State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 936 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.

During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 936, providing for consideration of six measures.

S. 1071 is the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes eight amendments in order.

H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes one amendment in order.

H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes five amendments in order.

H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, is under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Financial Services or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes five amendments in order.

Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate a rule on six pieces of legislation. First is S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith, one of the top priorities of the fiscal year '26 NDAA was to reform the defense acquisition system and equip our armed services with the technology they need to deter national security threats.

As anyone who follows this process knows, it can take more than a decade before new capabilities are finally deployed. Yet, by then, the threat has changed, the technology is outdated, and the program is over budget.

This bill cuts red tape and shifts the focus of the defense acquisition system from compliance to quickly and cost effectively fielding new capabilities to ensure that our armed forces are the most lethal and effective fighting force in the world.

Implementing the Peace Through Strength agenda, the fiscal year '26 NDAA codifies all or parts of 15 executive orders and 30 legislative proposals from President Trump. It fully funds top defense priorities. It revitalizes the defense industrial base. It grows manufacturing jobs in America, all while pressing our NATO allies to pay more for their own defense.

Building upon last year's NDAA, which focused on servicemembers' quality of life, this bill supports a 3.8 percent pay raise, Mr. Speaker, for all servicemembers. It improves housing and Department of Defense schools, and it expands access to healthcare and childcare.

To deter our adversaries, the fiscal year '26 NDAA focuses on countering threats from China, bolsters Taiwan's defense, and supports Indo-Pacific allies and partners.

Additionally, this bill continues the focus on countering threats to our national security from Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other foreign terrorist organizations. To counter emerging threats, the bill focuses on rapidly deploying new and innovative technologies to our warfighters, while strengthening nuclear deterrence and missile defense.

To further secure our border and fight drug trafficking, the fiscal year '26 NDAA fully funds the establishment and enforcement of national defense areas along the southwest border of the United States of America, authorizes the Department of Defense to provide additional support to Customs and Border Protection, and authorizes over $1 billion to combat drug trafficking.

Finally, the fiscal year '26 NDAA reforms programs and saves taxpayer dollars. It saves over $20 billion from DOGE cuts and Department of Defense workforce reforms, improves congressional oversight of Department of Defense audit results, and overhauls military construction to reduce costs and expedite project delivery.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues and all of the staff for their work that went into the fiscal year '26 NDAA which should pass with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Second, Mr. Speaker, we have H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act. This bill contains targeted commonsense reforms to the permitting process under the Clean Water Act, restoring the balance between the need to ensure both water quality and economic growth.

Simply stated, this bill will cut red tape, reduce costly project delays and frivolous litigation, and provide greater regulatory certainty for our Nation's infrastructure builders, energy producers, farmers, homebuilders, water utilities, and small businesses.

Third, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3628, is the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act. This bill amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require State utility regulators to consider sufficient and reliable generation when considering electric utilities' integrated resource plans.

A stable supply of electricity is critical for most aspects of modern life, and peak demand growth is now higher than any point in 20 years. Net-zero mandates of renewable subsidies have disrupted the market, causing grid reliability issues as demand grows. This bill clarifies that reliable electricity means dispatchable, baseload energy.

Reliable energy is foundational to everything, and this bill will help ensure we have reliable, secure generation that keeps the lights on.

Fourth, Mr. Speaker, is H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act. This is a simple bill that directs the Department of Energy to assess our country's electric grid component manufacturing capacity and determine potential problems with imported grid components. We can't afford to fail in securing our electric supply chain. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation aims to ensure we won't.

Fifth, Mr. Speaker, is H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act. This bill aims to speed up the consideration of pipelines by promoting interagency coordination for reviewing certain authorizations for LNG facilities and natural gas pipelines under the Natural Gas Act.

Demand for natural gas in the United States has grown by 47 percent since 2013. Infrastructure to deliver that gas, however, has only increased by 26 percent.

Currently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has the responsibility of authorizing pipelines, and generally, after thorough review, finds these projects consistent with the public interest.

Yet many of these federally approved projects often don't come to fruition because certain States and other agencies fail to issue the proper certifications.

Under the current process, one State has the ability to veto a multi- State pipeline project for reasons far outside the scope of water quality. This results in reliability and affordability issues in resource-constrained areas in our country.

