WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, led a markup of 17 bills aiming to lower energy costs, cut red tape, protect communities from illicit drug threats, and empower patients by expanding access to clear pricing data.
"Today's markup made clear that the Committee on Energy and Commerce is standing up for families to keep electricity prices low in our communities. On top of that, our Committee is working to strengthen our grid for the long haul, keep our communities safe from illicit drugs, and support patients across the country," said Chairman Guthrie. "Achieving bipartisan support on critical pieces of legislation, like the Ratepayer Protection Act and the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026, helps us achieve those goals, and I look forward to House passage of these bills to positively impact Americans across the country."
Legislative Vote Summary:
- H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 52 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 6633, the High-Capacity Grid Act, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 49 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 9335, the Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act, was forwarded to the Full House, by a roll call vote of 39 yeas - 10 nays.
- H.R. 9338, the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 41 yeas - 8 nays.
- H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, was forwarded to the Full House, by a roll call vote of 47 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 9339, the Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act, was forwarded to the Full House, by a roll call vote of 44 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 6529, the Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act, was forwarded to the Full House, by a roll call vote of 44 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 9617, the Coordinating and Harnessing America's Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act, was forwarded to the Full House, by a roll call vote of 47 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 9616, the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026, was forwarded to the Full House, by a roll call vote of 48 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 45 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 9390, Prices on the Wall Act of 2026, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 24 yeas - 21 nays.
- H.R. 1266, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 48 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 2004, Tyler's Law, was forwarded to the Full House by a roll call vote of 46 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 7970, the STOP Nitazenes Act, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by 28 yeas - 21 nays.
- H.R. 1561, the ALERT Communities Act, was forwarded to the Full House by a roll call vote of 48 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 7994, the HERO Act, was forwarded to the Full House by a roll call vote of 48 yeas - 0 nays.
- H.R. 8005, the Stop Pills That Kill Act, was forwarded to the Full House, as amended, by a roll call vote of 43 yeas - 6 nays.
Watch the full markup here.
Below are key excerpts from today's markup:
Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08) on H.R 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act: "The Ratepayer Protection Act does exactly what the title suggests: protects everyday ratepayers from higher electric bills due to unprecedented energy demand from data centers.
"This legislation codifies President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Aledge, which reinforces the public-private commitment that data center developers in the U.S. pay for the generation, transmission, and distribution that they need. It's common sense, it's bipartisan, and it directly responds to constituents' concerns about the cost of living and potential financial burdens tied to rapid data center development across the country.
"Over the next decade, demand for AI infrastructure will continue to grow exponentially across the world. Large amounts of computing power are required for daily operations, such as the everyday AI that you use on your cell phone. Even more is needed for complex operations like research and development for innovative technology and emerging industries in places like aerospace or medicine. These are industries that employ thousands of Coloradans.
"We must ensure we're building AI infrastructure responsibly, and that we have policies in place to reassure hardworking families that this new development delivers benefits, not higher electric bills."
Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) on H.R. 9616, the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026: "Critical materials are essential to some of the most important technologies and products in the communications, energy, defense, and transportation sectors. However, their supply chains are vulnerable to disruption, and we rely on other nations, including adversaries such as China for many of these. China is currently responsible for over 70 percent of global rare earth metal production and refines up to 87 percent of the world's supply of critical minerals. Unless we develop more domestic sources for critical materials, we will remain at the mercy of our enemies. Fortunately, cutting edge technologies are emerging to identify and take advantage of unconventional sources of critical minerals, right here at home."
Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) on H.R. 9393 the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026: "H.R. 9393 is accumulation of many months of work by this committee to assess health care affordability challenges and identify opportunities to lower costs for American families. I was proud to introduce this legislation with my good friend, Ranking Member Pallone.
"In just the last seven months, we have held hearings with insurance CEOs, members of the drug supply chain, hospitals, and doctors. We've conducted critical oversight of waste, fraud, and abuse in the health care system, and we've assessed opportunities to enhance transparency for consumers. The AINS, which we are considering today, builds on each of those hearings and creates a comprehensive health care package that will strengthen health care price transparency, hold insurers accountable to their patients, lower drug prices, and expand access to care.
"This bill improves price transparency across the health care system by codifying and building on the Trump Administration's historic price transparency regulation, and extends these requirements to lab tests and imaging services, as well as ambulatory surgical centers. This will give consumers and employers the tools they need to find the highest quality of care at the lowest price.
"This package will also hold insurers accountable by requiring insurers to publish their overhead costs and claims payments, and information about how they employ prior authorization. This information will help consumers better shop for care and find the best plan for their family. This bill will lower drug prices by cutting unnecessary red tape that has slowed consumer access to lower cost alternatives for biosimilars and over-the-counter medications."
