Rep. Troy Balderson

R

Ohio – District 12
representative

Leadership

Vice Chairman Oversight and Investigations

119th Congress

News & Announcements

Sep 18, 2025
Energy

House Republicans Pass Energy Bills to Lower Prices and Secure the Grid

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.  ###

Sep 10, 2025
Energy

Energy Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Building Policies

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

Jun 11, 2025
Health

Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Earl L. "Buddy Carter" (GA-01), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Made in America: Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain. “Under the leadership of President Trump, we are bringing manufacturing back to America,” said Chairman Carter. “ Since the start of this year – the start of President Trump’s second term – Johnson & Johnson broke ground on a new $2 billion facility in North Carolina, Amgen announced a $900 million manufacturing expansion in Ohio, AbbVie committed $10 billion to invest in the United States, and Sanofi announced plans to invest at least $20 billion. And these are just a few examples; this is just the start.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01): “If Congress were to act on the recommendations today, how quickly could our domestic capacity expand? If we were to act on this, how quickly can we get this up and running?” Mr. Cashman: “With the right policy framework, we could significantly expand production with 18 to 24 months. We're currently running three active production lines; we have two crews on first shift and another crew on second shift. By simply adding new crews, to adding shifts so we can have three shifts per day on each line, we could dramatically increase our production.” Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “ We know that a recent analysis showed that around half of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for prescription medications in the U.S come from India and the EU. With around 12 percent being manufactured domestically here in the U.S. from your perspective and with your great experience, how do you believe we can increase the share in a sustainable way?” Dr. Piervincenzi: “I think the first layer is to increase the production of API, [which] will require new facilities and substantial new investments and time. There are shorter term ways to bridge the gap and to create a more secure supply chain, including through friend shoring and other purchasing opportunities. And finally, also considering the potentially even higher vulnerability to the starting materials upstream of the APIs, which may be even more highly concentrated in adversary countries and coming to the U.S. through India and Europe.” Congressman Jay Obernolte: (CA-23): “One of the things [Mr. Cashman] suggested was long-term supply contracts, but if you are someone that has consistent demand for a drug like amoxicillin, and you've experienced a situation where supply is constrained and therefore the market reacts by raising prices up to astronomical levels, you would think that would incentivize you, just from a financial perspective, to diversify your supply chains.”

Letters

Dec 19, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans Request HHS Watchdog Investigate Promotion of Gender Transition Procedures for Children

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General Christi Grimm, House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans requested an investigation into the strength, quality, and types of evidence-based scientific and pediatric medical literature relied on by the department to promote gender transition procedures for children.  KEY LETTER EXCERPT:  “As the agency responsible for safeguarding the health and well-being of Americans, all of HHS’s medical treatment recommendations, especially medical treatment recommendations for children, should be based on rigorous and well-established research, such as randomized controlled trials, that have definitively illustrated the long-term benefits of gender affirming care treatments.”  BACKGROUND:  Under the Biden administration, HHS has advocated for sex reassignment procedures on minors, including the use of serum puberty blockers, which have historically been used to treat children with precocious puberty (i.e., early onset puberty affecting about one percent of U.S. children) and sex offenders.   Puberty blockers, however, are known to stunt normal childhood development in children unaffected by precocious puberty.  HHS officials contend that sex reassignment procedures on minors are an unanimously accepted medical practice.  HHS Secretary Becerra testified before Congress that “every major medical association,” “medical journals,” and “scientific and medical evidence” has demonstrated the benefits of transitioning children’s biological sex.  When asked, via a Freedom of Information Act request, for the underlying scientific or medical basis for its position, HHS was only able to produce a two-page brochure that was already publicly available.  In contrast to HHS, a growing body of literature from medical experts and authorities around the world, including those in Europe, caution against performing such procedures on minors.   Courts and government health agencies responsible for determining child welfare have sought to limit child sex reassignment procedures.   Other countries have banned these interventions and surgeries on minors altogether.  An article published in the British Journal of Medicine found “there is great uncertainty about the effects of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries in young people.”   A court in the United Kingdom noted the obvious about administering puberty blocking chemicals onto children: “[i]t is highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers. It is doubtful that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the administration of puberty blockers.”  In April 2024, the Cass Review , an independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, commissioned by the National Health Service England, found “[w]hile a considerable amount of research has been published in this field, systematic evidence reviews demonstrated the poor quality of the published studies, meaning there is not a reliable evidence base upon which to make clinical decisions, or for children and their families to make informed choices.”   The Cass Review also found that “[t]he rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or psychosocial health,” as well as unknown effects on cognitive and psychosexual development.  In August 2024, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) became the first major U.S. medical association to express caution on the use of gender surgery for gender dysphoria in adolescents. In its formal statement, the association stated: “ASPS currently understands that there is considerable uncertainty as to the long-term efficacy for the use of chest and genital surgical interventions for the treatment of adolescents with gender dysphoria, and the existing evidence base is viewed as low quality/low certainty. This patient population requires specific considerations.”   The letter was signed by Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL).  CLICK HERE to read the letter.

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.