Natural gas is clean, affordable, and reliable. The United States also has an abundant supply, and this bill will ensure we have the pipelines needed to keep up with the continually increasing demand for electricity generation.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we have H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act. This is a bipartisan package containing 22 pieces of legislation that have all been reported favorably out of the House Committee on Financial Services. This legislation will strengthen public markets, produce more opportunities for investors, and expand access to capital for small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to consideration of these pieces of legislation. I urge passage of this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Mrs. Biggs).

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes) on the success of her amendments in the legislation. The National Defense Authorization Act is something that I am proud to work on year-round on the Armed Services Committee.

I give a lot of credit to Ranking Member Adam Smith, Chair Mike Rogers, and the members of the House Armed Services Committee for working together in very much a bipartisan fashion to make sure that American citizens are protected, not just here in America, but that our troops have the resources they need around the world to protect themselves so that we can be free here in the United States of America.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the underlying piece of legislation, especially the National Defense Authorization Act.

Mr. Speaker, I want to address a couple of things since, as usual, the Democrats continue to blame President Trump for everything.

Just as a reminder, the Democrats controlled the House, Senate, and White House until January 2023. They controlled the Senate and White House until January 2025. Every State in this country has a public service commission, so it doesn't make any sense to blame President Trump for what is happening with energy prices when, if you look, it is the States that are controlled by Democrats that have the highest energy prices.

I would suggest that we have a little honest reflection here as we talk about different types of things and where inflation comes from. I would remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the American citizens of the deficits that they ran when they had the House, Senate, and White House. When they passed the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan, as they call it, it cost trillions upon trillions upon trillions of dollars.

By the way, it was the Democrats who chose not to extend the subsidies beyond this year when they had the House, Senate, and White House, not the Republicans. It was the Democrats who did that. They voted for it, not us.

Let's just be honest. President Trump is doing a good job. He is making sure that the rules of engagement are set so that the American citizens are protected and the pangas go to the bottom of the ocean.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, if you are over 65, you are not eligible for the tax credit. If you or your spouse work for someone who even offers health insurance, you are not eligible for the tax credit. People on CHIP are not eligible for the tax credit. People on Medicaid are not eligible for the tax credit. If my colleagues think that expanding this tax credit is going to fix the problem, let me just give you a couple of examples from my personal life.

I am covered under the Affordable Care Act today. Do you know what I do when I go to the pharmacy? I don't file it on my health insurance. I pay cash because the cash price is less than the copay on my health insurance. The plans, for the most part, are junk. It is junk, and we are not going to continue to send billions upon billions of dollars to the insurance companies.

The President has made it very clear. We will give the people money to help them purchase their health insurance, but we need more competition in the system so that people could actually buy a good plan that works for them instead of this junk that I have.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I will make sure that my colleague understood what I said and meant when I said that when I go to the pharmacy, I pay cash instead of using my insurance card.

The retail cost of the drug is less than the copay on the insurance.

Mr. Speaker, that is just the reality of the system that Americans are forced to live in.

I thought I might share with you another bill that I kept, where the total charge was $111. As I said, I am covered under the Affordable Care Act. My copay for that doctor's visit was $60. The insurance provider and adjustments were a total of $51. Of that, the insurance company paid $7.99 and just discounted the doctor's bill by $43.01. Again, on a $111 charge, I paid $60, the doctor got beat down by $43, and the insurance company paid $7.99.

Let me just tell you, the Affordable Care Act needs to be replaced with something that actually works for the American citizens. I think the worst thing that has ever happened is when it obtained the name of ObamaCare because then it became about President Obama instead of about what the actual law and the flaws in the piece of legislation are.

Let's just be clear: If we could fix it, we would. However, giving more cash to the health insurance industry that already has record profits and record stock prices is not going to reduce the premium for American citizens as a whole or is it going to improve the quality of care. We have to get competition back into the market.

If it wasn't named ObamaCare, we might have been able to fix it. We might have been able to fix it, but the Democrats are scared to do anything, because their primaries, to change ObamaCare. They are sure not going to give President Trump a vote to fix the mess that they made. They don't want him to get the credit for fixing the mess that they made, so they simply won't vote for anything that would actually work.

Mr. Speaker, I want to get back to some other issues. I want to get back to the National Defense Authorization Act.

It is a dangerous time in the world right now. It is a dangerous time with all of the things happening in China, with all of the aggression of Russia, with all of the things happening in the Western Hemisphere. The National Defense Authorization Act is probably the most important piece of legislation that we pass on an annual basis in this country.

