduce their emissions. S.J. Res. 31 passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 216 to 212. “The passage of S.J. Res. 31 is essential to supporting American businesses who have worked to decrease emissions, and lower pollution,”  said Chairman Guthrie . “ The ‘Once-in, Always-in’ rule that was brought back under Biden-Harris Administration unfairly punishes businesses who have made investments in cleaner technologies. Repealing this backward rule is part of our work to unleash American energy and ensure that government red tape does not stand in the way of creating jobs and growing our economy. Thank you to Congresswoman Fedorchak for your work on this resolution.”   Background:    S.J. Res. 31 –  A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act,”  would overturn the so called “Once-in, Always-in” rule finalized in the final months of the Biden-Harris Administration that imposed significant burdens on energy producers, manufacturers and small businesses and created a disincentive for them to reduce their air emissions. S.J. Res. 31 was introduced by Sen. Curtis (R-UT) on March 6, 2025. H.J. Res. 79 was introduced by Rep. Fedorchak (ND-AL), on March 24, 2025 and cosponsored by Rep. Balderson (OH-12), Rep. Allen (GA-12), and Rep. Bentz (OR-02). The Senate passed S.J. Res. 31 on May 1, 2025 by a vote of 52-46.   ###

Letters

Oct 7, 2024
Letter

Chair Rodgers Leads House GOP in Demanding Answers Over FCC Fast-Tracking Democrat Mega-Donor’s Media Takeover Weeks Before Election

Soros-linked fund to acquire more than 200 local radio stations weeks before election Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led 40 of her Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding her recent decision to fast-track a media deal allowing the Fund for Policy Reform, a group aligned with Democratic mega-donor George Soros, to buy over 200 radio stations just weeks before the 2024 election. With a party line vote of 3-2, the decision at the Commission level by the Democratic members of the FCC to temporarily waive the required national security review and allow excessive foreign ownership of American radio stations is deeply disturbing. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “It is highly concerning that the FCC did not follow regular order for a transaction of this magnitude. Licensees and investors need certainty that the FCC will follow its rules and procedures when approving transactions so that the broadcast industry can have the resources it needs to continue serving the public.”  BACKGROUND: Audacy, Inc., a radio broadcasting group, which owns more than 200 radio-station licenses, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.  Audacy’s filings revealed that a George Soros-backed group known as the Fund for Policy Reform had acquired at least 40 percent of Audacy’s debt.   Audacy estimated that, upon emerging from bankruptcy, 25 percent or more of its stock would be indirectly foreign owned, which triggers FCC review.   This review process requires national security agencies to review the transaction and offer any policy or national security concerns.   On September 30, 2024, the FCC released an Order granting a temporary waiver of this review process, delaying a national security review until after the bankruptcy process is complete and allowing foreign control of a significant number of radio stations across the entire United States, weeks before a national election. CLICK HERE to read Breitbart's exclusive coverage. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

May 14, 2024
Letter

E&C Republican Leaders Press Biden EPA for Answers About Grants Awarded to Political Allies

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Reagan, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA), on behalf of the Oversight and Environment Subcommittee Republicans, are pressing for answers about the recently-awarded Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS :  “As you know, the Committee has questioned how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) planned to distribute the $20 billion available to selected recipients under the new GGRF program, including the $14 billion for the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF). Specifically, the Committee cited warnings that the EPA could use these large awards to subsidize favored organizations. At a January 30, 2024, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing, Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers highlighted examples of former Biden administration officials and Democratic campaign staff in leadership roles of organizations vying for NCIF funding. Predictably, the EPA’s April 4, 2024, announcement of NCIF recipients confirmed our fears that this program would funnel taxpayer dollars to political allies.” [...] “Other individuals with ties to Democratic politics also lead organizations partnering with these recipients. While the EPA insists it had ethics rules and a fair competition policy in place, doling out billions of dollars to organizations led by politically connected individuals undermines public trust in the legitimacy of the federal financial awards process. It also furthers the concern that this program was created as an excuse to hand out funding to political allies.” The Chairs cited more than a dozen examples of politically connected leaders of organizations to which EPA plans to distribute billions of taxpayer dollars, and have requested a list of all of the nearly two dozen stakeholder meetings the EPA held in designing the program, including the dates, names of the individuals and organizations participating as well as any related minutes or memoranda by May 28, 2024. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

Apr 9, 2024
Press Release

Rodgers, Capito, and Wicker Lead Amicus Brief Challenging EPA’s Overreaching So-Called ‘Good Neighbor’ Rule

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) led 26 of their colleagues in filing a bicameral amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit in support of state and industry challengers to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) so-called “Good Neighbor” air rule that targets American power production and burdens states with misguided air regulations. “Acting well beyond its delegated powers under the [Clean Air Act], EPA’s Rule proposes to remake the energy sector in the affected states toward the Agency’s preferred ends. The Rule is part of the broader joint EPA-White House Strategy that oversteps the Agency’s authority by concurrently developing regulations under three separate environmental statutes. It does so not to meet any of the statutes’ individual ends but to transform the power sector. "The group of regulations—including the Rule—are designed to hurriedly rid the U.S. power sector of fossil fuels by sharply increasing the operating costs for fossil fuel-fired power plant operators, forcing the plants’ premature retirement,” the brief reads in part. BACKGROUND: The so-called “Good Neighbor” rule imposes overreaching emissions requirements on power plants, natural gas pipeline assets, and industrial plants, like steel, cement, and paper production facilities in 23 states. Other federal courts have already frozen implementation of the rule in 12 states. Despite active Supreme Court proceedings that may halt implementation of the rule nationwide, the EPA has remained committed to the illegal rule and recently proposed to add five more states to the program.  In June 2023 , Capito joined Wicker in introducing a formal challenge to the rule through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval.  In June 2023, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) also introduced H.J.Res. 69, a formal challenge to the rule through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval.  In June 2022 , Ranking Member Capito sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan outlining serious concerns with the proposed “Good Neighbor Plan.”  Ranking Member Capito has criticized the EPA’s proposed “Good Neighbor Plan” during EPW hearings in March 2023 , July 2022 , and May 2022 , and in an op-ed .  In November 2023 , Chairs Rodgers, Duncan, and Johnson sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission expressing concerns with the impact of EPA’s suite of rules, including the “Good Neighbor” Rule (or Interstate Transport Rule), on the reliability of the nation’s electric grid. In addition to Capito and Wicker, senators who signed on to brief include, John Barrasso, (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and John Thune (R-SD). In addition to Rodgers, House members who signed on to the brief include, Rick Allen (R-GA), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Richard Hudson (R-NC), John James (R-MI), John Joyce (R-PA), Bob Latta (R-OH), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Greg Pence (R-IN), August Pfluger (R-TX), Tim Walberg (R-MI), and Randy Weber (R-TX).  Full text of the brief is available here .