Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, there are over 21 million Americans who don't have a photo ID. That is 21 million Americans who can't obtain employment, lease or purchase a home, or open a bank account.

If you are a veteran, you need an ID to access the VA benefits you have earned. If you are a single mom, you need an ID to access WIC and SNAP benefits for your children. In 35 States, you need a photo ID to vote.

The current process for obtaining an ID is inconsistent across States. It can be expensive, and it often requires documentation that many Americans just don't have.

That is why, last week, I introduced the IDs for an Inclusive Democracy Act. This will provide a free Federal ID to any American citizen over the age of 14 who wants one.

It will ensure that every American has access to the services that they need. And no less important, it will ensure that America has the access to every American's opinion at the ballot box.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues who support our founding promise of equality and our commitment to democracy to support this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, last November, our House delegation went to Glasgow for the COP26 conference. We told the world that we were back, that we had rejoined the Paris climate accord, and that we were committed to building back better and committed to putting science over politics. It felt pretty good.

But to be blunt, the world didn't believe us. As we sat at that press conference, all of these reporters from Europe said: What about the Senate? What about the filibuster? What if Republicans take over in the midterms?

They had heard this song before. They admired our enthusiasm, but as you know, Madam Speaker, they really didn't share it.

Today, we are going to prove them wrong. We are going to remind them what the United States is capable of. We are about to pass the most impactful climate bill ever. You all should be proud of that. You were here to share this moment with us. We are on the path to reducing CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030. That is a really big deal.

But it is only a start because 40 percent ain't enough. We have reestablished U.S. credibility today, but we still have to establish U.S. leadership. The measure of our success is not what we pass today; it is whether the planet is cooler tomorrow.

Today, we remind the world and ourselves what we are capable of. I hope we celebrate. But tomorrow, let's get back to work.

Mr. Speaker, I missed Roll Call vote number 394. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on motion to move the previous question on H. Res. 1256.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress

Babin (Jackson)

Bass (Neguse)

Blumenauer (Beyer)

Bourdeaux (Correa)

Brown (MD) (Trone)

Bush (Jeffries)

Carter (TX) (Weber (TX))

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

DeSaulnier (Beyer)

Evans (Beyer)

Guthrie (Barr)

Jones (Beyer)

Kahele (Correa)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Meeks (Jeffries)

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Payne (Pallone)

Ruppersberger (Trone)

Rush (Bishop (GA))

Ryan (Kuster)

Scott, David (Correa)

Sires (Pallone)

Stevens (Kuster)

Stewart (Garbarino)

Taylor (Fallon)

Thompson (CA) (Beyer)

Thompson (MS) (Bishop (GA))

Vargas (Correa)

Walorski (Banks)

Welch (Pallone)

Williams (GA) (Neguse)

Wilson (SC) (Norman)

Mr. Speaker, the West is burning and we can't get the water to put it out, thanks to a 1,200-year drought.

Louisiana insurance companies are failing due to rising sea levels.

Families are paying more than ever to cool their home and fill up their tank with ever more expensive fossil fuels.

And this week, we learned that a majority of the Senate thinks that is fine.

They are fine with Americans paying too much for energy. They are fine with Americans keeping our economy coupled to Putin's war machine. They are fine with stealing from consumers and stealing from our future to subsidize fossil energy producers today.

If you have a solar panel on your roof, if you have an electric vehicle in your driveway or an energy-efficient home, you are helping your planet and you are helping your wallets.

In the House, we are making that opportunity available to all Americans and, yet, the Senate has failed us. Their failure is not only a failure to do their job, it is not only a failure of leadership, the U.S. Senate is increasingly an embarrassment, and I am sick of apologizing for them.

Madam Speaker, I will take a moment after the shootings this week just to read the names of the children under 10 years old in America who have been killed by guns so far this year.

Aiden, age 8.

Alice, a newborn.

Alyssa, age 6.

Amare, age 10.

Andres, age 9.

Antonio, who went by the nickname ``Espn,'' age 7.

Arbrie, age 8.

Ariah, age 7.

Arlene, age 9.

Asa, age 8.

Ashton, age 2.

Autumn, age 3.

Avery, 3.

Bella, 4, and her sister, Brixx, was a newborn.

Bridger, age 10.

Bryson, 3.

Caleb, 5.

Cayden, 10.

Charlie, 10.

Charlotte, 9.

Charvez, 2.

Chloe, 7.

Clesslynn, 2.