We have two good leaders, Adam Smith and Mike Rogers, and we have a committee that has been able to work together in a bipartisan fashion to put this piece of legislation on the floor of the House of Representatives. It is time to pass this rule. It is time to pass this bill.

As you have heard from some of my Democratic colleagues, they have amendments that they are very proud of in this legislation. I am glad it is a bipartisan piece of legislation. Let's pass this rule. Let's pass this bill, and let's move on.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am thankful that we have a Speaker of the House with the character of Mike Johnson. He is a friend of mine. He is a very devoted individual in many, many ways, and I am thankful that he is the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

I might ask my colleague if she is prepared to close. I don't have any further speakers, Mr. Speaker, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to submit for the Record a PBS News article titled: ``Obama reveals how many civilians died in U.S. drone attacks'' under him. It states in here that various human rights groups suggest the range was as high as 1,100 killed by Barack Obama's drone strikes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the House can advance six pieces of legislation under this rule.

S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, significantly improves the defense acquisition system. This bill implements the peace through strength agenda and restores lethality to our Armed Forces. It further secures America's borders and improves the quality of life for our servicemembers.

The fiscal year 2026 NDAA reforms key programs and saves taxpayer dollars resulting in a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force. This legislation will deter China, defend Israel, and

counter Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other foreign terrorist organizations.

Finally, this bill strengthens our nuclear deterrence, supports the Golden Dome initiative, and grows our Nation's strategic space capabilities. This is a bipartisan, must-pass piece of legislation that all my colleagues should support.

H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, contains targeted, balanced reforms to the permitting process under the Clean Water Act that will cut red tape, reduce project delays, and provide regulatory certainty.

H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, will require State utility regulators to ensure we have reliable, secure baseload energy that keeps the lights on.

H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act, will direct the Department of Energy to ensure we are securing our electric supply chain.

H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, aims to speed up the consideration of pipelines by promoting interagency coordination for reviewing certain authorizations for LNG facilities and natural gas pipelines under the Natural Gas Act.

Lastly, H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act, will strengthen public markets, produce more opportunities for investors, and expand access to capital for small businesses.

The bills before us this week give this body the chance to provide for our defense, to make energy more affordable and reliable, and provide opportunities and access to capital.

They are all worthy of support, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.

The material previously referred to by Ms. Leger Fernandez is as follows:

An Amendment To H. Res. 936 Offered By Ms. Leger Fernandez of New

Mexico

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 9. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

bill (H.R. 6074) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986

to extend the enhancement of the health care premium tax

credit. All points of order against consideration of the bill

are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points

of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The

previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill

and on any amendment thereto to final passage without

intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally

divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority

member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective

designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 10. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the

consideration of H.R. 6074.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, do you remember what it was like when you were a kid, waking up on Christmas and hoping for a certain gift?

Maybe it was a Doctor Barbie or a new bike, but then you ran to the tree and got socks that were itchy, a knockoff Barbie whose arms fell off and shoes that didn't quite fit.

Americans know what they need for Christmas as they worry about how they are going to make Christmas affordable and how they are going to make it work. Their costs are skyrocketing from the tariffs increasing costs for toys to grocery bills that are going up and up, and to those utility bills. It is hard to keep those Christmas lights on given the rising costs of utilities.

However, nothing in the bill that we are considering today makes Americans' lives more affordable or merry.

Americans want us to extend the tax credits so their healthcare premiums don't go from $250 to $2,600 a month. They will for my constituent's family of five.

How is a parent supposed to buy Christmas gifts for the kids when they now need to spend an extra $2,000 a month for health insurance?

Instead of lowering costs, what kind of lumps of coal is Congress working on this week?

We have a bill that rigs the energy system to make it more difficult to use clean energy. Wind and solar energy are the cheapest forms of new electricity. The studies prove it over and over, and they are good for the planet. However, Republicans are defining energy to exclude renewables.

If it saves you money, Mr. Speaker, and it is good for the air we breathe, then why wouldn't Congress want us to use more renewable energy?

Instead of making your life better, Republicans are standing with their dirty fossil fuel campaign donors and big corporations that threaten our clean water.

The only thing that we are doing of significance today is the National Defense Authorization Act. Indeed, the 3 percent pay raise for servicemembers and reimbursements to travel to see a doctor for rural bases is really important for our servicemembers and families.

The NDAA's requirement that the Pentagon turn over footage of the boat strikes in the Caribbean is essential to accountability, but I would argue it is not enough. Congress must pass a war powers resolution to prevent a needless and reckless war with Venezuela and any other country Trump decides to attack on a whim.

