Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, of which Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) is a proud member, advanced H.R. 4626, the Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act.

This legislation, introduced by Congressman Allen, implements necessary reforms to the Energy Policy Conservation Act (EPCA) to prevent future administrations from prioritizing a radical rush-to-green agenda over the affordability and availability of reliable household appliances that Americans rely on every day.

Prior to the vote during yesterday’s markup, Congressman Allen delivered the following remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Under the guise of energy efficiency, the Biden-Harris Administration waged a four-year war on domestic energy and consumer choice, and it was American families that paid the price. From gas stoves, refrigerators, and freezers, to washers, dryers, dish washers, and air conditioners—no household appliance was off limits in their pursuit of a radical rush-to-green agenda. We cannot allow that to happen again.

“That is why I am glad we are considering my bill in the full committee, which would implement necessary reforms to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to prevent future administrations from prioritizing a radical rush-to-green agenda over the affordability and availability of reliable household appliances that Americans rely on every day.

“Congress enacted EPCA in 1975 to increase energy production, reduce demand, and encourage a more efficient use of energy. As part of this effort, EPCA authorized DOE’s Appliance and Equipment Standards Program to set minimum energy efficiency standards for product categories.  

“DOE must follow specific statutory criteria for prescribing new or amended standards for covered products and covered equipment. However, over the last several years, DOE has gone beyond its scope of statutory authority by finalizing rules that do not meet the specific statutory criteria.  

“These egregious appliance standards have caused homeowners to spend 34 percent more on appliances than they did 15 years ago, while having to replace them at a faster rate. That is why my bill makes reforms that will: eliminate DOE’s requirement to review and update energy conservation standards every six years, establish a new process to allow standards to be revoked or revised, and amend the statutory criteria for determining whether an energy conservation standard is economically justified.  

“Additionally, my bill aligns all compliance dates to be five years following a final rule, requires test procedures to be issued at least 180 days before rulemaking action, maintains provisions of current law related to DOJ reviews, clarifies DOE’s authority to amend water efficiency standards for clothes washers and dishwashers, as well as other changes that overall improve the underlying legislation.  

“These are commonsense changes that will ensure certainty for manufacturers and consumers and allow for consumer choice. I urge support of my legislation.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Steering and Policy Committee held a hearing on Donald Trump’s unaffordable America. As Republicans continue to drive up the cost of living and break our healthcare system, House Democrats are lifting up the stories of hardworking Americans who are being crushed by the rising price of food, housing and insurance.

REMARKS DELIVERED BY LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Robin. Thanks to all the Members and certainly thankful for the panel of witnesses, Thomas, Carolina, Nicole and Brian for being here today. Thank you all for your advocacy and, of course, for sharing your stories about how the Trump administration policies are hurting everyday Americans and making it more difficult for people to make ends meet.

We know that last year, Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they were going to lower costs on day one. And of course, costs haven’t gone down, they’ve gone up. This is day 319 of the Trump administration, and day 336 of complete Republican control of Congress. But what have we seen so far? Not a single piece of legislation, not a single plan, not even a single meaningful idea to drive down the high cost of living. Of course, in America, costs are going up. Inflation is up. Housing costs are up. Grocery prices are up. Electricity bills are skyrocketing. America is far too expensive. There are far too many people struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, as you have illustrated in such a compelling way.

Through all of the chaos and cruelty and corruption that is being inflicted on the American people by House Republicans, the American people are being hurt, and these Republicans continue to make things worse. At the start of this year, Donald Trump froze critical funding for Head Start and left families and providers under duress.

Two different federal courts forced the administration to uphold their responsibility to deliver nutritional benefits during the Trump-Republican shutdown. And yet, Republicans continued to try to weaponize the issue of hunger against the American people. And now the USDA is planning another effort to hold SNAP benefits hostage in states across the country.

We, of course, are confronting a healthcare crisis, with Republicans refusing to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, notwithstanding the fact that they are going to expire at the end of this month, and tens of millions of Americans are going to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles. In some instances, we know costs are going to increase on everyday Americans by $1,000 or $2,000 per month. This is all unsustainable. And yet, in this environment, the one thing that Republicans have done when they cut Medicaid in their One Big Ugly Bill, largest cut to Medicaid in American history, cut $186 billion in nutritional assistance from the American people, literally ripping food from the mouths of children, seniors, families and others.

