Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 1047.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1047, the GRID Power Act, sponsored by my colleague, Representative Troy Balderson of Ohio's 12th District. This legislation would ensure that grid operators have the tools they need to secure the reliability of the electricity grid in the event there is a capacity shortfall. Across two-thirds of the country, grid operators are charged with ensuring that the lights stay on when you flip a switch. Reliability isn't a luxury. It is a critical necessity to our way of life and one of the reasons our economy is the greatest in the world. Unfortunately, decisions made by the last administration favoring intermittent, unreliable sources, often at the expense of on-demand, dispatchable resources like fossil fuels, have made the grid operators' jobs nearly impossible. We know that baseload and dispatchable power resources provide the essential reliability services necessary to maintain the stability of the electric system at an affordable price. This legislation provides a pathway for grid operators to bring these resources online quickly if there is a demonstrated need. Importantly, this bill does not alter the existing interconnection process and will work in tandem with reforms made in FERC order number 2023 to alleviate some of the backlogs we have witnessed over the past several years. If we fail to build the dispatchable resources needed to power next- generation industries, we will cede American leadership on the world stage to Communist regimes such as China and raise costs on consumers along the way. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation as it will make our grid more reliable and lower America's electricity bills. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Balderson for sponsoring the GRID Power Act. Mr. Speaker, this is part of the strategy we all have to do to produce more power so we can have cheaper power. Demand is rising. We need supply to rise. We need supply of dispatchable power to rise. I do believe in the all of the above. I also believe it is also the best of the above. Dispatchable power is important, and I encourage a ``yes'' vote. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that over the next decade, we are going to need 152 gigawatts of power. A gigawatt of power is about what is needed to power the city of Seattle, so 152 Seattles over the next decade is what is estimated. We are also slated to close 112 gigawatts of power, so we need 152 gigawatts of power in the next decade. It takes years to get any project approved. Hopefully we can speed that up through permitting reform that hopefully we all can work on. However, when you need that much power and you have existing power, then why take it offline? My understanding--I have had a couple of people bring this coal plant up that was just mentioned--is that the grid needed it for the summer because they were afraid they were not going to have enough power to get through the summer. It wasn't just that the Federal Government forced them to keep it open. The Federal Government allowed them to keep it open. The first thing we can do to help our fight against China--that is what it is all about. We know either we have the scaling data centers here, or China is going to dominate. That is the only choice. Europe can't do it. We know what happens if you overregulate and don't produce the energy. That is a good example right there from Europe. We know we need the power or we are going to lose the great battle of our time of who is going to control AI and supercomputing, eventually quantum computing. The very first thing we can do to really bridge that power gap is not take power offline. I think it is reasonable to do. I think it is the right thing to do, and I think that it is absolutely what we should do. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act, introduced by my colleague from Ohio's Sixth District (Mr. Rulli). This legislation would codify the National Coal Council, an important advisory committee that had aided our Federal Government for 37 years with expertise and technical reports on all matters affecting the coal industry and its workers. The reestablishment of the National Coal Council couldn't come at a better time. It is no secret that our energy demands are rising. If the demand isn't met with sufficient supply, we risk ceding leadership in the next-generation economy to China, while raising costs on American households along the way. We are seeing the demand for reliable electricity affect nearly every industry. At the end of the day, electricity policy is technology policy, and electricity policy is manufacturing policy. There is one source of reliable electricity that has been powering American industry for many years. Coal-powered generation is a key baseload resource that even today can protect against upward price pressures and provide the right type of energy to fuel American innovation and the next-generation industries. Unfortunately, the previous administration sought to deliberately undermine the financial viability of coal while subsidizing preferred sources like wind, solar, and batteries. Instead of regulating one industry and subsidizing another to make it competitive, we need to get back to making things affordable in the first place. The National Coal Council plays a critical role in developing a cohesive national energy strategy that will unleash American energy dominance to lower costs for hardworking households. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3015, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 707, I call up the bill (H.R. 3015) to reestablish the National Coal Council in the Department of Energy to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal and the coal industry, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3015.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely concerned about families making ends meet through cheaper electricity. There are also hardworking families in my Commonwealth of Kentucky who work in the coal industry and have been really hurt by the policies that came out of the prior administration. This has been reinstated by the Trump Presidency. This ensures a future President can't again undo what we experienced in the last 4 years. That is the difference in where we are. That is why it is important that we are doing it. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Rulli), the sponsor of this legislation. He is a new member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and I am proud to have him on the committee.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Congressman Rulli, for sponsoring this legislation. It is important. We don't want this to be unestablished. I know it is getting reestablished. The reason President Trump is having to reestablish it and it is coming soon is because it got unestablished. That is what we are trying to prevent in the future. Mr. Speaker, I wish the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey), my friend and colleague, were still here because I would thank the gentleman for the kind words. He is a good friend with kind words. I will say that I wish that he were in here just a couple of years ago when he said we haven't spent 1 minute or any time helping the coal miners. There are more retired union coal miners in Kentucky and the surrounding areas than there are current coal miners. Their entire pension system and their healthcare system were based on a time when there were always new people coming in and fewer people going out. It is upside down now. If my friend had been here, he would have seen in the Longworth Cafeteria or the Rayburn Cafeteria, day in and day out, people with their coal hats on, their miner hats on, their shirts, and a lot of them from Kentucky saying, what am I going to do? This is something I had depended on. I will tell you, we all worked on it. I will have to say that his constituent, our colleague on the other side of the bill and the leader at the time, Leader McConnell, took that as his issue. I will tell you, if you ask any coal miner, retired coal miner in Kentucky with a pension, a union benefit, retired union benefit, they will tell you who spent time on that issue, who was the leader on that issue. Leader McConnell used to go around Kentucky when he was campaigning and say things like, Kentucky punches above its weight, and we absolutely did on that. He threw the right punch on that. Our retired union coal miners have the benefits they have today because in an omnibus or spending bill--I can't remember, probably both together--he put in a provision that preserved their benefits. When you say we hadn't spent a minute on it, maybe he is talking about right now, but I can tell you we have here in this Congress, the leader absolutely did, and I commend him for that. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, before I introduce my next speaker, I will make clear that tariffs don't affect these products. USMCA-qualifying products, which is crude oil, natural gas, refined petroleum products, and biofuels, are tariff-free. Additionally, this legislation does not remove permitting requirements. All environmental and regulatory reviews of this infrastructure would continue. It is not accurate to say that we would go around any of the qualifying. The other side talks about us tipping the scales toward fossil fuel energy and dispatchable power, but theirs tips the scale toward wind and solar. I think we need all of the above, but when you say we are going to subsidize a more expensive power, that doesn't make power cheaper. Maybe in the short- term, but certainly not in the long run, and that is where we need to focus. We do need to work together, as he said, to make sure we can do permit reform and produce the energy this country needs for AI and other things. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), my good friend and the sponsor of this bill and a viable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that this does not replace any need for permits, so the idea that there would be no environmental review or any review for a cross-border project approved by FERC or the State Department is just not accurate. That is not what the bill does. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be here and be here with my friend. Hopefully, we are going to be able to work on a lot of issues because we do care about the cost of electricity. I know they know we care about the cost of electricity. If the Keystone pipeline is not going to happen, which by Presidential fiat didn't happen, we have to worry about future situations when we are in Congress. We don't just legislate about the past. We have to legislate for the future as well, and this is important. Also, I am a big believer that we have to continue to have economic development and growth, and work in a fair way to make sure our products are being traded fairly as well with Canada and Mexico. This is an opportunity to do so. In America, the one thing we have is ample natural gas. As a matter of fact, the price of gas is historically low now because of the oil development in the Permian Basin. An offshoot of it is natural gas. Because it has driven the price of gas so low, we have ample natural gas. What we need to do and really need to work on--hopefully, we can work on together--is if you want to lower the price of electricity, which I assume we all do, is that the way you do that is by taking the natural gas that we have, converting it to electrons, and transmitting it out so people can have access to the electricity. Mr. Speaker, that is where the expense is, not being able to permit, to move. To create electrons and then to move them is an expense, as well, as much as it is permitting the pipelines that we are talking about. We are in a battle of our time. We are in a battle where we can choose to follow the regulatory state of Europe. We can't out-regulate Europe. We need to out-innovate China. Mr. Speaker, this is the beginning of a series of bills. Hopefully, we can find a series of bills we can work on together. It needs to be all of us, together, focused on defeating China in terms of delivering the energy we need to do so. I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I thank Representative Fedorchak for bringing it forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 707, I call up the bill (H.R. 3062) to establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3062.