Trump says that he is going to war with drug traffickers. This is hypocrisy of the highest degree. While Secretary Hegseth was busy blowing up boats of suspected drugs dealers, Trump was pardoning former Honduran President Hernandez. Hernandez was tried, convicted, and sentenced for bringing in 400 tons of drugs to America. There was proof and evidence in a court of law, not random airstrikes and a declaration of a forever war that Congress has not authorized and the American people do not want.

My constituents and Americans all across our beautiful country are outraged that war crimes may have been committed in our name. Two people clinging to an overturned boat in the ocean are not a threat to our Navy, the strongest and most powerful on Earth.

Mr. Speaker, don't insult our intelligence or our pride.

Let me tell you something else, Mr. Speaker, that Republicans really don't want us to talk about today. Speaker Johnson stripped out a provision in the NDAA that would have provided IVF coverage for servicemembers. Today's Republican-led bill destroyed any hope for a Christmas miracle for the servicemen and -women who just want to have a baby and raise a family.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes), who is the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I also applaud the idea of innovation and research, which we should be doing in our military, but we should also be doing the same in every aspect of our economy.

That is why it is so disturbing that Republicans continue to want to look backward rather than forward with regard to our energy future. They refuse to engage, invest in, and celebrate the innovation that is going on with regard to renewable energy and how they are indeed the cheapest forms of energy.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to enter into the Record an article from June 17, 2025, in Scientific American, titled: ``Wind and Solar Energy Are Cheaper Than Electricity from Fossil-Fuel Plants. Even without subsidies, renewable energy is staying competitive. . . .''

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 3628 does not address the fact that energy prices are rising. They are 13 percent higher since Trump took office. Trump has called the affordability crisis a Democratic hoax. He insults our intelligence once again every time we open a utility bill or open that notice about what healthcare premiums would be next year.

When we go to the grocery store, we know the affordability crisis is not a hoax. It was created by Trump and his policies, his tariffs, and all of those cuts to our medical programs that Republicans jammed through this summer and their refusal to put before the floor the extension of those tax credits.

In the area of renewable energy, Republicans also continue to close their eyes to how we make life more affordable for Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove), who is also a member of the Democratic Caucus Executive Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As I said earlier, Americans know what kind of job the President is doing because they are paying those bills every month. Every month, they know that tariffs are causing this inflation, and it is a self- inflicted wound. It wasn't Russia invading Ukraine. It wasn't a pandemic. It was Trump and his tariffs that are not rooted in any kind of true economic policy.

Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 6074, which would extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for 3 years, through 2028.

Yes, they are extensions of time. We would like to see them permanent, but in negotiations, we have always worked on extensions so that we can address issues together in a bipartisan manner.

Millions of Americans are already receiving those notices of health plans where the price is going to skyrocket. I get stopped on the streets where people tell me what they are seeing when they open those bills, and they are drastic. For some, it is a few hundred dollars, but for others, it is $1,000, $2,000. They wonder how they are going to pay just for health insurance. What happens when something goes wrong and they have to pay that doctor's bill?

There are only 8 days left to fix this problem, but Republicans still have no viable healthcare plan of their own.

We heard that they took out a chalkboard and started throwing ideas on there. None of the ideas were to extend the tax credits, which is the quickest and easiest way to make sure that Americans don't see those skyrocketing plans.

Instead, they want to maybe get rid of the Affordable Care Act. They want people to be forced into junk plans, which could force Americans into bankruptcy. By the way, Trump made sure that if you don't pay your healthcare bill, it will go on your credit report. He actually went out of his way to make sure that that happens.

The PQ vote today will be Republicans' 22nd opportunity to vote to prevent the health insurance costs of over 20 million Americans from rising significantly. I hope they finally decide to side with their constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Underwood), the author of this legislation and a champion in this regard, to discuss our proposal.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, 20 million people rely on this tax credit, so the fact that my colleague doesn't need to rely on it and that he has enough cash so that he can go and buy the prescriptions outright is great for him.

Mr. Speaker, what about those 20 million Americans, many of whom are in his district, who rely on the Affordable Care Act tax credits? Not only that, but Americans want us to do this work. If you were listening to the constituents in the gentleman's district--by the way, a lot of those Republicans aren't having townhalls because their constituents are speaking out.