In that same piece of legislation, they did find the time to provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors and then make those tax breaks permanent. Yet can’t even be bothered to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits for working class Americans. They’re completely and totally out of control. This majority and Republican governance has been a failure for the American people.

As we’ve repeatedly stated, Democrats are willing to find common ground with anyone, anytime, anyplace as long as we’re making life better for the American people, improving their quality of life and certainly focus on driving down the high cost of living and fixing our broken healthcare system. We just need serious partners on the other side of the aisle, and they’re too busy fighting each other and rewarding their billionaire donors to do something meaningful for the American people.

So we’re thankful for your presence, for your compelling testimony, for your advocacy on behalf of the American people. And we look forward to our continued partnership on behalf of making life better for hardworking American taxpayers.

Full remarks and hearing can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room, where he made clear that as Donald Trump and Republicans continue to raise prices and fail to address their healthcare crisis, Democrats will continue fighting to lower the high cost of living on behalf of everyday Americans.

WOLF BLITZER: Joining us now to discuss this and more, the House Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us. First of all, what’s your response to what we heard there from President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth about that boat strike?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there’s a lot of explaining that the White House needs to do. Listen, at the end of the day, the buck stops with the President and the so-called Secretary of Defense. And it’s not clear to me that the so-called Secretary of Defense is being truthful in this instance. And so, that’s why there’s going to be a complete and thorough bipartisan congressional investigation in both the House and the Senate, so we can uncover the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That’s what the American people deserve.

WOLF BLITZER: Why do you call him so-called Defense Secretary?

LEADER JEFFRIES: This is the most unqualified Secretary of Defense in American history. I called for him to be terminated several months ago in the aftermath of the Signalgate scandal. And there’s still some additional information that I think will be revealed to the American people as to why that was so problematic.

WOLF BLITZER: Yeah, we’re covering that as well. Pamela, go ahead.

PAMELA BROWN: He has said that everything he has done as the Secretary of War has been lawful, but given what you just said, do you think that he has committed impeachable offenses?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there’s reason to believe that war crimes may have been committed, and that’s why we need a complete and thorough investigation, and I expect that that’s exactly what’s going to take place. I’m hopeful that my Republican colleagues in both the House and the Senate will finally decide to act like a separate and coequal branch of government and a check and balance on this out-of-control executive branch in this instance, where there’s reasons to be horrified by what took place, a potential extrajudicial killing off the coast of Venezuela.

WOLF BLITZER: On another issue that just has emerged within the last several minutes, Leader Jeffries, President Trump has announced a pardon of the Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife, who were charged with bribery. What’s your response?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Congressman Cuellar is a beloved member of the House of Representatives, loved in his community, particularly in Laredo. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with him down in Laredo in South Texas. I look forward to that moving forward. Listen, the reality is this indictment was very thin to begin with, in my view. The charges were eventually going to be dismissed, if not at the trial court level by the Supreme Court, as they’ve repeatedly done in instances just like this.

PAMELA BROWN: So, just to follow up on that, do you agree with the President’s pardon here? Do you think that that was a good thing then?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I don’t know why the President decided to do this. I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome.

PAMELA BROWN: Well, Congressman Cuellar, we should note, is one of a handful of House Democrats who sits in a district President Trump won in 2024. So now he has this presidential pardon. Have you had any conversations with the Congressman about him potentially switching to the Republican Party?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think Congressman Cuellar is a highly-valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus, and I expect that he’ll continue to remain a highly-valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus.

PAMELA BROWN: What about reelection plans? Has he informed you of that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, I think the filing deadline in Texas is upcoming in the next few days. Many of the Members of the Texas congressional delegation have yet to file for reelection. I expect that we’ll see that happen in advance of the Monday deadline.

WOLF BLITZER: We’ll see what he decides. The U.S. is immediately pausing immigration applications for individuals from some 19 countries, including Afghanistan, and temporarily holding asylum decisions. Do you see any upside at all to these steps by the Trump administration in the wake of that tragic shooting of two National Guard members here in Washington, D.C. by an Afghan national who was vetted and was here legally?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, the administration hasn’t fully and completely explained their rationale for taking this decision, but here’s what I know. Like, the American people want Donald Trump and Republicans to actually keep their promises on the issues that they said they would focus on, which includes dealing with the affordability crisis that exists here in the United States of America notwithstanding the fact that Donald Trump apparently believes that the high cost of living in this country is a scam. It is not a scam. These people promised that they were going to lower costs on day one. Costs aren’t going down, they’re going up. Housing costs out of control. Grocery costs out of control. Electricity prices out of control. And now, because Republicans refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, tens of millions of people are about to experience dramatically-increased healthcare costs that will prevent them from being able to go see a doctor when they need one. These are the issues that the American people want to see progress made on. House Democrats are prepared to make that progress, but we need partners on the other side of the aisle.

