Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9615) to support the recycling and recovery of lithium-ion batteries, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9615.

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

Mr. Speaker, end-of-life batteries are a strategic source of nickel, cobalt, and copper, and the volume of batteries available for recycling is expected to triple over the next 10 years.

The Battery Recycling for America's Competitive Economy Act, or the BRACE Act, introduced by my colleague Representative Miller-Meeks, would address an unnecessary limitation in the EPA's current regulations by allowing destination facilities that recycle lithium-ion batteries to store the batteries prior to recycling.

The legislation would also require EPA to conduct a rulemaking to establish lithium-ion batteries as a separate category of universal waste within 18 months, providing greater regulatory clarity and certainty to support the growth of the domestic battery recycling industry.

Mr. Speaker, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced this bill by a unanimous vote, 46-0. I urge my colleagues in the House to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), the champion and sponsor of this issue and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard work of Mrs. Miller- Meeks on this issue and her leadership. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2140) to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize the diesel emissions reduction program.

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. 2140.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, DERA, of 2025, led by two members of our committee, Representative Matsui of California and Representative Langworthy of New York, reauthorizes a longstanding and successful bipartisan program.

This EPA program provides funding assistance to accelerate replacements and upgrades for older diesel engines. It has supported U.S. manufacturing jobs through the development and deployment of a wide range of technologies, leading to improved air quality and economic growth across the country.

It is estimated that for every Federal dollar received, the DERA program has leveraged about $2.30 in outside funding, resulting in over 570 million gallons of fuel saved. The program has also upgraded 76,900 vehicle engines. I urge support of this bipartisan legislation with a track record of proven results.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1530, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 210) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ``California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Ocean- Going Vessels At-Berth; Notice of Decision'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 210.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution led by Representative Vince Fong of California. It would overturn a Clean Air Act waiver allowing California to regulate tanker emissions while they are at berth in California ports.

These expensive regulations on tanker ships, ports, utilities, and operators will undermine safety and the compliance costs, including installing electric charging equipment to power tanker ships, will be passed down to consumers and raise the price of all goods that move through California.

Beyond the staggering costs, where is the meaningful, measurable decrease in emissions that proponents claim will follow? Yet again, California has attempted to set a national standard without demonstrating any benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.J. Res. 210 to overturn the waiver and restore common sense in our environmental regulation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Fong), who is the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Kiley).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 210, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9616) to establish a program for the recovery of critical materials from contaminated sites, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9616.

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

Mr. Speaker, there are thousands of contaminated sites across the United States, and the waste materials present at these sites may be rich sources of critical materials that can be recovered with the right technology.

That is why my colleagues, Representatives Pfluger and Landsman, have introduced the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative, or EMRTAI, Authorization Act of 2026.

The EPA already operates a similar program through general authorities, but this legislation formally authorizes the program, expands it to include other types of contaminated sites, and provides guidance to EPA in selecting which projects to support.

This legislation enjoyed broad bipartisan support at the committee level, and I urge my colleagues in the House to support its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the sponsor of this legislation and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee who works tirelessly on these issues.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank my friend from Texas, Mr. Pfluger, and my friend from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Landsman, just across the river from our great Commonwealth, for working together on this piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9340) to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of upgrades that serve large-load customers, and for other purposes, as amended.

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. 9340.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, sponsored by my colleague and friend from Colorado, Congressman Evans.

This bill encourages States to protect our neighbors and small businesses from footing the bill for infrastructure investments needed for the AI race, while protecting existing State authorities. The evidence is clear: When States have the proper processes in place to protect households, interconnecting large-load data centers have positive benefits for the communities in which they reside.

Data center growth can be a catalyst for investment in an aging grid, strengthening the tax base to fund essential public services and anchor tenants for utilities that lower rates for everyone else.

Electricity demand is growing at a pace not seen since World War II, and communities are rightly concerned about what this might mean for their daily lives.

As this industry continues to develop, I want to be absolutely clear that we need it to develop here at home and not in China. H.R. 9340 takes action on behalf of our constituents so we may keep costs low while ensuring the U.S. leads in the next-generation economy.