Mr. Speaker, 74 percent of Americans want us to extend those tax credits. I think it is the easiest thing and the quickest thing that we can do. We are not saying we shouldn't continue to make improvements. In fact, I have

bigger ideas of how we should fix the healthcare system. However, this is the system we have today. With weeks left, it is easy. It is an easy fix. All we need is four Republicans--four Republicans--to have the courage to stand up for their constituents. Whether we see that or not is yet to be seen.

My Republican colleagues send tweets out. We see Republicans signing letters that they want the ACA extended, but we don't see them doing what counts on the floor of the House, which is signing their names to that discharge petition and voting for their constituents and healthcare that is affordable for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury), my ``sister''; ``hermana.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I wish that my colleague would have been around to hear from Brick. Brick lives in Utah. He is a constituent of Representative Kennedy. He doesn't have the luxury of being able to go into a pharmacy and pay with cash. He has a rare genetic disease, and under the Affordable Care Act, his life is saved every day. It would cost him $150,000 to pay for the infusions that he needs to receive on a regular monthly basis or else he dies.

It would not help to go in and try to pay with cash when you talk to the worker who I met with. Her son needs transfusions or else he would not be able to play as a regular kid because he would bleed to death, and she cannot afford that either.

The Affordable Care Act, how it is structured, I am willing to take it out. Let me tell you, I am a Medicare for All girl because I think we should get rid of the insurance companies. But we have it now, and I am not going to pull the rug out from under Brick or Julian or any of those other people who rely on it.

Let's talk about what the Affordable Care Act did before we had it. Once we got the Affordable Care Act, it stopped insurance companies from charging sick people more in premiums than healthy people.

Let's talk about preexisting conditions. I am a breast cancer survivor,

and I know so many other survivors. Guess what. I would not be able to get health insurance because you could not get insured if you had a preexisting condition. Let's face it, they were treating being a woman of childbearing age as a preexisting condition until we had the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable Care Act demands that insurance companies cover most preventive services. It gives States the flexibility to expand their Medicaid programs, which 40 States have. You know what? Americans want us to keep the Affordable Care Act right now. They want us to extend those tax credits, and we should do that.

We should do that because the other thing it covers is IVF. I know that my colleague has a wonderful family he loves. His daughter is participating in a cheerleading competition. I need to tell you, Representative Scott, I truly appreciated your comments last night with regard to the IVF provision because it should not be the case that a provision that has been negotiated by both Chambers, by the leadership of the committees of jurisdiction, is overturned merely because leadership--I think that means Speaker Johnson--decides to strip it.

As we noted earlier, 13 percent of couples say they need fertility service to help them become pregnant or prevent a miscarriage.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to enter in the Record the article titled: ``Military families face unique barriers to fertility care, and new legislation aims to close the gap.''

Mr. Speaker, that new legislation was just torpedoed by the Republican Speaker of the House. What he did was eliminate the possibility of the joy that comes from bringing a new baby into this world. He dashed that hope.

What kind of leader is Speaker Johnson when he ignores the Senate, his own Members, his own rank and file, and the committee chairs to support his own limited view of what a family should be?

What about President Trump? He said he was the IVF President. I don't see any outrage from him about Speaker Johnson torpedoing Congress' work to benefit military families.

In Congress and in the White House, making a statement on social media like Trump did about IVF is pointless if it isn't combined with legislation and votes.

Republicans, Johnson is your leader. You have the power to push him on

this. You have the power to give this gift of possibility to military families. Don't let him push you around. Our servicemembers will give their lives for our country, but Speaker Johnson will deny them the possibility of a child.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I have some other issues I wanted to talk about with my wonderful colleague from across the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to the issue of the forever wars that President Trump is leading us down into. As I said in my opening, he says it is to combat drug trafficking, and I agree, we should be arresting and putting these drug dealers away for life.

I don't like the President of Venezuela. He is an authoritarian, a dictator. He is the opposite of what democracy should be like. But let's face it, this isn't about drug dealing because Trump keeps pardoning convicted drug dealers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to enter in the Record the December 8, 2025, article titled: ``Trump pardons major drug traffickers despite his anti-drug rhetoric.''

``The President has granted clemency to about 100 people accused of drug-related crimes during his time in office, a Post analysis shows.''

Mr. Speaker, Trump said he would lower costs for Americans on day one. Guess what he actually did on day one. He pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was convicted of creating the largest online black market for illegal drugs and other illicit goods.

He pardoned Larry Hoover, who imported tons of illegal drugs in a major city, $100 million a year into that city.