PAMELA BROWN: And we’ll get more—we’ll get to more on affordability in just a moment. But just to follow up, I mean, one of President Trump’s key campaign promises was also on immigration, right? So even if you disagree with the way this immigration crackdown is happening, according to government data, U.S. Border Patrol has released zero undocumented migrants into the U.S. for six consecutive months, and daily average apprehensions at the southwest border are lower now than under Biden. Are you willing to give President Trump any credit for that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, let’s take the two issues together, right? First, we believe in a safe, a strong and a secure border. And that’s important, and we’ll continue to stand behind that. At the same period of time, we acknowledge, of course, we have a broken immigration system. It needs to be fixed, but it should be fixed in a comprehensive and in a bipartisan way. The American people strongly disagree with the approach that Donald Trump has taken in terms of interior enforcement and immigration. Because Republicans promised that they were going to go after violent felons. We support that. They’re not going after violent felons. They’re breaking up families, law-abiding immigrant families. In some cases actually deporting citizen children of the United States of America. That’s completely and totally unacceptable. And the American people know it, which is why in the most recent Gallup poll, Donald Trump’s approval rating on immigration was underwater by 25 points.

PAMELA BROWN: And it is true that the polls show in terms of the tactics used that the majority, they don’t like the tactics being used. But in terms of the border, securing the border, can you give President Trump any credit for securing the border? Because as you know, that was a big issue under the Biden administration when you had record border crossings and those border crossings have gone down dramatically. Can you give him credit for that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The border is secure, that’s a good thing. It’s happened on his watch. He wants to claim credit for it. Of course, he’ll get credit for that. In terms of making sure that we actually deal with the issues that matter, including on immigration or beyond, there’s a lot that is left to be desired.

WOLF BLITZER: You know, another sensitive comment from the President, and I just want to get your reaction, Leader Jeffries. The President ended his cabinet meeting yesterday by referring to Somalis and Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar specifically, and I’m quoting him now, he said they were quote, ‘garbage.’ How do you respond to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s an outrageous statement from the President directed at a Member of Congress who is well regarded, who’s a strong advocate, Representative Ilhan Omar, for the communities that she represents in the great state of Minnesota. But this is consistent with the type of xenophobic behavior that we’ve seen from this President, from the administration, from my Republican colleagues instead of focusing on the issues that matter because they have no solutions, they have no intention, they have no plans, they have no legislative agenda to actually drive down the high cost of living or fix our broken healthcare system. That’s why they’re losing races all over the country and underperforming, including what we just saw last night in Tennessee.

PAMELA BROWN: On affordability and on healthcare, House Republicans tell CNN they’re still working to reach a consensus on those enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of this month, as we know. Was it a mistake for Democrats, now looking back in hindsight, to agree to end the government shutdown without a resolution to this looming healthcare crisis?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, House Democrats are going to continue to fight to address our broken healthcare system and deal with the Republican healthcare crisis. Understand, these people are destroying the healthcare of the American people in real time. They enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. More than 14 million people are about to lose their health insurance as a result of what Republicans did in their One Big Ugly Bill. Hospitals, nursing homes, community-based health centers are closing throughout the country. They’re attacking the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health, making vaccines unavailable, children are going sick and now they refuse to deal with the Affordable Care Act tax credit extensions. So we, as Democrats, we’re going to continue the fight. We have a discharge petition that has the support of all 214 members of the House Democratic Caucus. All we need are four Republicans. Just four. There’s 219 of them. All we need is four to join us, and we can get an up-or-down vote on passing a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits to protect and save the healthcare of working-class Americans.

