Rep. Brett Guthrie

R

Kentucky – District 2
representative

Leadership

Chairman

119th Congress

News & Announcements

Apr 15, 2026
Communications & Technology

Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson Announce Hearing on Updating Satellite Regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, 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 SAT Streamlining Act: Modernizing Satellite Licensing for the Final Frontier.

“American innovators are at the leading edge of technological advancements that will serve our families and businesses for years to come. Unfortunately, our laws governing satellite technologies often do not reflect our ability and shared goal to continue that progress,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson. “We look forward to a conversation about modernizing our regulations so that bureaucracy and red tape do not prevent another great American century.”

Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled SAT Streamlining Act: Modernizing Satellite Licensing for the Final Frontier.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing on updating satellite regulations.

DATE: Tuesday, April 21, 2026

TIME: 2:00 PM ET

LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

This hearing will focus on the following bill:

H.R. 8255, the SAT Streamlining Act (Rep. Brett Guthrie)

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.

Apr 15, 2026
Environment

Chairman Guthrie Delivers Floor Remarks on Permitting Reform Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 6409, the FENCES Act, HR 6398, the RED Tape Act, and HR 6387, the FIRE ACT. Together, these three bills are essential to the work that House Republicans are doing to pass the permitting reform needed to unleash American energy, lower prices, and support domestic manufacturing.

Chairman Guthrie's remarks on permitting reform legislation, as prepared for delivery:

“I rise in support of H.R. 6409, the FENCES Act, HR 6398, the RED Tape Act, and HR 6387, the FIRE ACT.

“These three bills are an essential part of the Committee’s broader efforts on permitting reform and align with White House permitting priorities, which include modernizing the Clean Air Act. A lot has changed since 1990, the last time the Clean Air Act got a substantive overhaul, and some parts of the law have become outdated, contributing to the regulatory gridlock that is stifling American growth and innovation.

“A lot has changed since 1990, the last time the Clean Air Act got a substantive overhaul, and some parts of the law have become outdated, contributing to the regulatory gridlock that is stifling American growth and innovation.

“These bills are foundational to our permitting reform efforts because they illustrate ways we can protect public health and the environment while removing outdated provisions that are slowing energy production and manufacturing, ultimately preventing job creation.

“The Energy and Commerce Committee has held multiple hearings this Congress on the process for establishing and implementing national air quality standards and improving the preconstruction permitting program without sacrificing environmental protections. Some of the most expensive and significant barriers in the permitting process are the result of the law’s outdated provisions.

“What’s worse, these burdensome requirements fail to address the most significant sources of pollution and create disincentives for companies to invest in cost-efficient and effective technology that would actually improve air quality.

“In the U.S. it takes 80% longer to permit projects than elsewhere in the world. America’s outdated permitting system costs manufacturers in the U.S. approximately $7.90 billion each year. While a reasonable level of permitting is of course needed, without common sense reforms, our nation risks falling behind our adversaries like China.

“Notably, over 70% of projects require Clean Air Act permits, which have the most burdensome approval process of any permitting requirement. Notably, over 70% of projects require Clean Air Act permits, which have the most burdensome approval process of any permitting requirement. These three bills remove regulatory uncertainty and bureaucratic hoops that impact what and where job creators build new businesses – but they do not change the underlying environmental protections in the law.

“The FENCES Act, introduced by Congressman Pfluger, ensures that states and local communities are not penalized for foreign air emissions emanating outside of the U.S.

“The FENCES Act clarifies that all foreign emissions, whether natural or man-made, are not considered when determining whether a state meets national air quality standards.

“The FENCES Act protects manufacturers and communities from unnecessary compliance burdens caused by events beyond their control, such as pollution from China or foreign wildfires or dust storms, while upholding environmental standards under the Clean Air Act.

“The RED Tape Act, introduced by Congressman Joyce, eliminates a duplicative environmental review for projects already subject to NEPA environmental review. The duplicative review leads to additional delays and costs in the NEPA process.

“The FIRE Act, introduced by Congressman Gabe Evans and co-led by Congressman Adam Gray, updates the Clean Air Act to address the biggest threat in air pollution this country faces today, wildfires. Bipartisan legislation ensures that states are not punished for prescribed burns or emissions they cannot control.

“Prescribed burns are the most effective tool to decrease the severity of wildfires and public health problems associated with wildfire smoke. Despite the widespread acceptance of the benefits of prescribed burns, they are underutilized across the U.S. due to perverse regulatory burdens under current air quality laws.

“I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6409, the FENCES Act, H.R. 6398 the RED Tape Act, and H.R. 6387 the FIRE Act. These bills provide common-sense solutions and long needed updates to the Clean Air Act.”

Apr 15, 2026
Energy

Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Hearing Conducting Oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Activities, Priorities, and Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.

“Nuclear energy plays a critical role in our nation’s energy security, delivering the reliable power generation our families and businesses need and helping to establish our nation as a global leader in energy production.” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “This hearing will provide our members the opportunity to hear firsthand from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on issues ranging from implementation of the ADVANCE Act and the President's executive orders to the licensing of advanced reactors, as well as the steps the Commission is taking to ensure its regulatory processes are efficient, predictable, and supportive of American energy dominance.”

Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Activities, Priorities, and Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy hearing to conduct oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

TIME: 10:00 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 live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov.If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Seth Ricketts with the Committee staff at Seth.Ricketts@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov.

Letters

Apr 15, 2026
Health

Chairman Griffith Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Legislative Hearing Discussing Solutions to Improve Public Health of Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Healthier America: Legislative Proposals to Improve Public Health.