Madam Speaker, I realize I am being gaveled out there, but there are 600 names on this list. I can't read these in 1 minute.

Are we going to act, or are we going to throw up useless thoughts and prayers? It is time to act.

Madam Speaker, I want you to imagine a world where the Republican Party praised the President of the United States for raising the price of oil by 24 percent. That sounds crazy, right?

Well, that is exactly what happened 2 years ago this month when Trump threatened to remove U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia unless they cut oil production.

Oil prices, of course, are not set by the President, but they are a function of global supply and demand. And when the President pressures another country to slash supply, the price at the pump and oil industry profits surge accordingly. That is exactly what happened in April of 2020.

The GOP praised Trump's approach. What's more, nearly 50 of my Republican House colleagues wrote a letter directly to the Saudi Crown Prince demanding that he cut crude output. They wanted higher oil company profits, so they forced a reduction in supply to make that happen.

Fast forward to today. Those same Republicans who pressured Saudi to cut oil supply and increase prices 2 years ago are now berating President Biden for using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to boost supply, and blocking every effort to invest in energy efficiency and renewables that would cut our fossil fuel demand.

Why would a party that fought to raise oil prices 2 years ago fight to raise them again? Because given a choice between your wallet and the fossil fuel industry, they will always take from you and subsidize them.

Americans deserve better.

Mr. Speaker, I missed rollcall vote No. 83. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 83.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Barragan (Gomez)

Bass (Takano)

Bilirakis (Fleischmann)

Bowman (Evans)

Boyle, Brendan F. (Evans)

Buchanan (Waltz)

Cawthorn (Fallon)

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

DeGette (Blunt Rochester)

Deutch (Rice (NY))

Gosar (Gaetz)

Gottheimer (Pallone)

Green (TN) (Armstrong)

Harder (CA) (Gomez)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Joyce (OH) (Garbarino)

Kahele (Mrvan)

Khanna (Beyer)

Kind (Beyer)

Lamb (Scanlon)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Mace (Rice (SC))

McEachin (Wexton)

Meng (Kuster)

Moulton (Beyer)

Omar (Blunt Rochester)

Payne (Pallone)

Roybal-Allard (Wasserman Schultz)

Ryan (Kildee)

Salazar (Dunn)

Sanchez (Correa)

Sires (Pallone)

Spartz (Walorski)

Suozzi (Beyer)

Taylor (Carter (TX))

Tiffany (Fitzgerald)

Tonko (Pallone)

Valadao (Garbarino)

Waters (Takano)

Wild (Axne)

Williams (GA) (Jeffries)

Wilson (FL) (Cicilline)

Madam Speaker, Vladimir Putin's horrific war against the Ukrainian people has all of us talking about how to prevent him and other oil-rich autocrats like him from being able to afford to commit these heinous acts in the future. It has also, all of a sudden, made everybody in this town an energy expert. I am here to set the record straight about a few things.

One, Russia is a petrostate. Fossil fuels are funding Putin's war crimes against the Ukrainian people. Fossil fuels are funding Putin's assault on democracy. Fossil fuels are funding the demise of post-World War II stability in Europe. Putin's power comes from fossil fuels and our world's dependence on them.

Two, you cannot end an addiction by increasing the supply. No amount of increased fossil fuel extraction in the United States, which, I should note, would take years, can take away Russia's influence on the global energy market. Since fossil fuels are a global commodity, as long as we depend on them, Americans will continue to be subject to wild price fluctuations based on the whims of petro-dictators.

Three, when the fossil fuel industry and the conservative politicians they bankroll go on television claiming the solution to the pain you are feeling at the pump today is to drill more in the U.S., they are lying to you. They are lying in a cynical attempt to take advantage of a tragic situation to line their own pocketbooks. You deserve the truth.

The truth is that there is only one long-term solution to stop funding oil-rich autocrats and insulate Americans from energy price inflation: Double down on our transition to cleaner, cheaper, domestically produced renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The horror that we are seeing in Ukraine makes it abundantly clear that clean energy isn't just necessary to protect against climate devastation. Preventing wars and protecting our national security demands investments in clean energy. American energy independence demands investments in clean energy. Lowering costs demands investments in clean energy.

Every day we fail to reach an agreement on the baseline climate investments that were passed in the House is a day that Americans pay the price at the pumps and oil-rich autocrats profit.

That is why I have led nearly 90 of my House colleagues in calling on President Biden to lead a climate restart to reconciliation negotiations centering the cost-saving clean energy investments as the path forward to deliver tangible results to the American people. This is a code red moment, and it cannot wait any longer.