PAMELA BROWN: Just to follow up with you, what do you say to the Republicans? Because I know you are criticizing what they’ve done on Medicaid, but what do you say to Republicans who say that what’s going on right now with the healthcare subsidies is a crisis of the Democrats’ own making with the Affordable Care Act and even setting this expiration date and the fact that these premiums would now go up so much past this month if nothing is resolved in Congress. How do you respond to what Republicans say about that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Listen, we’ve made clear overall that there are a lot of challenges with the healthcare system, and we’re committed to fixing every aspect of our broken healthcare system. But the Affordable Care Act is understandably embraced by the majority of the American people because they know that it’s an important part of making sure that health insurance can remain affordable for working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and everyday Americans. We’re talking about tens of millions of people, including in many red states across the country. In fact, the states that would be most impacted if the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire are Republican-run states. We’re talking about West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, North Dakota and South Dakota. Those are the ten states most impacted if the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire. So we’re fighting to protect the healthcare of the American people. This is not a partisan issue for us. It is a patriotic issue because in this country, wealthiest country in the history of the world, healthcare can’t simply be a privilege available only to the wealthy and the well-off. It’s got to be a right that’s accessible and available to every single American.

WOLF BLITZER: The House Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us. We’ll continue these conversations to be sure down the road.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson issued the following statement after the House passed three commonsense measures this week – the PROTECT Our Kids Act, the TRACE Act, and the CLASS Act – to increase transparency in America’s schools and protect students from adversarial foreign influence and propaganda.

“This week’s House passage of the PROTECT Our Kids Act, the TRACE Act, and the CLASS Act are victories for America’s parents, students, education system, and our national security. We will not allow foreign nations or adversaries – particularly the Chinese Communist Party – to infiltrate U.S. schools to fund and influence what American students learn,” Speaker Johnson said. “These three important measures improve transparency, strengthen parental rights, and ensure America’s classrooms remain free from harmful foreign propaganda. House Republicans will continue acting decisively to protect America’s next generation and preserve the integrity of our education system.”

“Authoritarian regimes around the world, like the Chinese Communist Party, are trying to use lucrative financial ties with schools to undermine American values and interests. Confucius Classrooms are a prime example of how foreign-funded programs can shape curricula and exert influence in our K-12 classrooms,” House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Walberg said. “I am pleased to see my colleagues recognize the need to protect our students and increase transparency when it comes to foreign funding in education. American schools should teach critical thinking—not enemy propaganda.”

This Week’s House Adopted Legislation to Protect America’s Classrooms:

H.R. 1005 — Combatting the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act (Sponsored by Rep. David Joyce): Prohibits America’s K-12 public schools from accepting funds or entering contracts with the Chinese Communist Party, including individuals or entities with ties to the CCP, and requires U.S. schools to notify the Department of Education of any accepted foreign funds or contracts.

H.R. 1069 — Promoting Responsible Oversight To Eliminate Communist Teachings for Our Kids (PROTECT Our Kids) Act (Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Hern): Prohibits federal funding through the Department of Education for any American school which continues to host a Confucius Classroom, which are Chinese language and cultural learning centers in U.S. elementary and secondary schools that are funded or otherwise supported by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

H.R. 1049 — Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act (Sponsored by Rep. Aaron Bean): Enhances the rights of parents to know how foreign funding is impacting their child’s classroom and enforces strict reporting requirements to increase transparency and keep foreign nations and our adversaries from influencing America’s youth.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

December 04, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) introduced today the Hire Student Veterans Act. This bill would expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for employers who hire eligible student veterans. It serves as the House companion to legislation introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). 
“America owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women of our military for their service,” said Rep. Steube. “No veteran should ever be left to languish on the unemployment line. I am grateful to join with Congresswoman Lee and Senators Moran and Rosen on this bill that will expand opportunity and financial security for our student veterans. It is only right that we provide our heroes with every possible option to earn a reliable income while attending school.”
“As the brave men and women who fought to keep our country safe transition back to civilian life, we need to make sure finding a good-paying, rewarding job isn’t another battle,” said Rep. Lee. “The Hire Student Veterans Act will provide our student veterans with the training, resources, and opportunities they need to start new careers, all while creating incentives for businesses to hire veterans. We must pass this bipartisan, commonsense legislation to make sure our vets, especially our student vets, have a roadmap to start new careers and start their civilian life back home in Nevada.”
Background: Under the status quo, student veterans face higher rates of unemployment than the general population. 12% of student veterans are unable to find work. The Hire Student Veterans Act would expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include part-time jobs and paid internships for veterans currently attending school via the GI bill or other programs provided by the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs. 
Read the full bill text here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

“Rogue, masked federal agents are violating people’s civil rights—glorified bullies masquerading as public servants. They terrorize our communities in the name of so-called ‘law and order,’ while detaining and deporting our neighbors without due process.”

