Rep. Troy Balderson

R

Ohio – District 12
representative

News & Announcements

Mar 6, 2025
Press Release

Subcommittee on Energy Holds Hearing on Energy Demand and Grid Reliability

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing titled  Scaling for Growth: Meeting Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity. “In the coming years, it’s critical we produce the power needed to meet the demands of the electric grid, while also powering the data centers that are being built to support the critical advancement of AI technology,”   said Chairman Latta.   “During yesterday's Energy Subcommittee hearing, we discussed ways to increase baseload power generation, support our grid, and ensure the availability of affordable and reliable energy for American households and small businesses.”  Watch the full hearing  here .  Below are key excerpts from yesterday's hearing: Representative Rick Allen (GA-12):   “The United States has an abundant energy supply, and the question is not, do we have enough energy resources, but can we produce energy at the levels needed to meet the nation's future demand? My state of Georgia, the top state to do business in 12 years in a row, and with that new manufacturing and data centers are coming to the state. This is leading to high demand for the grid, and we must continue to ensure we can provide reliable, affordable energy as we power our nation's needs. In my district, the 12th District of Georgia, we have plant Vogel, the largest nuclear energy clean power station in the country. Nuclear injury will play a critical role in meeting our growing needs to ensure US leadership in the next generation economy .” Representative Troy Balderson (OH-12):  “It's been talked a little bit about here this morning. PJM's existing installed capacity mix is overwhelmingly made up of dispatchable power generation, such as natural gas, nuclear and coal. However, 97% of PGM's queue capacity comes from renewable generation. Mr. Haque, in, your testimony, you note that unlike traditional thermal generation renewable resources do not provide certain essential reliability services that are necessary to balance and maintain the power grid. Do you have any concerns with the lack of dispatchable power generation entering PJM's interconnection queue and are there enough of these projects to offset premature retirements and meet rising growth demand? ” Mr. Haque:  “Thank you, Representative. Great to see you. We certainly have concern with not having dispatchable resources in the generation interconnection queue and the grid is a machine and it is a machine governed by the laws of physics. North American Electric Reliability Corporation, has published papers and published analyses that say that we need essential reliability services. Which are things like control, ramp and voltage and things that as a lawyer, I don't quite understand, but that are necessary. So, we do need our spinning mass resources. We do need our thermal resources, nuclear, coal, gas to continue to run a power grid the size of PJM interconnection. Having said all that, we need these dispatchable resources to find their way in the system. We can integrate more renewables onto our system.” Representative Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL):   “Mr. Brickhouse, you're seeing significant demand increase. Do you expect that you can meet that demand with renewables alone?  Mr. Brickhouse: “No.” Representative Fedorchak:   “How about you, Mr. Black?” Mr. Black:   “No, not renewables alone.” ###

Feb 27, 2025
Press Release

Subcommittee on Health Holds Hearing to Scrutinize Abusive PBM Practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing yesterday titled An Examination of How Reining in PBMs Will Drive Competition and Lower Costs for Patients . “Patients are counting on us to stop the abusive practices that drive up out-of-pocket costs on their prescription drugs,” said Chairman Carter. “This Committee has worked to identify bipartisan solutions that will meaningfully help patients access their medications. Yesterday’s hearing gave us a chance to further hear from medical professionals and policy experts on why reining in PBMs and increasing transparency in the system will improve our health care system for all Americans.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from yesterday’s hearing: Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) : “I say this in every PBM hearing, and I'm going to say it again today. PBMs don't treat a single patient. They don't cure a single disease, and they don't insure a single American. So, the bottom line is: it's all about the patients, isn't it, gentlemen? It certainly is and how they're losing access to pharmacy choice. It’s those pharmacies who, in most communities, are your independent pharmacies which are the most trusted and the most readily available healthcare provider in that community. So, PBM reform is a bipartisan issue, and you know what that means? That means that both sides agree on this issue. It's not an issue of contention. It's important that we get some PBM reform done.” Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) : “It's no secret that PBM middlemen artificially inflate the cost of and limit access to prescription drugs. This occurs at the expense of patients who receive health insurance in public and private markets and impacts patients of all ages. PBMs claim they reduce prices by holding pharmaceutical companies accountable. This is done, they contend, by requiring rebates on drugs, which are then passed on to the beneficiary. While PBMs often do negotiate discounts for manufacturers, patients are not the ones who benefit from them. In Medicare Part D, for example, patient cost sharing is based off the list price of drugs, which are artificially inflated to extract a higher rebate. As a result, of these practices for 79 of the 100 most rebated drugs in Medicare Part D, beneficiaries pay more for their drug than their insurer. Again, demonstrating that beneficiaries, in this case, seniors are not benefiting from the rebates.” Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12) : “As a result of PBM's indecent practices, independent pharmacies around the country are closing. I know that in my district we are not strangers to this issue. I hear from my friends, family, and constituents alike that their trusted pharmacies have closed after decades of serving their communities. Pharmacy deserts have continued to grow and patients no longer have access to patient pharmacist relationships that has helped them manage complex medication regimes and diseases. It's estimated that between 2018 and 2021 alone, the number of pharmacies has declined in 41 states. So, this is not just an Ohio problem. This is not a rural problem. This is a countrywide issue that needs addressed.” ###

Feb 12, 2025
Press Release

Chairman Guthrie and Vice Chairman Joyce Announce Creation of Privacy Working Group

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), Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced the establishment of a comprehensive data privacy working group and issued the following statement: “We strongly believe that a national data privacy standard is necessary to protect Americans’ rights online and maintain our country’s global leadership in digital technologies, including artificial intelligence. That’s why we are creating this working group, to bring members and stakeholders together to explore a framework for legislation that can get across the finish line,”  said Chairman Guthrie and Vice Chairman Joyce.   “The need for comprehensive data privacy is greater than ever, and we are hopeful that we can start building a strong coalition to address this important issue.” The working group welcomes input from a broad range of stakeholders. Stakeholders interested in engaging with the working group can reach out to  PrivacyWorkingGroup@mail.house.gov  for more information. Background: The working group will be led by Dr. Joyce, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The working group will also include: Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09) Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12) Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23) Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) Congressman Tom Kean (NJ-07) Congressman Craig Goldman (TX-12) Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL)   ###

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.