If we cede the race for AI dominance to China, then China will set the standards for future technology. This bill strikes the right balance of providing a modest but important level of accountability as we continue to support this vital industry.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado again for his tireless bipartisan leadership on this issue. He is bringing together both sides of the aisle on a critical issue. I would say, we were home, working in our districts in August. We listened to our constituents, and we are here today based on what we heard, taking action here in Washington, D.C. That is how our system is supposed to work.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the distinguished majority leader and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), the chair of the Subcommittee on Energy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and sponsor of the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler), my good friend.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Mackenzie).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I agree, this is important. We have to beat China. We have to win the war on AI. If we don't, they are going to set the standards for technology around the world. It needs to be with our values, not theirs.

To do that, we have to have the data centers. It needs to be locally decided where they go, and ratepayers need to be protected from it. That is what I heard all of August. I think most of us home working heard about it.

This is an example where people are going home, both sides of the aisle, listening, and coming back here and doing something about the concerns for the people they represent.

I encourage support of this bill. I encourage for its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2846) to amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries).

Madam 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. 2846.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2846 led by the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).

The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is one of eight uniformed services in the U.S. It is first in line to defend our Nation's public health against any threat. This bill closes the gap in benefits between Public Health Service officers and other civilian uniformed public servants by aligning their leave policies with those of other uniformed services.

The dedicated men and women of the Public Health Service Corps have my respect and gratitude, and they deserve the same benefits and protections afforded to their fellow uniformed servicemembers.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I just want to speak briefly. I have no further speakers, so I will be prepared to close. The gentleman recognized Una Lee, but I didn't get to speak earlier in the subcommittee today. We get to work with fantastic people here, and I know Una is one of them. We get to see, on the opposite sides of the table sometimes, but I know we are always working to try to improve our country.

I thank her for her service. We will miss seeing her around the Energy and Commerce room. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for bringing this forward. I thank her for her service in the U.S. Air Force and her service here.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6633) to establish a best-available transmission conductor standard for certain transmission projects under the Federal Power Act and to provide for presumptions regarding cost recovery for such conductors, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 6633.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6633, the High-Capacity Grid Act sponsored by my colleague, Congresswoman Fedorchak, from North Dakota.

The High-Capacity Grid Act will leverage advancements in transmission conductors to more cost-effectively expand our grid and meet the electricity demands of our next generation.

Advanced conductors can significantly increase the number of electrons that we put on our system to power our households and businesses of all kinds.

H.R. 6633 will bring savings to households on their electric bills while more efficiently meeting the demands of our next-generation economy ensuring the U.S. is a global leader in innovation.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nebraska (Mrs. Fedorchak), who is a sponsor of the legislation and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate all the hard work. I appreciate Congresswoman Fedorchak's hard work, working on both sides of the aisle. I encourage a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9332) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish regional joint boards to study electric load forecasting, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9332.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, sponsored by my colleague Congressman Troy Balderson from Ohio.

Simply put, this legislation will improve the accuracy of electricity demand projections. We all know electricity demand is increasing at a rapid pace not seen since World War II. Until our load forecasting models can more accurately determine the levels of growth, we risk overbuilding a system that is funded by households and businesses.

H.R. 9332 encourages Federal and State partnerships to keep the lights on at an affordable price for our communities.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), my good friend, the sponsor of this piece of legislation, and a member of our committee.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my good friend Mr. Balderson for sponsoring this and working with Mr. Menendez from New Jersey. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9339) to require the Secretary of Energy to conduct an assessment on the use of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing technologies to enhance the bulk-power system, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9339.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9339, the Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act, sponsored by my colleague Congresswoman Harshbarger of Tennessee.

This bill directs the Secretary of Energy to develop a report on the opportunities to use artificial intelligence to enhance the reliability and affordability of our electric grid.

The Nation's electric grid is replete with complex operational challenges, a network of millions of miles of wires and thousands of generators to keep the lights on every minute of the year. That makes it a particularly important use case for AI models that are designed to handle such complexities.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger), the sponsor of this piece of legislation, my friend and a member of the committee.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friends from Tennessee and California for working on this bill. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 195) to amend the Visit America Act to promote music tourism, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 195.

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

I rise today to speak in support of S. 195, the America Music Tourism Act of 2025. Music is one of the truest expressions of who we are as a country. It is part of the fabric of American life in every region and in every community.