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) delivered a powerful speech on the House floor in defense of the vibrant immigrant communities who are being maliciously stolen from their homes, ripped from their families, and unlawfully detained and deported by the Trump Administration and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Rep. Pressley also vehemently condemned the recent ICE raid at a car wash in Allston, where rogue federal agents harassed and abducted employees, denying them their right to show their work permits. Among them were five women and a 67-year-old man who was disappeared for days without access to his medication.

A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks is available below, and the video is available here.

Transcript: On House Floor, Pressley Offers Vigorous Defense of Immigrant Neighbors, Condemns ICE Raid on Allston Car Wash

U.S. House of Representatives

December 3, 2025

Thank you, Congresswoman Ramirez. I appreciate your leadership. 

It’s so important that we do not allow the hostile acts of this administration to be normalized. We have to condemn them, resist and reject them at every turn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the targeted and marginalized, on behalf of our immigrant siblings who have had their bodies assaulted. 

Who have had their lives disrupted. Who have had their families separated. Who have had their humanity erased and their dignity denied.

Men, women, and children who have been ripped from our communities, thrown into cold cells, and shipped off to countries many have never known. 

The Trump administration would have you believe they are pursuing hardened criminals. 

Yet according to ICE’s own data, 85 percent of the people detained in Massachusetts—my home state—have no criminal record. 

Rogue, masked federal agents are violating people’s civil rights—glorified bullies masquerading as public servants.

They terrorize our communities in the name of so-called “law and order,” while detaining and deporting our neighbors without due process. 

That hypocrisy is not coincidence—it is a deliberate, resounding message from an administration that believes following the Constitution is a mere suggestion.

My office has documented hundreds of cases marked by excessive force, racial profiling, and the unlawful arrest of legal residents.

Just last month, rogue federal agents descended on the Allston neighborhood in the Massachusetts 7th, the diverse community that is home to small businesses and music venues that are welcoming to all. 

These federal agents targeted a local car wash to harass and abduct hardworking community members. 

Among them were five women who were never afforded the chance to show their work permits, and a 67-year-old man who was disappeared for days without access to his medication.

Families waited in anguish to hear from their loved ones, many of whom reported not having enough to eat and being unable to shower.

Cruel. Callous. Inhumane. And unlawful.

But in these trying times I am not defeated. I’m fortified and resolved to fight back.

The only way to beat a dictator is with defiance. 

Together, we will protect our communities, defend our immigrant neighbors, and their families.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

December 04, 2025

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06) and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025, legislation to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to assess and mitigate the impacts that natural gas pipelines approved by FERC under the Natural Gas Act (NGA) will have on climate change and Environmental Justice communities.

“For too long, we have placed the interests of energy producers above all else in setting our energy policy, including when deciding whether to permit a new natural gas pipeline,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “It’s past time we put the national interest first. I’m proud to introduce this legislation that would require FERC to consider the potential impacts on climate change, Environmental Justice communities, energy affordability, and reliability before approving a new natural gas pipeline.”

“As we work to meet our growing energy demands with new technologies, we must consider the long-term impacts of those projects on surrounding communities and our environment,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “Too often, natural gas pipelines jeopardize the health and well-being of vulnerable communities, especially low-income communities and communities of color. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act implements common-sense requirements to ensure FERC identifies and considers the wide-ranging potential impacts of these projects. This bill represents another important step in our efforts to improve energy affordability and advance environmental justice.”

“Across the country, we are seeing rising temperatures and more frequent natural disasters—a clear sign that we are facing a serious climate crisis. If we hope to mitigate this crisis and protect our most vulnerable communities, we must evaluate the climate impacts of new natural gas pipelines before we build them,” Sen. Durbin said. “Enacting the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act will protect the communities most impacted by climate change and climate pollution while ensuring access to safe and affordable energy.”

In 2022, FERC, under then-Chairman Richard Glick, issued a draft Policy Statement to clarify how the Commission would take into account a natural gas pipeline’s impacts on climate change and Environmental Justice communities. The draft statement was terminated earlier this year. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act is intended to codify the kind of analysis called for under the draft policy statement.