Supporting Women Who Are Sexually Abused

Madam Speaker, sexual assault is common among female students of all ages, races, and ethnicities. On college campuses, one in five women in college experience a sexual assault. Studies show that students are at the highest risk of sexual assault in the first few months of their first and second semesters in college.

This is unacceptable. Every woman everywhere has the right to live free from abuse. This is why it was so important to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, and I am proud that we finally passed that reauthorization into law in our omnibus package.

But we also have to ensure that women who are at risk have trained, trusted professionals who they can reach out to when they are at risk. That is why I was pleased to introduce, and see included in the final package, my amendment to ensure that appropriate campus faculty, such as academic advisers or professionals who deal with students on a daily basis, are trained to recognize victims of sexual and domestic violence. We have to ensure that our campuses are equipped with the tools and knowledge to combat violence against women.

If you are sexually assaulted, your experience is valid. It is not your fault, and you are not alone. Please know there is a community of people ready and willing to believe you, trust you, and support you.

Trading in Individual Stocks by Congressional Staff and Members

Madam Speaker, there is an iron rule of investing: unless you are Warren Buffet or have access to insider information, you won't make money trying to outsmart the market. Invest in mutual funds and index funds to build your wealth.

And yet, according to a recent New York Times article, Members of Congress are not only buying and selling a lot of individual stocks, but we consistently outperform the market.

I don't see Warren Buffet here nor do I see a lot of people with long track records of successful stock picking before they came to Congress, but I do see a lot of people with access to a lot of inside information, who know when we are about to change our defense contracts or invest in domestic semiconductor capacity, update our antitrust laws, or buy vaccines, and have the ability to trade on that inside information.

Our responsibilities as Members of Congress are a trust from the voters. Ethics matters. That is why I don't personally own or trade individual stocks, and I encourage every Member of Congress to stop trading stocks immediately. Even the appearance of impropriety by one Member cheapens us all.

That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Ban Conflicted Trading Act, which would bar Members of Congress and senior congressional staff from buying or selling individual stocks and other investments and from serving on any corporate boards while in office.

We owe it to the American people to pass that bill and sign it into law.

Mr. Speaker, ``climate change effects are outpacing our ability to adapt.'' That is from the recent IPCC report.

Here is what that means in America in 2022:

We have coastal communities where flooding has washed out roads before the bond used to pay for that road was fully paid off.

We have mayors with no budget for seawalls who are being forced to tell their constituents that the only solution is for them to abandon their homes and their businesses and relocate to higher ground.

NOAA reported recently that sea levels in Florida will be 18 inches higher by 2050. What that means is that there are properties in Florida today that will be underwater before their 30-year government-backed mortgage is fully repaid.

What happens in your community when that happens, if voters are told they have to abandon their home, or that their town can't connect them back to their grocery store, or that their local bank has to write down Federally backed mortgages? We know the political pain that that drives, and we know what measures are necessary to protect American families from that pain.

Yet my Republican colleagues in the Senate, who claim to be so focused on the economy, are withholding their confirmation for new Federal Reserve appointees because they have the temerity to suggest that we should not

even do the scenario analyses necessary to protect ourselves against this climate risk to our financial sector.

When you ignore the laws of physics, you put taxpayer dollars at risk; you put communities at risk; you puts lives at risk; you put American energy independence at risk.

It is time, it is long past time for the climate denial caucus to pull their heads out of the sand before the rising ocean washes all that sand away.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the America COMPETES Act. And I am particularly proud of the House science legislation in this bill designed to ensure that the Department of Energy Office of Science, the National Science Foundation, and NIST are well-equipped to succeed in the 21st century.

It also invests in a STEM workforce for the future to ensure we have the talents to bring all these semiconductor, climate and manufacturing jobs back home where they belong.

And if I could just share a personal story. About 13 years ago, I was building a tree house in my backyard, and as I was starting, this 6- year-old neighborhood kid shows up behind me with a cute little hard hat and a tool belt and said, ``I'm here to help.'' And my 2009 summer intern, as it were, is now a sophomore at the University of Illinois studying nuclear engineering.

His opportunity was made possible, in part, by investments that were made decades ago in nuclear technology in a test reactor on that University of Illinois campus. That reactor has now hit the end of its life. It has been shut down, and there are few other States that have those kinds of opportunities.