This bill simply directs the Department of Commerce to do what it already does for other forms of tourism: to build a plan to promote it and keep Congress informed. It asks for no new taxpayer dollars. It creates no new bureaucracy. It just puts music tourism on the same level of other national attractions.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger), who has worked tirelessly on this legislation. It is appropriate today she represents the community from which Ms. Dolly Parton was born.

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

Madam Speaker, my friend mentioned the music coming out of her beloved mountains of Kentucky, such as Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, Dwight Yoakam, and Keith Whitley. I could go on and on.

Madam Speaker, people from our Appalachia area call my area flatland. Flatlanders have bluegrass music. Bluegrass music came from my district. Bill Monroe is from Jerusalem Ridge in Ohio County, and the International Bluegrass Museum and Hall of Fame is in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hopefully, once we get this plan from the Department of Commerce, we will have opportunities for these venues and the Tennessee mountains, Kentucky flatlands, all over, to show what they can do in music.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1703) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify payment rules for manual wheelchairs under part B of the Medicare program, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and include extraneous material on H.R. 1703.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), my good friend, the sponsor of this legislation, a valuable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and head of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1703, led by my good friend who previously spoke, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).

Medicare beneficiaries should not be limited in their ability to access the right wheelchair to help them move freely in their daily lives. Ultimately, the payment clarifications in this legislation are intended to improve access to wheelchair upgrades among Medicare beneficiaries who choose to do so.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

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

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

This is a bipartisan bill. It is something we all support, and I thank my colleagues for supporting it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2715) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the destruction authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to articles that present a significant public health concern, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and include extraneous material on H.R. 2715.

Mr. Speaker, it looks like we have two friends from Louisiana supporting this and who sponsored this bill today, Mr. Higgins and Mr. Carter.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

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

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate my friends from Louisiana, both of them, for bringing this forward. This is important. Think about what we are talking about here. Contaminated seafood, illicit drugs, and all of these other things are getting stopped at a port of entry, but FDA has no authority to destroy them. As my friend from New Jersey said, they get returned and come in through another port.

As good as our people are at our ports of entry, if you keep sending the same thing through over and over, eventually it is going to get through. It makes no sense not to allow the FDA to destroy these products.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2821) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to publish a final rule relating to nonclinical testing methods.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2821, led by my colleagues Representative Carter of Georgia and Representative Barragan, which requires the Secretary of HHS to publish rules amending certain regulations by replacing references to ``animal'' tests, data, studies, models, and research with the broader term ``nonclinical'' tests, data, studies, models, and research.

Biomedical research typically utilizes animal models to explore biological processes, analyze diseases, and explore potential therapies. However, given the concerns and scientific limitations of animal testing, researchers have increasingly turned to new approach methodologies to evaluate drugs when scientifically justified.

The scientific community has worked diligently to balance animal welfare concerns and the value of animal tests and research. I am pleased with the progress to date and look forward to seeing continued evidence-driven advancements in this space.

I commend the administration for their work to phase out animal testing where it is scientifically appropriate and for achieving the key goals in the first year of implementing the roadmap to reducing animal testing in preclinical safety studies.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Georgia for putting this bill forward, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a dear friend, a great member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and a leader in this effort with the FDA. With pharmaceuticals, just about anything that is very important to the American people, he is an absolute leader in that.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4348) to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4348.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4348, led by my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), which authorizes the national and regional centers for excellence in vector-borne disease in the CDC's cooperative agreements with health departments in high-risk areas for vector-borne diseases.

Vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas carry dangerous diseases, and vector-borne diseases can happen to anyone. They can have debilitating effects. Preventing these diseases is a bipartisan issue that I hope we all can support.

In addition to thanking the bill's sponsors for their leadership in advancing the efforts to reduce the alarming threat of vector-borne disease, I also thank the administration for their support of this bill and for their commitment to the American people by combating Lyme disease, which affects almost half a million Americans annually.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5160) to reauthorize the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, and for other purposes, as amended.

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. 5160.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5160, led by my colleagues Representatives Smith and Matsui to reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory program. The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program supports patients across the country with identifying matching and facilitating the distribution of bone marrow peripheral blood stem cells and cord blood donors for those who need blood stem cell transplants.

This is critically important for those patients without a related family member who is unable to donate.

For some patients, blood stem cell transplants are an opportunity for remission or even a cure when other treatments have failed. This bill ensures patients have access to these lifesaving opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a very important member of our committee and chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.