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, North America has grown to be an energy superpower due to the robust trade of oil, gas, and electricity. As energy demand is projected to increase in staggering numbers over the coming years, the expansion of cross-border energy infrastructure throughout this integrated market will be important. One challenge confronting the expansion of energy trade with Mexico and Canada is that Congress has not asserted authority to establish procedures for permitting cross-border infrastructure. Cross-border infrastructure, especially oil and natural gas pipelines and electrical transmission lines, is essential to American communities across the Nation. Instead of a clear statutory process, a myriad of executive orders over decades have provided the legal context for permitting procedures of cross-border energy infrastructure. Under this permitting regime that has been cobbled together, the Secretary of State has the authority to issue Presidential permits for cross-border liquid pipelines; the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, for cross-border natural gas pipelines; and the Department of Energy for cross-border electric transmission facilities. Unfortunately, this regime has subjected infrastructure permitting processes to the political whims of an administration, as we saw for 12 of the last 16 years under Presidents Obama and Biden. This can severely curtail America's energy. H.R. 3062, introduced by the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), would remedy these permitting inconsistencies by establishing a uniform process for authorizing energy infrastructure construction that crosses U.S. boundaries. Instead of the complex existing process, projects would simply be required to receive a certificate of crossing from the relevant agency for the border- crossing segment. Nothing in this legislation alters additional permitting requirements of other statutes, like the National Environmental Policy Act or Clean Water Act. It is past time for Congress to assert its authority and establish a modern and transparent process for cross-border energy infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Fedorchak for her leadership. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the vice chair of our Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have supported the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. This bill is a generational investment in our national defense. House Republicans, alongside President Trump, are investing in our military-industrial capabilities, securing all servicemembers a well- deserved pay raise, making meaningful strides to secure our southern border, and so much more. As a graduate of West Point and the proud Representative of Fort Knox, I am excited by the commitment this bill makes to Army Reserve Aviation and the strategic partnerships it creates with local communities to inspire the next generation of warfighters by preserving local museums like the Patton Museum. Make no mistake, this NDAA restores peace through strength, rightly refocuses our military posture, and puts America first. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this historic investment in our national defense.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kate O'Connor Harper for her service to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of the University of Chicago, Kate began her career as a Staff Assistant for Senator Mark Kirk (IL) before becoming Legislative Assistant and Correspondent for Senator Dan Sullivan (AK). In 2018, Kate joined President Trump's administration serving as Deputy Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration where she proved to be a valuable asset and became Chief of Staff in 2019. Later that year, Kate returned to Capitol Hill to become Chief Counsel of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce under Ranking Member Greg Walden. She continued to lead in this role under Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and when I became Chairman, I knew I wanted to have her at the helm of this subcommittee. Under her leadership, her team passed historic legislation including the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversaries Act and the reauthorization of the FCC's spectrum auction authority. After serving three Chairmen and two Subcommittee Chairmen, Kate will soon depart Capitol Hill to work in the private sector as a telecommunications expert. I wish her the best, congratulate her on her new role, and thank Kate O'Connor Harper for her service to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the United States Congress.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Nearly 2 months ago, Republicans in Congress worked alongside President Trump to deliver on our promises and pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a historic win for our country, unleashing American energy, promoting innovation, protecting our Federal healthcare programs for our most vulnerable citizens, and delivering historic tax cuts for families. As chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, one of my top priorities is ensuring that America has the energy needed to win the race for AI against China and power our future. I am proud to report that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act unleashes American energy dominance through strategic investments and eliminating wasteful subsidies. Our bill begins to refill our dangerously low Strategic Petroleum Reserve and creates new investments to generate reliable energy that will secure our grid and power AI. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act also spurs technological innovation by renewing American wireless leadership through spectrum auction authority that protects national security and generates $85 billion of new revenue for the Federal Government. For months, there has been a campaign of fear-mongering and misinformation about the bill's impact on our most vulnerable. For Americans who rely on Medicaid, the truth is that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act restores integrity back into our Federal healthcare programs by ensuring that ineligible recipients do not cut the line in front of those in most need. In fact, since its passage, we have already seen countless examples of waste, fraud, and abuse in our government-run healthcare programs. Just last week, the Congressional Budget Office found that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act removes 2.1 billion ineligible individuals from the ACA marketplace coverage, with 1.2 million of those being unauthorized immigrants or noncitizens. CBO also found that 5.3 million able-bodied, unemployed adults covered by Medicaid will now have to work in order to continue receiving their fully subsidized healthcare. The vast majority of Americans agree that Medicaid should be a safety net, not a long-term entitlement for those who are able to work but choose not to. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act strengthens and secures Medicaid for expectant mothers, children, low-income seniors, and people with disabilities. Without passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the average family in my district would have faced a 25 percent tax increase next year. Our bill prevented that tax hike by making permanent the 2017 Trump tax cuts and built upon it. Let's talk about individuals. The individual who lives on their Social Security will have more money in their pocket because they won't have to pay taxes on that--we exempt taxes--or the waitress in Glasgow, Kentucky, who won't have to pay taxes on her tips; or the farmers in Owensboro who will be able to pass their family land down to their family because of the death tax exemption that we made permanent. We also talked to individuals who have family members in nursing homes, and we know that we strengthened the nursing homes that came to us because they were threatened by some of the Biden rules that we shut down, and people need access when they have loved ones who are in need. These tax cuts aren't talk. These efforts aren't talk. They will grow our economy. Our legislation provides much-needed tax cuts for working families, unleashes American energy, supports innovation, and safeguards healthcare for Americans who need it most. I was glad to see this bill signed into law, and I am glad it had a positive effect on the people who I represent.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker. I wish to include in the Record the following letters of exchange between the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs with respect to H.R. 1765, the Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2025. By these letters, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs agreed to discharge the bill and forgo further consideration of the measure so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor. I agree that this discharge in no way diminishes or alters the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on this measure or similar legislation in the future. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, July 1, 2025. Hon. Brett Guthrie, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Guthrie: Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the text of H.R. 1765, the Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2025. I agree that Foreign Affairs may be discharged from further consideration of the bill, so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor. This agreement is made with the understanding that it does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or prejudice our jurisdictional prerogatives on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I also request your support for the appointment of an appropriate number of Foreign Affairs conferees to any House- Senate conference that might occur on this legislation. I would appreciate it if you could include this letter in your committee report on the bill or place it into the Congressional Record during Floor consideration. I look forward to continuing to work together as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Brian Mast, Chairman.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Emily Hale for her service to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A Louisville, Kentucky native, Emily graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of Kentucky in 2024. During her time in college, Emily volunteered her time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Lexington and served as an intern in my Washington, D.C. office. Upon graduation, Emily began her career in Washington, D.C. and joined my team to serve the constituents of Kentucky's 2nd District as my Staff Assistant in the summer of 2024, where she gave phenomenal tours, treated my constituents with kindness, and navigated the unpredictable 2025 Presidential Inauguration with grace. After I became Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I knew I wanted Emily's optimism and readiness to serve on my new team. She transitioned to become the Staff Assistant for the Energy and Commerce Committee in January of this year and was a critical farce in making sure committee markups and hearings went smoothly, including a nearly 27 hour long markup to help pass our portion of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. Soon, Emily Hale will depart the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to serve another member of the Kentucky delegation, Dean of the House Hal Rogers (KY-05), as his Legislative Correspondent--a role I know she will excel in. I wish her the best in all her bright future and thank her for service to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and to the constituents of Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 191, No. 192, and No. 193, I was not recorded due to inclement weather delaying travel. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 191, YEA on Roll Call No. 192, and YEA on Roll Call No. 193. personal explanation

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes the work of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, to unleash American energy, promote innovation, and protect healthcare for the most vulnerable Americans. We claw back wasteful and unnecessary spending. We unleash affordable and reliable American energy. We support technological innovation by reauthorizing the spectrum auction authority. We secure Medicaid for those who need it most. This includes mothers, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Democrats continue to fearmonger and misrepresent what is in this bill, but let me be clear: House Republicans are eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse to focus Medicaid on the most vulnerable and not on able-bodied adults who choose not to work. We are fighting for commonsense policies to protect America's children, pregnant women, mothers, individuals with disabilities, and low-income seniors. Mr. Speaker, this bill delivers on the promises the President and congressional Republicans made to the American people, and that is why I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.