Mr. Speaker, Trump is lying to the American people, and he thinks he can play war. War is not something you play with. We do not want another Afghanistan or Iraq where a Republican starts a war that lasts 20 years, costs trillions of dollars, and too many lives. Where is the Republican outrage about these pardons for drug traffickers who kill the people we love in our communities?

I am very glad, as I noted earlier, to see some oversight in calling for the release of the video, but we must be doing more.

My Republican colleagues need to join Democrats in asserting that Congress, and Congress alone, has the authority to declare war.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have half a minute to speak, and we have 22 days to act where we need to pass those tax credit extensions.

For months, we have been urging you to do it. Let's get it done. The bills that we are considering here today, some of them have already passed last week. We should be doing the Americans' goals. We should be extending those tax credits. We should be doing it now. I call on four Republicans to join us and sign that discharge petition. Help us give Americans a healthy Christmas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. It is a wholesale attack on clean energy under the guise of reliability. Americans can see through the nonsense here to the truth, and that is that Republicans are waging a culture war against wind and solar. American families are footing the bill with higher monthly utility bills.

For a moment, I want to try to take Republicans at their word, that this bill is all about electric reliability, ensuring that the lights won't go out. In that case, I have excellent news for my Republican colleagues. The law this bill amends, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA, already does that. The law requires States to have an integrated resource plan that considers reliability. That is all we need to do, and Congress already did it 33 years ago.

Of course, the only difference between that law and the language in this bill is the bogus definition about what counts as ``reliable generation facility.'' It should come as no surprise that the only things that count are coal, natural gas, and nuclear. That is it, not wind, not solar, not either of those even when paired with battery storage. It is completely ridiculous and the latest example of Republicans' relentless attack on cheaper and cleaner energy sources.

Ever since President Trump took office earlier this year, Republicans have been obsessed with crusading against wind and solar whenever they can. They passed the big, ugly bill, which slashed tax incentives for clean energy and made electricity more expensive for everyone. They have tried to kill every wind or solar project on Federal lands and in Federal waters, driving up people's energy bills even further. Now, they are trying to put another thumb on the scale in favor of dirty fossil energy by pushing a bill with a fake definition of ``reliable generation.''

Unfortunately, the American people are paying the price. This past summer, when much of the United States was in a so-called heat dome fueled by climate change, the grid's electricity regulators said that solar helped save the day, preventing dangerous outages in that record heat.

The reality is that no single source of electricity is perfect, but that is why storage and a diversity of generation resources are so important. Republicans don't care about how we can actually help the grid. Instead, they only care about extending fossil fuels at the expense of clean, cheap energy.

This is just another instance when Republicans are doing the bidding of their corporate polluter friends over the needs of the American people. If they cared about the American people, they would be bringing bills to the floor that would actually address the affordability crisis. Instead, Republicans are debating this bill that they know will increase prices for Americans.

By forcing States to consider preferencing dirty and expensive fossil energy, Republicans are increasing everyone's utility bills even more than they already have. It is just more of the same from a Republican Congress that is dead set on increasing costs for American families.

I don't understand it, Madam Speaker. President Trump promised to cut Americans' power bills in half. Instead, he and Republicans are causing them to soar with their backward policies and their war on cheaper, cleaner energy. Since Trump took office, electricity prices are up 13 percent, and natural gas prices are up 8 percent. They simply don't care. They would rather continue to push bills like this that will make the affordability crisis even worse.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), who is the ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Energy.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), our assistant Democratic leader.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier), who is a member of our committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mullin), who is also a member of our committee.

Madam Speaker, may I ask the chairman if he is prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise to object to the Trump administration and congressional Republicans' disastrous energy policies and their impacts on everyday Americans.

We have a duty to ensure that our power grid can keep the lights on. That demands an all-of-the-above approach to energy. Given the unprecedented demand to add capacity to our grid as AI data centers continue to expand, we need to use every tool that we can to keep energy prices down. That means adding clean energy to the grid. It is the quickest source of energy to add to the grid given the current multiyear gas turbine shortage.

Grid reliability regulators have been basically clear: Renewable energy and batteries were critical in allowing the grid to endure multiple heat waves this summer.

That is why Texas has added more solar and wind energy to their power grid, more than any other State in the country, in the wake of their horrific blackouts during Winter Storm Uri 4 years ago. That is because solar energy helps keep the lights on.

