Chairman Guthrie Delivers Remarks on 15 Pieces of Legislation to Strengthen Public Health Efforts, Enhance American Travel, and Support Energy Affordability
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered remarks on the House floor for 15 bills aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of Americans across the country, supporting tourism and AM Radio, and protecting against rising energy costs.
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, as prepared for delivery:
“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, strengthen 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—and 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 that we can keep costs low while ensuring the U.S. leads in the next generation economy.
“If we cede the race to 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.
“I want to 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 urge my colleagues to support the legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 2846, legislation 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), as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2846, led by my colleague, Representative Houlahan.
“The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is one of the eight uniformed services in the U.S. and 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 and uniformed public servants by aligning their leave policies with those of the 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 service members.
“With that, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 6633, the High-Capacity Grid Act, as prepared for delivery:
“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 can put on our system to power 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.
“I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, as prepared for delivery:
“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.
“But 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.
“I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 9339, the Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act, as prepared for delivery:
“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 system.
“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 every year.
“That makes it a particularly important use case for AI models that are designed to handle such complexities.
“I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on S. 195, the American Music Tourism Act of 2025, as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today to speak in support of S. 195 the American Music Tourism Act of 2025.
“Music is one of the truest expressions of who we are as a country. It's part of the fabric of American life in every region and every community.
“This bill simply directs the Department of Commerce to do what it already does for other forms of tourism: build a plan to promote it and then keep Congress informed. It asks for no new taxpayer dollars. It creates no new bureaucracy. It just puts music tourism on at the same level as other national attractions.
“I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025, as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
“Tens of millions of Americans tune into broadcast AM radio every day. Farmers use AM radio for weather forecasts, local information, and crop reports, while older Americans rely on it for local news and programming.
“Most importantly, AM radio is a critical tool for emergency communications. When a disaster hits and a broadband network goes dark, AM radio can continue providing critical emergency information to communities.
“This bipartisan bill has broad support from stakeholders including broadcasters, the Farm Bureau, former FEMA Administrators, and first responders.
“I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on S. 2398, the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act, as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today in strong support of S. 2398, the Senate companion to bipartisan legislation recently advanced by the Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Senator Collins and Congressman Chris Smith.
“Vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas can carry life-threatening diseases, and anyone can contract a vector-borne disease with potentially debilitating consequences.
“This bill reauthorizes the National Strategy and Regional Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease as well as the CDC’s cooperative agreements with health departments in high-risk areas for vector-borne diseases.
“Preventing these diseases and responding to vector-borne threats is a bipartisan issue that I hope we can all support.
“With that, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 1266, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1266, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, led by my colleagues, Representatives Panetta and Pfluger.
“Xylazine is a veterinary drug used to sedate large animals, but it has no legitimate use in humans and is quickly becoming one of the deadliest drugs on our streets.
“This bill would place xylazine in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, while ensuring an exemption for appropriate use within the veterinary and ranching industries.
“The decision to place xylazine in Schedule III is the product of extensive bipartisan work spanning two Congresses and two administrations, supported by both DEA and HHS.
“It is critical that we pass this commonsense bill to strengthen our ability to crack down on illicit xylazine distribution while preserving its legitimate veterinary and ranching uses. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 2004, Tyler’s Law, as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2004, led by my colleagues, Representatives Lieu and Latta.
“Tyler’s Law is named after Tyler Shamash, who suffered from a fatal fentanyl poisoning after doctors did not test for fentanyl when he was admitted to the hospital emergency room.
“This bill would honor Tyler’s memory by helping prevent more tragedies and ensure providers are able to apply the best practices when treating cases of potential drug overdoses.
“I encourage my colleagues to support this bill to honor his legacy and the many families who have suffered similarly.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 8005, the Stop Pills That Kill Act, as prepared for delivery:
“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8005, the Stop Pills That Kill Act, led by my friend and colleague, Representative Gabe Evans.
“The threat posed by illicit pill presses has risen as drug traffickers continue to press fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs into pills. In 2025 alone, DEA seized over 47 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.
“This bill makes important regulatory changes to strengthen DEA’s ability to stop bad actors from misusing pill presses, tableting and encapsulating machines, and their critical components to illicitly manufacture controlled substances to poison our communities.
“This bill will make our streets safer. I applaud the tireless efforts of my friend from Colorado to protect Americans from these threats. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 9616, the EMRTAI Authorization Act of 2026, as prepared for delivery:
“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’s why my colleagues, Representatives Pfluger and Landsman have introduced the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative or ‘EMRTAI’ Authorization Act of 2026.
“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.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 9617, the CHARM Act, as prepared for delivery:
“I thank my colleagues on the Environment Subcommittee, Chairman Palmer and Ranking Member Tonko, for introducing H.R. 9617, the Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals or “CHARM” Act.
“Throughout this Congress, our Committee has examined opportunities to recover critical minerals from discarded materials, such as mine waste, coal combustion materials, end-of-life electronics, and produced water. The CHARM Act is a product of a lot of this hard work.
“This bill directs the EPA, in consultation with other federal agencies, to develop a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy in coordination with other federal agencies.
“EPA already has expertise in recovery of valuable materials from discarded materials, and the agency is well positioned to lead these efforts.
“I urge my colleagues in the House to support the passage of this bipartisan legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 9615, the BRACE Act, as prepared for delivery:
“End-of-life batteries are a strategic source of nickel, cobalt, and copper, with the volume of batteries available for recycling is expected to triple over the next ten years.
“The Battery Recycling for America’s Competitive Economy Act, or ‘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.
“The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced this bill by unanimous vote of 46 to zero (46-0). I urge my colleagues in the House to support this bipartisan legislation.”
Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 2140, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2025, as prepared for delivery:
“The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) of 2025—led by two Members of our Committee, Representatives Matsui and Langworthy—reauthorizes a longstanding and successful bipartisan program.
“This EPA program provides funding assistance to accelerate replacements and upgrades of 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 572 million gallons of fuel saved and the program has upgraded 76.900 vehicles and engines.
“I urge you to support this bipartisan legislation with a track record of proven results, through 2029.”
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