In particular, the legislation would amend the NGA to require FERC to determine, among other things, whether a proposed pipeline’s impacts on climate change and Environmental Justice communities are significant, if the impacts can be mitigated, and whether the proposed pipeline would ensure energy reliability and affordability. The bill further establishes what FERC should consider when making these determinations.

For a full summary of the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act, click HERE.

Text of the legislation can be found HERE.

“The Natural Gas Act requires FERC to consider whether a proposed interstate pipeline is both needed and in the public interest,” said Richard Glick, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “It is essential that, when determining whether the public interest requires that the pipeline be permitted, FERC consider all potential benefits and adverse impacts. The Commission has not always fully considered these impacts in its decision making process. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act would ensure full examination of a proposed pipeline’s impact on climate change and on the communities that may not have the resources necessary to ensure their voices are heard in permitting proceedings. I commend Congressman Casten for his leadership in calling attention to this important matter.”

“This legislation is a critical step forward in ensuring that FERC fully accounts for and addresses greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts of energy projects under the Natural Gas Act,” said Anastasia Gordan, Federal Policy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “The Biden Administration’s LNG study gave us a clear picture of the harms these projects impose on public health, on our climate, and on family budgets, and the courts have repeatedly called on the Commission to do the same. For decades, fossil fuel infrastructure has disproportionately burdened frontline communities, and clarifying FERC’s authority is essential to protecting all people, especially those who have borne the brunt of pollution and disinvestment. We applaud this effort to put equity, accountability, and climate responsibility at the center of energy decision-making.”

“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must consider greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts in its decisions around energy projects,” Mahyar Sorour, Sierra Club’s Director for Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy, said. “Yet, FERC has consistently shirked its duty to assess the holistic, long-term impacts of these projects, including methane gas pipelines. This bill will make it crystal clear that FERC must take potential climate and community harms into account when making critical decisions about the nation’s energy future. Sierra Club is grateful for the leadership of Reps. Casten and McClellan on this issue.”

“The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act is an important step towards enhancing the ability of FERC to reduce the impacts of climate change and pollution,” said Byron Gudiel, Executive Director at Center for Earth Energy & Democracy (CEED). We support this effort in ensuring that no community bears a disproportionate share of the adverse environmental and public health consequences from the build-out of fossil fuel infrastructure.”

“Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration have demonstrated their commitment to expediting and rubber-stamping the permitting of dirty gas infrastructure with little regard for its impacts,” said Auburn Bell, Legislative Representative, Earthjustice Action. Failure to consider these impacts will only result in dirtier water, toxic air, and more chronic health issues for those living alongside them. The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act is a crucial step toward ensuring communities are at the center of FERC’s approval process and rightfully mandates FERC assess the cumulative impacts of gas pipeline pollution on environmental justice communities and climate change. We thank Representatives Casten, McClellan, and others for their efforts to protect people, especially those disproportionately impacted by greenhouse gas pollutants.”

Text of the legislation can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Dingell Announces $300,000 for University of Michigan to Train Next Generation of Nuclear Scientists and Advance Clean Energy

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) released the following statement on the Department of Transportation’s announcement today that the Trump Administration plans to “reset” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards.

“What the auto industry needs, and what all manufacturing needs, is certainty and stability. For too long, domestic auto makers have been a ping pong ball, having to frequently switch gears to adjust to changing administrations and federal regulations. It’s harmful to manufacturers and consumers. For the U.S. to remain a leader in the global market, we need market alignment. The global market wants EVs, and we need to ensure we don’t fall behind. Our policies must reflect the domestic marketplace and the needs of American consumers and workers. The fact is, fuel economy improvements save consumers money, whether you drive a gas-powered car, a hybrid, or an EV. Most importantly, all stakeholders must be at the table to reach consensus on how we support a strong, stable auto industry, support American auto workers, and keep the U.S. the leader in mobility, innovation, and advanced manufacturing.”

Studies have shown that fuel economy improvements over the past 15 years have delivered the average household savings of about $630-$840 every year. Since 2001, efficiency improvements, driven by standards, have delivered over $9,000 in savings to consumers when fueling up their vehicle over the lifetime of the average new car sold in the U.S. in 2024.