Unfortunately, Republicans seem uninterested in acknowledging that basic reality, that solar and wind, partnered with batteries, can be an essential part of a reliable power grid. Instead, they have done everything they can to increase the costs of these technologies and make it harder to add clean energy to the grid. They are using their power to subsidize dirty, expensive fossil fuel, all at the cost of American families who are struggling to afford their electricity bills.

Now, if you don't believe me, just ask Secretary Chris Wright. At an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in June, he was blunt. The Secretary said: ``I have never been for all of the above, and if I said it at one point in time, I misspoke.'' There you have it, Madam Speaker.

The Trump administration is staunchly against all of the above. The Secretary is saying it, and that makes sense. Their actions at least match their rhetoric. They are doing everything they can to put their thumb on the scale for dirty energy, including through this bill, H.R. 3628. They are canceling every single clean energy project they possibly can, no matter how helpful it might be to keeping electricity bills down or the lights on.

Madam Speaker, the bills on the floor today will only worsen the Republican affordability crisis. Every time Americans open their power bill or see their lights flicker, Republicans are responsible. I think the American people will hold them accountable.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Madam Chair, I urge opposition to the amendment because it doubles down on a bogus and misleading definition of ``reliable generation,'' a definition that would only include coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants.

While I would typically have no problem with a GAO report, I do have a problem with Republicans pretending that fossil fuel generation is perfect and that there is no room for clean, cheap energy in a diversified grid.

In the last few years, Republicans have moved away from saying that clean energy is too expensive and are now claiming it is unreliable. Madam Speaker, the only reason they have done that is because they have firmly and permanently lost the argument. Clean energy is cheap energy. Everyone knows it, even Republicans now.

In their desperation to keep Americans' energy bills high to keep the profits flowing for oil and gas, Republicans have started peddling the falsehood that clean energy isn't reliable. I want to be clear: There is no such thing as a perfectly reliable power plant. They all can run into problems. Renewables depend on wind and the Sun. Coal and gas often have issues in extreme heat or cold. That is why it is important that we pursue an all-of-the-above approach.

Unfortunately, President Trump and his Secretary of Energy don't believe in all of the above. Instead, Republicans are out here working overtime to shill for coal and gas. It is just very sad.

Madam Speaker, I urge opposition to the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 936, I call up the bill (H.R. 3628) to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to add a standard related to State consideration of reliable generation, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 3628.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3628, the State Planning For Reliability and Affordability Act, sponsored by my colleague Congressman Evans from Colorado.

H.R. 3628 directs State public utility commissions to consider implementing measures that would ensure utilities retain sufficient, reliable generation through their integrated resource plans to maintain the stability and affordability of their electric grids.

Over 35 States utilize resource plans to ensure their utilities are appropriately planning their investments in the electric grid.

The U.S. grid, commonly referred to as the greatest machine on Earth, is a complex system compromised of myriad components and infrastructure to deliver electricity that powers our economy and enables modern life for households.

To ensure the timely delivery of electricity at all times of the day, utilities have historically undergone extensive planning processes to methodically deploy ratepayer dollars to build requisite infrastructure.

Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen States move away from an integrated resource planning process centered on reliability and affordability toward one intended to achieve climate and environmental justice goals.

The central focus of utility planning must be on the end-use ratepayers, keeping the lights on for households at an affordable price. Unfortunately, the States that have taken the most aggressive stance on climate goals are the same States with the highest electricity rates in the country.

H.R. 3628 is fuel neutral and focused on attributes that are essential to reliability and affordability, such as frequency and voltage support. This legislation ensures that baseload and dispatchable resources, such as natural gas, hydropower, coal, and nuclear, are sufficiently considered as part of any 10-year plan.

There is a road for a diverse energy mix that includes renewables and storage, but we know that not all electrons are the same.

This is the exact message that the Committee on Energy and Commerce has heard in hearings with grid operators, utilities, engineers, and those charged with protecting the reliability of our grid. In fact, just last month, the head of the NERC called the current reliability crisis a five-alarm fire.

The State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act prioritizes the resources we need most. It will encourage States to take more responsibility over their systems.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), my good friend and colleague on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans), a very important member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, first, I thank Congressman Evans for sponsoring the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act. Let's go back to what this bill does.

H.R. 3628 directs State public utility commissions to consider implementing measures that would ensure utilities retain sufficient reliable generation through their integrated resource plan to maintain the stability and affordability of their electric grids.

