Robert J. Wittman

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Daniel Elizalde for his incredible service and contributions to Virginia's 1st District and to our Nation.

Daniel joined my office in September 2025 after spending two and a half years as a Policy Analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Earning a bachelor's degree in economics from Rollins College and a master's in public policy from American University, Daniel displayed an early commitment to civic leadership and service.

During his time in my office, Daniel served as my Energy Policy Fellow and quickly distinguished himself as an indispensable member

of my team. He played a vital role spearheading numerous legislative efforts across a wide array of topics such as energy, transportation, and national security that all delivered tangible results for the people of Virginia's 1st District, the Commonwealth, and our country. Throughout Daniel's time as my policy fellow, he consistently demonstrated remarkable intelligence and an unwavering work ethic. He faced every task with a thoughtful approach and a genuine desire to help his colleagues and constituents.

Daniel's willingness to offer his insightful advice and expertise greatly contributed to the success of our team. His knowledge and guidance made him a mentor to staff and interns alike, helping to foster a collaborative and supportive work environment. His kindness, leadership, and integrity have left a lasting impact on my team. While his cheerful presence will be missed, I am confident he will continue to thrive in this next chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Daniel Elizalde for his dedicated service to Virginia's 1st District and to our Nation. May God bless Daniel as he embarks on this exciting new chapter, and may he continue to excel in all that he does.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act.

This legislation will require State utility regulators to examine standards to ensure that data centers pay all the costs associated with their power generation, transmission lines, and grid upgrades needed to serve their facilities.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to approximately 13 percent of all data centers in the world. Some of these data centers are located in the district that I represent.

While data centers create economic opportunities for our communities, they also come with enormous challenges. Data centers support telehealth, mobile banking for American small businesses, and everyday technologies like streaming services. At the same time, they consume massive amounts of power and place increasing strain on our electric grid while threatening to increase costs for families.

Virginians and Americans who choose to have data centers in their communities should not be paying higher electric bills as a result. Instead, these costs should be borne directly by the data center developers, the primary catalysts of this increased demand for energy.

We have a responsibility to ensure that our constituents are not picking up the tab for data centers, and this legislation will do exactly that.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Ratepayer Protection Act, and I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act.

This legislation will require State utility regulators to examine standards to ensure that data centers pay all the costs associated with their power generation, transmission lines, and grid upgrades needed to serve their facilities.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to approximately 13 percent of all data centers in the world. Some of these data centers are located in the district that I represent.

While data centers create economic opportunities for our communities, they also come with enormous challenges. Data centers support telehealth, mobile banking for American small businesses, and everyday technologies like streaming services. At the same time, they consume massive amounts of power and place increasing strain on our electric grid while threatening to increase costs for families.

Virginians and Americans who choose to have data centers in their communities should not be paying higher electric bills as a result. Instead, these costs should be borne directly by the data center developers, the primary catalysts of this increased demand for energy.

We have a responsibility to ensure that our constituents are not picking up the tab for data centers, and this legislation will do exactly that.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Ratepayer Protection Act, and I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.