That is why I look forward to the consideration of my National Nuclear University Research Infrastructure Reinvestment Act, in America COMPETES, with Congressman Foster, Congressman Gonzalez, and Congressman Meijer, that will enhance the research capabilities of nuclear science and engineering programs, meet the workforce needs of the U.S. nuclear industry, and accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies in Illinois and across the country.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill as we develop new generations of advanced nuclear energy at our Nation's universities.

Mr. Speaker, almost a year ago, I spoke here about the delays in our postal system, and a year later the calls to our office have not stopped. In fact, they have gotten more frequent and more frantic.

Since the start of this year, 50 percent of all the phone calls our office has received are about disruptions in the Postal Service. These are from seniors whose essential medications and Social Security checks were over 2 weeks delayed; folks with missing credit card statements, Medicare cards, past due still undelivered bills accruing interest that they can't pay because their paycheck hasn't come in; small business owners reliant on the mail who are completely unable to operate.

Now, to be sure, the pandemic contributes to some of this. It has increased demand on the mail system, even as postal workers are staying home, quarantining, looking after loved ones. While leaders in the private sector have adapted to this moment, Postmaster DeJoy has responded to this by eliminating overtime, closing mail processing facilities, and removing mail sorting machines. He has made things worse.

Now, in the private sector we would fix that. A corporate board wouldn't tolerate it. They would hold this man to account. That hasn't happened because we still don't have a fully staffed Postal Board of Governors thanks to the Senate's failure to confirm President Biden's nominations. This is no way to run a business. It is no way to treat the American people.

The Postal Service needs leaders as committed to public service as our letter carriers and mail handlers. Frankly, so does the U.S. Senate. It is time for them to act, to confirm these nominees and ensure the post office has a fully staffed and fully functioning board.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Dr. Dieter Martin Gruen's 99th birthday, honor his service and contributions to the scientific community, and record my continued support for his nomination for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

For nearly eight decades, Dr. Gruen has worked to enhance American technology development as a former Manhattan Project Scientist and Argonne National Laboratory Distinguished Fellow. Born in 1922, Dr. Gruen is an

internationally esteemed German-American chemist, inventor, and innovator who immigrated to the U.S. from Nazi Germany in 1936. Throughout his career, Dr. Gruen has been driven by his curiosity and commitment to science--allowing him to make critical contributions to nuclear fission and fusion, solar energy, energy storage, and conservation. Specifically, Dr. Gruen has made several key technological advancements such as the nuclear submarine reactor cooling design and purification of uranium used to end World War II in the Pacific theater.

Through this work and countless other selfless endeavors, Dr. Gruen has been recognized by the international scientific community with numerous awards--including from Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University, and the Patent Law Association of Chicago--for his pioneering research in chemistry, physics, along with the emerging fields of materials and nanoscience. Dr. Gruen has been granted over 60 U.S. patents for his work in alternative energy and discoveries in interdisciplinary subjects. His lifelong contribution to science and alternative energy technology is exemplary and his work continues through today. Dr. Gruen's tireless efforts to solve future clean energy challenges presented by climate change is seldom exhibited by an individual. Humble and unpretentious, Dr. Gruen has and remains the embodiment of a dedicated American and pure scientist.

Dr. Gruen's story is the story of many immigrant Americans: those who left behind places of persecution, discrimination, and lack of opportunity for a brighter future. Those who arrived on our shores and helped build our nation through their hard-work, courageous spirit, unyielding dedication, and personal sacrifice. His courage and tenacity is an inspiration for us all.

Through the years, I have had the great pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Gruen, and learned from his countless stories about his work on the Manhattan Project, the nuts and bolts of nuclear fission technology, and his unique journey to the United States. At 99, Dr. Gruen still sees the world as a place of vast opportunities for technological innovation, a quality that I know encourages my own optimism to tackle issues facing our society.

For the reasons mentioned here and many more, I sincerely believe that Dr. Dieter Gruen should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifelong contributions to science and technology that continue today. Dr. Gruen's tireless efforts to solve future energy challenges is seldom exhibited by an individual. Humble and unpretentious, Dr. Gruen has and remains the embodiment of a dedicated American and pure scientist.

In April 2021, my colleagues Representatives Bill Foster, French Hill, Jerry McNerney, and Cheri Bustos joined me in supporting Dr. Gruen's nomination for the highest civilian award in this country. Dr. Gruen has dedicated his life to science and made monumental contributions to shaping the United States as a leader and world power in technology, innovation, and national defense.

Congratulations to Dr. Gruen for his decades of accomplishments and exceptional contributions to science and the national security interests of the United States. I cannot think of a more deserving citizen for this award and today I wish him the happiest of birthdays.

Madam Speaker, I rise to declare for now the end of Hot FERC Summer.

Sixty-four days ago I kicked off Hot FERC Summer with Megan Thee Stallion and then Fergie to elevate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's critical role in solving the climate crisis, and to urge the White House to nominate a fifth FERC commissioner.

Some, even in this Chamber, have lamented the bad dad jokes and puns, and many have asked what does this have to do with climate change?

Here's the thing. For far too long we have just used FERC's mind and we never gave them credit. And, frankly, allowing the most important Federal agency to fight climate change to continue to go unnoticed and short staffed, well, that would have driven me crazy, if I had let it.

I am thrilled to report that the President has embraced that Hot FERC Summer spirit and nominated Willie Phillips, taking us one step closer to restoring FERC to its full strength, enabling us to make this transition to clean energy at the pace the climate crisis demands.

Those commissioners and their hardworking, underappreciated staff, they are FERCalicious.

But they can't start working yet, and that is why today I am calling on my Senate colleagues to prioritize the confirmation hearings for Mr. Phillips so that he can start FERCing 9 to 5.

You see, when you tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen, pour yourself a cup of that ambition, your alarm clock, the lights, the hot coffee, they are in part, in no small part, thanks to the folks at FERC who are working to ensure that robust transmission system that we take for granted every day.

And when you jump in the shower hot enough that your blood starts pumping and drive out to the street before the traffic starts jumping, the charging networks for all those electric vehicles that stay cheap and reliable are also thanks to the folks FERCing 9 to 5.

FERCing 9 to 5, what a way to save the planet. We will not slow down this rapid acceleration of devastating wildfires, hurricanes, heat waves and blackouts that have already impacted one in three Americans this summer until we build out a zero-carbon energy system. With FERC's help, we can turn this ship around, if we let it.

FERCing 9 to 5, what a way to save the economy. Every day FERC helps make sure that energy isn't just a rich man's game. They have the ability and the authority to bring about this clean energy transition while keeping our energy markets competitive, reliable, and affordable to make sure that your utility isn't just taking without giving.

So why FERC? Couldn't we just do this in Congress?

Well, as long as the Senate prioritizes the preservation of the filibuster over the preservation of the planet, a fully staffed, climate-focused FERC will remain the most powerful, most important, and maybe the only tool we have to get to a low-cost, zero-carbon economy at the pace that the crisis demands.

But let's be clear: Getting FERC fully staffed is necessary but insufficient. Once fully staffed, they have got a lot of work to do. We need new rules to debottleneck our inter-regional transmission system to deliver clean, cheap, and reliable energy to all Americans--and thank you to my friend Senator Heinrich, and fellow nerd engineer, on that front--to ensure that market rules incentivize clean energy investments to decarbonize our system and lower the cost of energy, even as those investments lower the resulting cash flows; to ensure that the economic gains of zero-carbon energy are equitably shared by investors, by consumers, and by workers; to make sure that long- subsidized but inherently uneconomic fossil fuel plants can transition offline without unduly burdening consumers.

That stuff is really complicated. But the simple and important truth is that we don't have to keep paying too much for dirty energy. We don't have to accept the fossil-fuel-funded false dichotomy between our morals and our wallets. There is a better life, Madam Speaker, and you think about it, don't you?

FERC is the place where we can preserve a livable planet for ourselves, for our kids, for our grandkids. We are all in the same boat; and with FERC's help, the tide is going to come in and it is going to roll our way.

So at the end of Hot FERC Summer, the day after the 21st night of September, thank you to Megan, Fergie, and Dolly for the inspiration, and for helping me ensure that my daughters, however embarrassed they may now be, can inherit a livable planet. Thanks to all who paid attention, helped me prove that FERC is indeed hot enough to warrant this level of attention, and moved us a little closer, a little quicker to a fully functioning Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. And thanks to all the incredibly dedicated

staff at the Commission for all you do FERCing 9 to 5 to protect our future.

Madam Speaker, I rise to continue our celebration of Hot FERC summer. As climate activist Fergie would certainly say: The FERC- alicious definition is to make our planet cooler.

So listen up, y'all, `cause this is it. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or better known as the F to the E to the R to the C, is one of the most important Federal agencies to fight climate change. And if I am doing this right, one that a few more of you are now keeping tabs on.

Having a well air-conditioned home when it is ``hot-hot''? That is FERCalicious.

Getting your electricity from the lowest cost reliable source? FERCalicious.

An electric transmission system that keeps everything from electric vehicles to steel mills running with zero carbon electricity? FERCalicious.

With record-setting heat waves already causing deadly droughts, wildfires, and overwhelmed power grids, we have run out the clock and must transition to a clean energy economy--and we need FERC's help.

So, today, I am proud to introduce the Right to Timely Rehearings at FERC Act with my friend, Mr. Malinowski, a bill to ensure everyone has access to fair and timely hearings at the Commission.

But Congress can't do this alone. Moving at the pace demanded by the climate crisis will take all hands on deck. And a fully staffed FERC is going to be critical to that success.

Mr. Speaker, I will now go work on my fitness.

Madam Speaker, I trust most of my colleagues have heard of ``Hot Girl Summer'' and the broader Megan Thee Stallion oeuvre.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to declare the start of ``Hot FERC Summer,'' with FERC, of course, being the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Why, you might ask? Well, to paraphrase Ms. Stallion, because now that FERC has put in all that work, it is time for them to be the MVP.

Now, some might say that FERC isn't, dare I say, hot enough to warrant that attention. But for those of us who are serious about fighting the climate crisis, they sure should be.

The Commission ensures our energy markets, generation, and transmission

are operating and providing us with affordable, reliable energy. But the best kept secret of all is that FERC is absolutely key to achieving our clean energy goals and a zero carbon economy.

For the last few decades, FERC's biggest push has been to encourage competition in the power sector. FERC Order 888, which just celebrated its 25th birthday a few months ago, may not have cracked the Billboard Top 100, but it has been almost singularly responsible for decarbonizing our electric sector. The order, like most things FERC- related, was, frankly, pretty wonky. But by incentivizing lower-cost gas, nuclear, and renewable energy, it drove the private sector to drastically lower their greenhouse gas emissions and slash electricity costs.

From the perspective of anyone who pays for electricity, that is fantastic news. You pay less for cleaner power.

From the perspective of someone who cares about climate change, it is also amazing because once a clean energy plant is built, you don't need to pay the wind to blow or the Sun to shine. Clean energy is the cheapest source of energy out there, and those old, dirty plants just can't compete.

In my home State of Illinois, a recent study found that it would be cheaper to sell a coal plant that was just built a decade ago for scrap and procure cleaner replacement power through those FERC-organized markets. Thank you, FERC.

To kick off ``Hot FERC Summer,'' I have introduced bills that will help FERC build on this success. The first of these was the Interregional Transmission Planning Improvement Act, which I introduced with Senator Heinrich, that will ensure that our grid operators are thinking properly about the benefits of building transmission wires across the country.

The second, the Energy PRICE Act, which I introduced just today with Representatives Levin, Huffman, and Bonamici, would help ensure that FERC lives up to its legal responsibility to protect the public welfare by not approving electricity rates that don't account for the cost of greenhouse gas emissions.

I will be dropping a third ``Hot FERC Summer'' bill--I am sorry, a third hot jam next week.

But right now, FERC is at a crossroads. For the first time in years, President Biden has an opportunity to create a Democratic majority at FERC; a majority that will ensure that these incentives are in place to build an electric grid for our 21st century economy; a majority that will ensure that State renewable energy rules are respected and integrated into regional markets, a majority that will ensure that uneconomic fossil fuel plants are subjected to the competitive pressures of a free market that have given us an explosion in solar and wind energy over the past decade; a majority that will ensure that we make further progress in our clean energy goals rather than trying to fight against it.

But in order to do any of that in time to prevent more climate devastation, the President must nominate a Commissioner to FERC, and the Senate must confirm that individual. I urge both to do so as soon as possible to ensure that FERC stays at its full power and that it will be able to continue to be the most important clean energy agency that most of us have never heard of.

As you, of course know, Madam Speaker, ``Hot Girl Summer'' ain't about degrees, but ``Hot FERC Summer'' most definitely is. The record temperatures from Portland to Death Valley, the wildfires, and the coming hurricane season are all the direct result of our failure to decarbonize as quickly as we must.

While this summer is the hottest FERC summer yet, it is coming on the heels of 2020, which was the hottest summer North America has ever seen for as long as we have records. In point of fact, the 10 warmest summers on record have occurred since 1998. If we fail to act, they will be nothing compared to the summers we will experience over the coming decades because while the best chance to take action on climate was 30 years ago, the last chance is now.