We have had a lot of discussion. We have been debating for the last few months. The Affordable Care Act passed 15 years ago. Insurance rates have doubled since that passed, and now, we are debating whether to deal with the rising costs of health insurance or continue to subsidize the rising costs. We want to deal with the underlying costs of health insurance.

We are talking about the affordability of green energy or clean energy. I am for all of the above, but if you remember what the Secretary said, he said he is for the best of the above. There are areas where the Sun shines and the Sun shines bright, and it shines bright on my old Kentucky home. There are areas for that. There are areas where solar makes sense, where wind makes sense, and where fossil fuels make sense.

When he says best of the above, he doesn't mean we don't do all of it. We do what fits in the right place at the cheapest price for our citizens. When you talk about investing in your own utilities, if clean energy--they keep saying they are going to go for more expensive energy as opposed to the cleaner energy. That is what they say. I will say, I think our energy companies want to go to the most affordable energy. That is what they want to produce.

What this does, if you look at the map, and a lot of people have looked at maps of energy prices, what are the highest cost electric prices in the country? I know my friend from Colorado

pointed out to my other friend from Colorado that Colorado is up in the grid with California, New Jersey, and New York. They have higher energy prices, and it is because their general assemblies and their State governments have put additional climate issues in place, not to make energy more affordable, but it makes it more expensive. What we are saying here is that State planning commissions have to ensure in their plans that they look at affordability, reliability, and sustainability within their grids.

That is what this piece of legislation does. I encourage my colleagues to vote for it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for yielding the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3628. I think we all know that our neighbors are really struggling with higher electric bills. They are really grappling with how to pay these higher costs.

Household electricity prices across America are up by 13 percent this year--17 percent in North Carolina and 15 percent in the State of Georgia. Folks really are at their wits' end because it is all coming down at once.

In Florida, the three largest investor-owned utilities have requested $34 billion in price hikes this year. Last month, the DeSantis- appointed utility commission approved a $7 billion rate hike for Florida Power & Light customers. FPL customers will be paying much more over the next few years.

In Tampa, I was with some neighbors who were burning their electric bills, throwing them into a garbage can, lighting them on fire because they are struggling to keep the lights on. If you are a TECO customer, you are going to be paying about $939 more annually than you were 5 years ago.

Madam Speaker, folks back home are really wondering: Can Congress get its act together to help lower the cost of living and work on solutions? I hate to report that, no, Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration have shown no interest in doing that or in tackling lower electric bills. In fact, they are making it worse.

Electric bills are going up for a number of reasons. Let's talk about it.

There is the big, ugly bill that Republicans passed in July. That is projected to raise electricity rates by 61 percent. Why? They took away a lot of the tax credits to speed cheaper energy onto the grid. They ripped away rebates to help consumers save money on their electric bills. They canceled a lot of jobs that were helping people pay the bills.

Then when we add on the arbitrary tariffs of the Trump administration, that has a significant cost. Projections are that the average household is going to pay about $1,600 more per year. Some estimates are up to about $2,000 a year. That is, yes, on our coffee and groceries and consumer goods. It is also impacting electric bills. We do import poles and wires and energy, and that is raising electric bills, too.

The Trump administration has also canceled billions of dollars' worth of cheaper, cleaner energy projects and solar projects in every State. No one has been immune to this. That has also fed into skyrocketing electric bills. All of this adds up.

We are looking at a healthcare cliff in just another couple of weeks. Congress has only one more week to act to reinstitute the ACA tax credits. That is 4.5 million Floridians who will face higher healthcare bills, in addition to what they are doing to higher electric bills and our groceries. I would say to American families that they deserve so much better than they are getting here.

This bill, H.R. 3628, amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to four States to favor more expensive, dirty energy over cleaner, cheaper energy. It is a ridiculous requirement that they want to add, and it directly conflicts with the provisions in the law right now that require States to maintain a diverse portfolio of electricity and engage in prudent resource planning.

Who loves this? Oil and gas companies love it. Investor-owned utilities love it. They will profit at the expense of hardworking Americans. Energy generated by wind, solar, and stored in batteries is often cheaper. It should make up a substantial portion of our electricity portfolio.

Madam Speaker, we need to lower electric bills by speeding cleaner and cheaper energy to the grid, especially to meet rising demand, and to do it while we protect clean air and clean water. America cannot afford to turn its back on half of all of the new electricity that is poised to come onto the grid over the next 5 years.

We need a modern transmission system and a modern electric grid. We need to speed up clean energy and not throw a wrench in it and make people pay more back home. They are already paying too much.