Subcommittee Chairman Griffith’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today we will examine policy proposals to improve public health.

“Public health initiatives are essential to improving health outcomes, lowering long-term costs, and moving toward a healthier nation.

“Investments in initiatives such as disease surveillance, community-based programs, and health education enable more effective responses to both everyday health challenges and emerging threats.

“Early detection saves lives. By prioritizing prevention, we can help individuals make informed choices and empower them to act sooner.

“Over time, these efforts also help reduce strain on our health care system by decreasing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency care.

“Today we will be discussing ten bills that address the public health and wellness of our country.

“One of these bills is H.R. 4348, led by Representative Chris Smith from New Jersey and Representative Doggett of Texas. This bill would reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, which developed a national strategy to address vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease, improve surveillance, and coordinate federal programs.

“Representative Smith has been a Lyme champion for decades, as New Jersey is one of the states most impacted by the disease.

“The bill is named after Senator Kay Hagan, who passed away from complications of a tick-borne virus.

“Tick-borne illnesses are spreading quickly in our country.

“There are many tick-borne illnesses, and we have only scratched the surface in understanding these diseases that continue to have devastating impacts on our communities.

“Virginia consistently reports some of the highest annual rates of Lyme disease in the United States, with my district of Southwest Virginia having some of the highest rates of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.

“Virginia Tech in my district is doing research on of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in our communities.

“We will also be discussing H.R. 8205, the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Act led by Representative Ken Calvert from California and Representative Quigley from Illinois, which would reauthorize the ACT for ALS program that supports initiatives to accelerate research and expand access to investigational treatments for people living with ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.

“Although progress has been made, there is still no cure for ALS.

“A swimming friend of mine in Roanoke Valley, Rob Lawson, died from his battle with ALS in 2022.

“Former Virginia House of Delegates Republican Raymond R. Robrecht, who was one of my mentors, died from ALS in 1994.

“Eric Dane, best known as Dr. Sloan, also known as 'McSteamy,' in the show Grey’s Anatomy, came to many of our offices last year to advocate for ALS and share his experience. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with the disease earlier this year.

“We hear these heartbreaking stories too often in our communities, as this is regrettably the reality for many who are diagnosed with rare diseases and neurodegenerative diseases.

“I trust reauthorizing this bill can help bring hope to those families afflicted by it.

“Another bill is H.R. 3747, the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training (AADAPT) Act led by Representative Balderson from Ohio and Representative Barragan from California.

“This legislation would reauthorize a program that helps increase access to specialty care services in rural and underserved areas by training clinicians through Project ECHO models, of which there are multiple in Virginia.

“Even though the language of some of the community health center bills are still being negotiated, I would be remiss not to mention their critical role that community health centers play in supporting our nation’s health.

“Many of the other bills we will examine place a strong emphasis on prevention, physical activity and nutrition education, research and innovation, workforce development, and other initiatives to uplift our nation’s public health.

“I am eager to hear from our witnesses about how we can work to improve health outcomes across the country.”

Apr 15, 2026

Chairman Bilirakis Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Hearing on the Semiconductor Ecosystem and Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing on the semiconductor ecosystem and supply chain.

**Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: **

“From consumer devices and household items to AI applications, semiconductors, or chips, are critical components to today’s society and are essential to our national and economic security. Semiconductors come in many forms: logic and memory, leading-edge and legacy—each serving distinct and indispensable functions across the economy.

“For decades the U.S. has dominated the world stage of semiconductors - leading in areas such as global revenue, manufacturing capacity, and semiconductor design, to name a few. But that leadership is no longer guaranteed. American semiconductor manufacturing capacity has declined over 25 percent since 1990. Our adversaries, particularly China, are actively seeking to unseat us from global leadership and disrupt our supply chains.

“Through my work on the Energy and Commerce and the Select Committee on China, I’ve seen firsthand the strengths and strategic vulnerabilities of the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem that defines our strategic competition with China. While the U.S. remains a leader in semiconductor design, China is rapidly scaling its own capabilities, backed by significant state subsidies, and maintains a dominant position in the rare earth materials critical to chip production.

“At the same time, demand for semiconductors is being transformed by artificial intelligence. AI applications, such as use in data centers, are among the most critical use cases of semiconductors in today’s society. AI is the leading use case for semiconductors, and the AI surge is responsible for over half of total semiconductor revenue—potentially reaching 500 billion dollars this year, and 1 trillion dollars by 2030. AI is a critical driver of economic growth—ceding global leadership or leaving our semiconductor supply chains vulnerable to disruption at the hands of China could be catastrophic for U.S. leadership in AI.

“The good news is that we have not ignored these emerging threats. Between Congressional and Executive action, including actions in this Committee, there have been a panoply of actions to strengthen U.S. global semiconductor leadership. This hearing will also examine those solutions and consider what other actions may be needed.”

Apr 15, 2026
Energy

Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Hearing Conducting Oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Activities, Priorities, and Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.

“Nuclear energy plays a critical role in our nation’s energy security, delivering the reliable power generation our families and businesses need and helping to establish our nation as a global leader in energy production.” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “This hearing will provide our members the opportunity to hear firsthand from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on issues ranging from implementation of the ADVANCE Act and the President's executive orders to the licensing of advanced reactors, as well as the steps the Commission is taking to ensure its regulatory processes are efficient, predictable, and supportive of American energy dominance.”

Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Activities, Priorities, and Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy hearing to conduct oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

TIME: 10:00 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 live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov.If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Seth Ricketts with the Committee staff at Seth.Ricketts@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov.