[Pages H4743-H4785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2025

general leave

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. 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 H.R. 8997, and that I may
include tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 8997.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup) to preside
over the Committee of the Whole.

[[Page H4744]]

{time} 1108

In the Committee of the Whole

Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 8997) making appropriations for energy and water development and
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for
other purposes, with Mr. Wenstrup in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not
exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) and the gentlewoman
from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Chair, I am pleased to bring the Energy and Water Development and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025, to the floor today.
The bill provides a total of $59.2 billion to advance our commitment
to national security, energy security, and economic competitiveness.
The bill delivers strong support for our national defense and
provides $25.5 billion for the National Nuclear Security
Administration. The bill prioritizes nuclear weapons activities, fully
funding all major stockpile modernization activities and providing
additional funds for plutonium pit production and the nuclear sea-
launched cruise missile.
At the Department of Energy, the bill supports programs that advance
our Nation's energy security and ensure America remains at the
forefront of scientific discovery and innovation. This includes strong
funding for nuclear energy, including additional funds specifically for
nuclear demonstration projects; the Office of Science, including fusion
energy sciences; and the full spectrum of mining production
technologies to reduce our reliance on foreign sources of critical
minerals.
The bill also includes a number of provisions to protect American
resources and intellectual property from falling into the hands of
foreign adversaries.
Funding for the Corps of Engineers totals $9.96 billion, including
full funding of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities and the
highest priority, ongoing Inland Waterways Trust Fund construction
projects to ensure the safe and efficient flow of commerce.
Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation totals $1.93 billion,
prioritized to projects that increase water supply and support drought
resilience. This is a strong bill that builds on the work we started in
fiscal year 2024.
Mr. Chair, I urge Members to support it, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, please let me begin by thanking our diligent committee
staff for all of their hard work on this bill, including on both the
majority and minority sides. They are a great group of Americans. I
thank Scott McKee and Adam Wilson and, on my personal staff, Mayely
Boyce and Margaret McInnis.
I also thank Representative Derek Kilmer for his diligent and
honorable public service as we present what will be his last bill.
Derek has been a stalwart, serious, and exemplary member of the
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies for
many years. His sincere dedication and constant commitment have
improved our Nation for today and the tomorrows to come. We will miss
him greatly. We all know he will find a way to keep fighting for a more
perfect and greater Union, and we thank him for his public service and
his meritorious efforts to meet the needs of the American people.
Energy and water undergird America's way of life. They are not
optional. They are essential to sustaining life itself.
Our Nation is projected to grow to 400 million people by 2050, three
times more people than following World War II. Our bill must catch up
to the future, not backpedal.
Sadly, this Republican Energy-Water Development appropriations bill
does not meet our Nation's imperative for the future. America must
become energy independent in perpetuity. Their bill slow-walks our
Nation's obligation to ensure modern, dependable, affordable energy and
clean water for millions of our citizens. Thus, it fails to embrace a
modern and more secure future.
We cannot behave as though it is 1950. This Energy-Water Development
appropriations bill cuts $1.5 billion, or 43 percent, from the
Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
They are essential to meeting our Nation's new challenges due to
weather-related disasters, as we witness home and commercial business
insurance rates rising all across our country.
This bill revokes $8 billion from the Department of Energy's loan
programs. A cut of this size would immediately constrict the Department
of Energy's ability to spur American manufacturing and innovation in
this new climate age.

{time} 1115

The bill also slashes the Weatherization Assistance Program,
resulting in approximately 54,000 fewer low-income homes receiving
weatherization services across our country.
Let me be clear. The cuts in this bill will absolutely jeopardize
innovation to achieve American energy independence and security. These
cuts will hurt. These cuts will increase energy costs for millions of
our fellow citizens, including families and seniors struggling to make
ends meet. This bill pushes our Nation backward.
While our Nation has made great strides toward energy independence
after half a century of effort, we have not reached home plate and
scored on U.S. energy independence in perpetuity.
For example, the United States is fulfilling more of its crude oil
needs with domestic supplies than ever before. Thankfully, U.S. net
crude oil imports are at the lowest they have been since 1972. Let
Russia keep its own oil.
While decreased reliance on imports should give the U.S. more control
over prices, consumers are not seeing the full benefits in the price
they pay at the pump.
With an adversarial Russia weaponizing energy to destabilize global
markets, it is clear that America needs more energy innovation and
diversification to reduce our dependence on any form of imported,
foreign energy supplies.
Further, we must not cede our solar and chip future to China. We know
that China is more than willing to dump products and components to wipe
out our domestic industries. We have witnessed this. We know this
because it is happening in steel, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and
automotive. It simply cannot happen in anything related to energy.
In this new century marked by extreme weather events and increased
natural disasters, this bill endangers efforts to address the climate
crisis. During 2023, there were 28 separate billion-dollar weather and
climate disasters in this country. In 2024, we are already witnessing
an escalation of events like heat waves across America. It is 115
degrees in Phoenix today as I talk. There is major flooding throughout
the Midwest. Wildfires are burning in the West, earlier than ever. We
had the most intense hurricane to form in the Atlantic so early in the
year.
We have States hitting rainfall records. June was the 13th month in a
row to set a monthly temperature record. The Wall Street Journal
reported property insurance premiums are rising significantly or being
completely cut off across our Nation.
The total cost from the billion-dollar disasters in 2023 was a
record-setting $92.9 billion, almost $100 billion. We can either
continue to pay more for disaster response, or we can invest now in
climate mitigation and adaptation that will also lower costs for
consumers, create jobs, and increase our global competitiveness. The
pathway seems crystal clear to me.
Thus, I oppose the Republicans' cuts to vital energy and climate
programs. Shortchanging these advances pushes

[[Page H4745]]

our Nation backward by slow-walking energy innovation, failing to
modernize our Nation's electric grids, failing to advance innovation
relative to our global competitors in materials and manufacturing, and
failing to build domestic end-to-end supply chains for jobs in the new
energy economy, American jobs.
In other areas of this bill, while I support many of the bill's
efforts to maintain a safe, secure, and credible nuclear deterrent and
robust naval nuclear propulsion program--God bless them--I am concerned
how this bill cuts nuclear nonproliferation programs that reduce
nuclear risks and counter the global challenge of nuclear
proliferation.
Finally, the bill includes numerous controversial poison pill policy
riders that sadly show extremist Republicans are not interested in
bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law.
I truly do appreciate working with Chairman Fleischmann, a very, very
hardworking Member, and our colleagues to develop and pass bipartisan
bills, as has long been this committee's practice, including last year.
I am saddened that this vital subcommittee is being steered to return
to a partisan process for this fiscal year 2025 House bill. Americans
all witnessed how chaos and extremism played out last year, and we all
fully should know a bipartisan compromise is the only avenue to
finalize these bills.
Americans expect us to negotiate our differences, work together
across the aisle, and do our jobs to find the big middle. America's
future relies on the new age frontiers of energy and water. America can
and must do better, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), the distinguished chairman of the full committee.
Mr. COLE. Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend, the distinguished
subcommittee chairman from Tennessee, for yielding.
Today's measure provides funding for energy and water development
initiatives for fiscal year 2025 which are crucial to the prosperity
and security of our great Nation.
Rising geopolitical threats show that readiness can never be taken
for granted. It is exactly why this legislation bolsters our Nation's
nuclear capabilities, particularly our nuclear deterrence posture.
This bill includes significant funding to continue modernizing
America's nuclear weapons stockpile and supports the operational
nuclear naval fleet. It also directs resources to programs that prevent
hostile nations and terrorist groups from acquiring nuclear devices,
materials, and expertise.
Today's bill also supports cutting-edge research and development
functions, including an increase for the Office of Science in the
Department of Energy and an increase in funding for nuclear energy
innovation. I have long said that America must maintain an all-of-the-
above energy policy in order to ensure our continued energy
independence, and research and development efforts will help us uncover
and utilize the energy sources of tomorrow.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which conducts projects to maintain and
improve American waterways, is robustly funded. From port improvements
and hardware maintenance to flood control and hurricane protection, the
Corps' work is critical to our Nation's economic vitality.
I thank Chairman Fleischmann for his strategic approach in putting
this bill together, and I urge all Members to support it.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Ms. McClellan).
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise today as one of only 6 percent of
the Members of Congress who are mothers of young children under 18 and
one of the only 3 percent of mothers of color of young children under
the age of 18. I rise out of a concern for the future my children will
inherent, a future with extreme weather, continuously rising sea
levels, and the detrimental impacts that climate change will have on
the habitation of this planet.
For that reason, I rise today to oppose the significant funding cuts
and harmful provisions that House Republicans seek in this bill.
At a time when we must double down on our efforts to address climate
change, this bill slashes funding for the Department of Energy's
efficiency and renewable energy programs by $1.5 billion, hampering our
ability to decarbonize the energy, transportation, industrial, and
agricultural sectors, undermining programs that not only improve and
modernize our electricity infrastructure but lower costs, because
energy efficiency programs are the easiest, quickest way not only to
reduce our carbon footprint but to lower energy costs.
Agriculture, which is Virginia's largest private industry, would be
harmed by the cuts in this bill. This bill jeopardizes low-income
communities by proposing extreme funding cuts to the Weatherization
Assistance Program, a program that lowers energy costs for low-income
households by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes, also
improving their health and safety.
The cuts here that include the Weatherization Assistance Program will
be detrimental not only to the health of our planet and the health of
our constituents, but they will be detrimental to their energy costs as
they continue to go up. This bill will increase those costs.
For that reason, I ask that we vote ``no.''
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Mike Garcia), a member of the Energy and Water
Subcommittee.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Chair, I am proud to support this
very solid Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act of 2025. It is a good bill that will secure our
nuclear triad, protect our domestic energy supplies, and pressure the
Biden administration to refill our Strategic Petroleum Reserves.
I thank Chairman Cole and especially Chairman Fleischmann, as well as
the committee staff, for their hard work on this bill and pulling this
forward to the floor.
I am particularly satisfied that this legislation includes my
provision to block a rule that was established by the Department of
Energy to actually weaken environmental oversight for battery electric
storage systems, or BESS facilities.
These BESS sites are essentially giant lithium batteries lined up,
side-by-side, and stacked on top of each other, in many cases, and
connected to the larger power grid. They are not necessarily, Mr.
Chair, bad things.
While energy storage systems are essential for a modern power grid,
especially in areas like in my district in southern California where we
have high winds and high fire risk and high loads, these BESS
facilities could potentially pose dangers for communities if not
properly planned, if not properly engineered and constructed, and if
put in locations that pose significant harm to our communities and our
environment.
In a recent hearing, the San Bernardino fire chief testified that if
these BESS sites are not perfectly constructed, they can actually
create fires that are extremely difficult and almost impossible to
extinguish.
My provision simply says that the Department of Energy needs to stop
trying to cut corners and to do the homework before installing these
energy storage systems in our communities.
Let me be clear. This isn't an anti-storage provision. It is a
provision to ensure that the communities have a voice, and that the
government isn't running with scissors during the development of these
facilities.
I can tell you in L.A. County, they have made some very bad choices
recently when it comes to these BESS facilities. You don't have to look
any further than the community of Acton, right in the middle of my
district, to understand the risks associated with rushing these energy
storage projects.

Acton is a small community, Mr. Chair, right in the middle of the
Angeles Forest where L.A. County is forcing, effectively, this BESS
facility to be constructed.
Let me paint a picture of where this location is. In their infinite
wisdom, L.A. County decided to put this BESS facility smack dab on top
of the most active part of the San Andreas Fault. It is right in the
middle of some of the most combustible wildlands and poses a
significant wildfire risk.

[[Page H4746]]

Within a par 5 of this location, there is a large electrical
substation that would be basically knocked out, which supplies all of
the power to L.A. County or most of the power to L.A. County, if this
were to have any issues.
Within a par 5, there is a freeway that is a main corridor going to
the high desert. There is a railroad. There is a reservoir, which is
drinking water for the high desert and about a third of my district.
There are high-voltage transmission lines going overhead. If the
facility catches on fire, those will be knocked out. There is a
Brightline West planned nearby, a new rail line, as well as
California's high-speed rail, right by this BESS facility in L.A.
County.
In the end, the community had no input. They had no voice. The
government was running with scissors, and the L.A. County officials
were able to put this BESS facility in a location that, frankly, is
probably the absolute worst location that they could have chosen.
I thank the chairman for this good bill overall. It does a lot of
amazing things. I especially want to make sure that I reiterate that
these battery storage facilities are good, they are necessary, but they
need to be done right. We can't be cutting corners on these very unique
technologies.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished and extremely hardworking
ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.

{time} 1130

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, my thanks go to Chairman Fleischmann, to
Ranking Member Kaptur, and to the Energy and Water Development, and
Related Agencies Subcommittee staff for their hard work on this bill,
especially Scott McKee and Adam Wilson.
With this bill, we have a rare opportunity to make strategic
investments that lower energy costs for American families, promote
America's energy independence, and support a robust and modern
manufacturing sector.
This is a real chance to ensure America's resiliency in the face of a
changing climate and shifting global economy. However, that is not what
the majority has chosen. Instead, the majority has cut domestic
investments in this bill by over 5 percent, and, with it, they will
increase energy costs, jeopardize our energy independence and national
security, hurt our global competitiveness, fail to confront the climate
crisis, and put tens of thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs at
risk.
Even if some Members of this body may choose to refuse the
overwhelming evidence, deny the scientific consensus, and ignore the
worsening natural disasters that have become more severe and more
common in each of our districts, we must aggressively transform our
energy sector to adapt to our climate reality.
The best path and the only path that addresses climate change,
reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, and ends reliance on foreign
energy is to diversify how we produce and store energy at home.
However, instead of ensuring America leads the world in the development
and transition to a global clean energy economy, the majority's bill
strips $1.5 billion from the Department of Energy for energy efficiency
and renewable energy.
Project 2025 is a Trump MAGA Republican agenda to take over the
government and our rights and freedoms. When it comes to green and
renewable energy, Project 2025 spells out how Republicans would end any
investments altogether in EERE, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
It is in a document, but, it is, in reality, in the appropriations
bill.
It says, further, in Project 2025 that we must end the focus on
climate change and green subsidies, we must eliminate appliance energy
efficiency standards, and energy efficiency and renewable energy should
be entirely eliminated. They are going down the road of eliminating it.
This goes beyond climate denial. This is climate capitulation. This
is climate arson. This is damning our children to an extreme and
dangerous future.
We recently received a letter from the Natural Resources Defense
Council and dozens of other organizations highlighting how a cut to
this program is fiscally irresponsible and threatens our energy future.
They said: ``The House proposal for [energy efficiency and renewable
energy] significantly threatens energy innovation in the United States.
Not only would its proposed cuts hamper innovation in the United
States, but they would also hinder a program that has provided
significant return on investment for taxpayers. Several independent
impact evaluation studies have assessed one-third of [energy efficiency
and renewable energy's] research and development portfolio to date and
have found that $12 billion in total investment has generated more than
$388 billion in net economic benefits to the United States.''
Mr. Chair, at the appropriate time, I will submit this letter into
the Congressional Record.
This funding supports research and development, manufacturing, energy
management, and weatherization technologies that are critical to our
Nation's growth and resilience. These cuts are robbing from our
children's and our grandchildren's economic, energy, and environmental
future.
The bill directly targets disadvantaged communities by slashing
funding for the weatherization assistance program which will drive up
the cost of home energy bills for roughly 54,000 low-income homes.
The attack on our country's energy future does not stop there. The
majority's bill hurts our global competitiveness and eliminates good-
paying manufacturing jobs by revoking $8 billion from the Department of
Energy loan programs. These programs promote innovation and
manufacturing in America, creating and reshoring jobs that will help
America become truly energy independent, and a leader in green energy.
However, without this funding, thousands of manufacturing jobs are at
risk, and we will fall further behind our global competitors.
This bill fails to create a sustainable future, and it fails to
ensure Americans have equitable access to resilient, secure, and clean
energy sources.
Democrats are ready to pass legislation that lowers energy costs for
the American people and ensures America leads the global transition to
a clean energy economy.
I implore the majority to join us. It is time to govern.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from
Tennessee for yielding me time.
This legislation funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It funds
efforts like resiliency in my home State of Louisiana. It funds
hurricane protection. It funds flood control. It floods cultural
restoration projects.
One project in particular I thank the chairman for highlighting that
is included in this legislation is the Morganza to the Gulf project.
This hurricane protection project in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes
is for a community that has imposed a property tax on themselves. It
has imposed a sales tax on themselves to help fund this project. They
pulled together over $1 billion in funds, and this bill finally starts
bringing more dollars to the table, partnering with the locals to
ensure that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can fund this community,
can fund this important project.
Here is the reality, Mr. Chairman: We can either spend millions now
building this project, or we can spend billions later picking up the
pieces in the aftermath of a disaster, in the aftermath of a hurricane.
This bill also, importantly, funds projects like the Upper Barataria
project in Upper St. Charles and Lafourche Parishes on up to Ascension.
It funds the Houma navigation channel and other critical projects for
our community.
It also funds the nuclear triad. As President Reagan said, peace
through strength ensures that we have the strength here in America.
This legislation ensures that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, our
oil reserve, that is now at some of the lowest levels in history is
actually returned to appropriate levels.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, in regard to the previous speaker's comments, I
remind the American public our Nation

[[Page H4747]]

under the last 17 years has reduced emissions more than the next six or
seven emissions-reducing countries combined. We have led the world in
reducing emissions.
Do you know what, Mr. Chairman?
This wasn't done because of government. It was done because of
entrepreneurs and because of innovators. That is how we have led the
world. During this time, as we reduced emissions, for every 1 ton we
reduced, China has increased by 5 tons.
I thank the staff of the subcommittee, including Angie Giancarlo and
the rest of the team, for their help in this legislation. I thank
Chairman Fleischmann for his leadership.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close.
As I said before, Mr. Chairman, America's future relies on our new
age frontiers of energy and water. This bill does not meet the mark.
America can and must excel.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of
Rules Committee Print 118-42 shall be considered as adopted and the
bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the
purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule and shall be
considered as read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

H.R. 8997

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes, namely:

TITLE I

CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

Corps of Engineers--Civil

The following appropriations shall be expended under the
direction of the Secretary of the Army and the supervision of
the Chief of Engineers for authorized civil functions of the
Department of the Army pertaining to river and harbor, flood
and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic
ecosystem restoration, and related efforts.

investigations

For expenses necessary where authorized by law for the
collection and study of basic information pertaining to river
and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore
protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related needs;
for surveys and detailed studies, and plans and
specifications of proposed river and harbor, flood and storm
damage reduction, shore protection, and aquatic ecosystem
restoration projects, and related efforts prior to
construction; for restudy of authorized projects; and for
miscellaneous investigations, and, when authorized by law,
surveys and detailed studies, and plans and specifications of
projects prior to construction, $159,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That the Secretary shall
not deviate from the work plan, once the plan has been
submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses
of Congress.

construction

For expenses necessary for the construction of river and
harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection,
aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related projects
authorized by law; for conducting detailed studies, and plans
and specifications, of such projects (including those
involving participation by States, local governments, or
private groups) authorized or made eligible for selection by
law (but such detailed studies, and plans and specifications,
shall not constitute a commitment of the Government to
construction); $3,010,000,000, to remain available until
expended; of which $34,900,000, to be derived from the Harbor
Maintenance Trust Fund, shall be to cover the Federal share
of construction costs for facilities under the Dredged
Material Disposal Facilities program; and of which such sums
as are necessary to cover 35 percent of the costs of
construction, replacement, rehabilitation, and expansion of
inland waterways projects shall be derived from the Inland
Waterways Trust Fund, except as otherwise specifically
provided for in law: Provided, That the Secretary shall not
deviate from the work plan, once the plan has been submitted
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress.

mississippi river and tributaries

For expenses necessary for flood damage reduction projects
and related efforts in the Mississippi River alluvial valley
below Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as authorized by law,
$370,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which
$5,465,000, to be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust
Fund, shall be to cover the Federal share of eligible
operation and maintenance costs for inland harbors:
Provided, That the Secretary shall not deviate from the work
plan, once the plan has been submitted to the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

operation and maintenance

For expenses necessary for the operation, maintenance, and
care of existing river and harbor, flood and storm damage
reduction, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related
projects authorized by law; providing security for
infrastructure owned or operated by the Corps, including
administrative buildings and laboratories; maintaining harbor
channels provided by a State, municipality, or other public
agency that serve essential navigation needs of general
commerce, where authorized by law; surveying and charting
northern and northwestern lakes and connecting waters;
clearing and straightening channels; and removing
obstructions to navigation, $5,714,000,000, to remain
available until expended, of which $3,106,635,000, to be
derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, shall be to
cover the Federal share of eligible operations and
maintenance costs for coastal harbors and channels, and for
inland harbors, of which $60,000,000 shall be to carry out
subsection (c) of section 2106 of the Water Resources Reform
and Development Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 2238c(c)) and shall be
designated as being for such purpose pursuant to paragraph
(2) of section 14003 of division B of the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136); of
which such sums as become available from the special account
for the Corps of Engineers established by the Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act of 1965 shall be derived from that
account for resource protection, research, interpretation,
and maintenance activities related to resource protection in
the areas at which outdoor recreation is available; of which
such sums as become available from fees collected under
section 217 of Public Law 104-303 shall be used to cover the
cost of operation and maintenance of the dredged material
disposal facilities for which such fees have been collected:
Provided, That 1 percent of the total amount of funds
provided for each of the programs, projects, or activities
funded under this heading shall not be allocated to a field
operating activity prior to the beginning of the fourth
quarter of the fiscal year and shall be available for use by
the Chief of Engineers to fund such emergency activities as
the Chief of Engineers determines to be necessary and
appropriate, and that the Chief of Engineers shall allocate
during the fourth quarter any remaining funds which have not
been used for emergency activities proportionally in
accordance with the amounts provided for the programs,
projects, or activities: Provided further, That the
Secretary shall not deviate from the work plan, once the plan
has been submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress.

regulatory program

For expenses necessary for administration of laws
pertaining to regulation of navigable waters and wetlands,
$218,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.

formerly utilized sites remedial action program

For expenses necessary to clean up contamination from sites
in the United States resulting from work performed as part of
the Nation's early atomic energy program, $200,000,000, to
remain available until expended.

flood control and coastal emergencies

For expenses necessary to prepare for flood, hurricane, and
other natural disasters and support emergency operations,
repairs, and other activities in response to such disasters
as authorized by law, $45,000,000, to remain available until
expended.

expenses

For expenses necessary for the supervision and general
administration of the civil works program in the headquarters
of the Corps of Engineers and the offices of the Division
Engineers; and for costs of management and operation of the
Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, the Institute for
Water Resources, the United States Army Engineer Research and
Development Center, and the United States Army Corps of
Engineers Finance Center allocable to the civil works
program, $231,000,000, to remain available until September
30, 2026, of which not to exceed $5,000 may be used for
official reception and representation purposes and only
during the current fiscal year: Provided, That no part of
any other appropriation provided in this title shall be
available to fund the civil works activities of the Office of
the Chief of Engineers or the civil works executive direction
and management activities of the division offices: Provided
further, That any Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies
appropriation may be used to fund the supervision and general
administration of emergency operations, repairs, and other
activities in response to any flood, hurricane, or other
natural disaster.

office of the assistant secretary of the army for civil works

For the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works as authorized by 10 U.S.C. 7016(b)(3),
$5,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026:
Provided, That not more than 25 percent of such amount may be
obligated or expended until the Assistant Secretary submits
to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress the report required under section 101(d) of this Act
and a work plan that allocates at least 95 percent of the
additional funding provided under each heading in the report
accompanying this Act, to specific programs, projects, or
activities.

[[Page H4748]]

water infrastructure finance and innovation program account

For administrative expenses to carry out the direct and
guaranteed loan programs, notwithstanding section 5033 of the
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014,
$5,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.
In addition, fees authorized to be collected pursuant to
sections 5029 and 5030 of the Water Infrastructure Finance
and Innovation Act of 2014 shall be deposited in this
account, to remain available until expended.

GENERAL PROVISIONS--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 101. (a) None of the funds provided in title I of this
Act, or provided by previous appropriations Acts to the
agencies or entities funded in title I of this Act that
remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year
2025, shall be available for obligation or expenditure
through a reprogramming of funds that:
(1) creates or initiates a new program, project, or
activity;
(2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3) increases funds or personnel for any program, project,
or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by
this Act, unless prior approval is received from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(4) proposes to use funds directed for a specific activity
for a different purpose, unless prior approval is received
from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress;
(5) augments or reduces existing programs, projects, or
activities in excess of the amounts contained in paragraphs
(6) through (10), unless prior approval is received from the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(6) Investigations.--For a base level over $100,000,
reprogramming of 25 percent of the base amount up to a limit
of $150,000 per project, study, or activity is allowed:
Provided, That for a base level less than $100,000, the
reprogramming limit is $25,000: Provided further, That up to
$25,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or
activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing
obligations and concomitant administrative expenses;
(7) Construction.--For a base level over $2,000,000,
reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit
of $3,000,000 per project, study or activity is allowed:
Provided, That for a base level less than $2,000,000, the
reprogramming limit is $300,000: Provided further, That up
to $3,000,000 may be reprogrammed for settled contractor
claims, changed conditions, or real estate deficiency
judgments: Provided further, That up to $300,000 may be
reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did
not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and
concomitant administrative expenses;
(8) Operation and maintenance.--Unlimited reprogramming
authority is granted for the Corps to be able to respond to
emergencies: Provided, That the Chief of Engineers shall
notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress of these emergency actions as soon thereafter as
practicable: Provided further, That for a base level over
$1,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up
to a limit of $5,000,000 per project, study, or activity is
allowed: Provided further, That for a base level less than
$1,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $150,000: Provided
further, That $150,000 may be reprogrammed into any
continuing study or activity that did not receive an
appropriation;
(9) Mississippi river and tributaries.--The reprogramming
guidelines in paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) shall apply to the
Investigations, Construction, and Operation and Maintenance
portions of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Account,
respectively; and
(10) Formerly utilized sites remedial action program.--
Reprogramming of up to 15 percent of the base of the
receiving project is permitted.
(b) De Minimus Reprogrammings.--In no case should a
reprogramming for less than $50,000 be submitted to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
(c) Continuing Authorities Program.--Subsection (a)(1)
shall not apply to any project or activity funded under the
continuing authorities program.
(d) Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to
establish the baseline for application of reprogramming and
transfer authorities for the current fiscal year which shall
include:
(1) A table for each appropriation with a separate column
to display the President's budget request, adjustments made
by Congress, adjustments due to enacted rescissions, if
applicable, and the fiscal year enacted level;
(2) A delineation in the table for each appropriation both
by object class and program, project and activity as detailed
in the budget appendix for the respective appropriations; and
(3) An identification of items of special congressional
interest.
Sec. 102. The Secretary shall allocate funds made
available in this Act solely in accordance with the
provisions of this Act and in the report accompanying this
Act.
Sec. 103. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to award or modify any contract that commits
funds beyond the amounts appropriated for that program,
project, or activity that remain unobligated, except that
such amounts may include any funds that have been made
available through reprogramming pursuant to section 101.
Sec. 104. The Secretary of the Army may transfer to the
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service
may accept and expend, up to $8,733,000 of funds provided in
this title under the heading ``Operation and Maintenance'' to
mitigate for fisheries lost due to Corps of Engineers
projects.
Sec. 105. None of the funds in this Act shall be used for
an open lake placement alternative for dredged material,
after evaluating the least costly, environmentally acceptable
manner for the disposal or management of dredged material
originating from Lake Erie or tributaries thereto, unless it
is approved under a State water quality certification
pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1341): Provided, That until an open
lake placement alternative for dredged material is approved
under a State water quality certification, the Corps of
Engineers shall continue upland placement of such dredged
material consistent with the requirements of section 101 of
the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2211).
Sec. 106. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out any water supply reallocation study
under the Wolf Creek Dam, Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, project
authorized under the Act of July 24, 1946 (60 Stat. 636, ch.
595).
Sec. 107. Additional funding provided in this Act shall be
allocated only to projects determined to be eligible by the
Chief of Engineers.
Sec. 108. Not later than 15 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works shall provide to the appropriate congressional
committees any guidance documents relating to the
implementation of the rule entitled ``Revised Definition of
`Waters of the United States'; Conforming'' published by the
Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection
Agency in the Federal Register on September 8, 2023 (88 Fed.
Reg. 61964).
Sec. 109. None of the funds made available by this Act or
any prior Act may be used to alter the eligibility
requirements for assistance under section 5 of the Act of
August 18, 1941 (33 U.S.C. 701n) in effect on November 14,
2022, without express authorization by Congress.
Sec. 110. As of the date of enactment of this Act and each
fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of the Army shall not
promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an
individual from possessing a firearm, including an assembled
or functional firearm, at a water resources development
project covered under section 327.0 of title 36, Code of
Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of
this Act) if:
(1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from
possessing a firearm; and
(2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the
law of the State in which the water resources development
project is located.
Sec. 111. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to modify or amend the final rules entitled,
``Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits'' (86
Fed. Reg. 2744) and ``Reissuance and Modification of
Nationwide Permits'' (86 Fed. Reg. 73522).
Sec. 112. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement or enforce section 370 of Public Law
116-283 with respect to civil works projects.

TITLE II

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Central Utah Project

central utah project completion account

For carrying out activities authorized by the Central Utah
Project Completion Act, $23,000,000, to remain available
until expended, of which $4,000,000 shall be deposited into
the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Account for
use by the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation
Commission: Provided, That of the amount provided under this
heading, $1,900,000 shall be available until September 30,
2026, for expenses necessary in carrying out related
responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior: Provided
further, That for fiscal year 2025, of the amount made
available to the Commission under this Act or any other Act,
the Commission may use an amount not to exceed $2,164,000 for
administrative expenses: Provided further, That of the
amounts provided under this heading, not to exceed $1,000 may
be for official reception and representation expenses.

Bureau of Reclamation

The following appropriations shall be expended to execute
authorized functions of the Bureau of Reclamation:

water and related resources

(including transfers of funds)

For management, development, and restoration of water and
related natural resources and for related activities,
including the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of
reclamation and other facilities, participation in fulfilling
related Federal responsibilities to Native Americans, and
related grants to, and cooperative and other agreements with,
State and local governments, federally recognized Indian
Tribes, and others, $1,773,000,000, to remain available until
expended, of which $23,620,000 shall be available for
transfer to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund and
$7,584,000 shall be available for transfer to the Lower
Colorado River Basin Development Fund; of which such amounts
as may be necessary may be advanced to the Colorado River Dam
Fund: Provided, That $100,000 shall be available for
transfer into the Aging Infrastructure Account established by
section 9603(d)(1) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009, as amended (43 U.S.C. 510b(d)(1)): Provided
further, That such transfers, except for the transfer
authorized by the preceding proviso, may be increased or
decreased within the overall appropriation under this
heading: Provided further, That of the total appropriated,
the amount for program activities that can be financed by the
Reclamation Fund,

[[Page H4749]]

the Water Storage Enhancement Receipts account established by
section 4011(e) of Public Law 114-322, or the Bureau of
Reclamation special fee account established by 16 U.S.C. 6806
shall be derived from that Fund or account: Provided
further, That funds contributed under 43 U.S.C. 395 are
available until expended for the purposes for which the funds
were contributed: Provided further, That funds advanced
under 43 U.S.C. 397a shall be credited to this account and
are available until expended for the same purposes as the
sums appropriated under this heading: Provided further, That
of the amounts made available under this heading, $7,000,000
shall be deposited in the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund
established by section 110 of title I of division B of
appendix D of Public Law 106-554: Provided further, That of
the amounts provided herein, funds may be used for high-
priority projects which shall be carried out by the Youth
Conservation Corps, as authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1706:
Provided further, That within available funds, $250,000 shall
be for grants and financial assistance for educational
activities: Provided further, That in accordance with
section 4007 of Public Law 114-322 and as recommended by the
Secretary in a letter dated May 22, 2024, funding provided
for such purpose in fiscal year 2024 shall be made available
to the Sites Reservoir Project: Provided further, That in
accordance with section 4009(c) of Public Law 114-322, and as
recommended by the Secretary in a letter dated May 22, 2024,
funding provided for such purpose in fiscal year 2023 and
fiscal year 2024 shall be made available to the El Paso
Aquifer Storage and Recovery Enhanced Arroyo Project, the
Replenish Big Bear, and the Purified Water Replenishment
Project.

central valley project restoration fund

For carrying out the programs, projects, plans, habitat
restoration, improvement, and acquisition provisions of the
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, such sums as may be
collected in fiscal year 2025 in the Central Valley Project
Restoration Fund pursuant to sections 3407(d), 3404(c)(3),
and 3405(f) of Public Law 102-575, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That the Bureau of Reclamation is
directed to assess and collect the full amount of the
additional mitigation and restoration payments authorized by
section 3407(d) of Public Law 102-575: Provided further,
That none of the funds made available under this heading may
be used for the acquisition or leasing of water for in-stream
purposes if the water is already committed to in-stream
purposes by a court adopted decree or order.

california bay-delta restoration

(including transfers of funds)

For carrying out activities authorized by the Water Supply,
Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act, consistent
with plans to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior,
$33,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which
such amounts as may be necessary to carry out such activities
may be transferred to appropriate accounts of other
participating Federal agencies to carry out authorized
purposes: Provided, That funds appropriated herein may be
used for the Federal share of the costs of CALFED Program
management: Provided further, That CALFED implementation
shall be carried out in a balanced manner with clear
performance measures demonstrating concurrent progress in
achieving the goals and objectives of the Program.

policy and administration

For expenses necessary for policy, administration, and
related functions in the Office of the Commissioner, the
Denver office, and offices in the six regions of the Bureau
of Reclamation, to remain available until September 30, 2026,
$66,794,000, to be derived from the Reclamation Fund and be
nonreimbursable as provided in 43 U.S.C. 377, of which not to
exceed $5,000 may be used for official reception and
representation expenses: Provided, That no part of any other
appropriation in this Act shall be available for activities
or functions budgeted as policy and administration expenses.

administrative provision

Appropriations for the Bureau of Reclamation shall be
available for purchase and replacement of not to exceed 30
motor vehicles, which are for replacement only.

GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Sec. 201. (a) None of the funds provided in title II of
this Act for Water and Related Resources, or provided by
previous or subsequent appropriations Acts to the agencies or
entities funded in title II of this Act for Water and Related
Resources that remain available for obligation or expenditure
in fiscal year 2025, shall be available for obligation or
expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that--
(1) initiates or creates a new program, project, or
activity;
(2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
(3) increases funds for any program, project, or activity
for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act,
unless prior approval is received from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
(4) restarts or resumes any program, project or activity
for which funds are not provided in this Act, unless prior
approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress;
(5) transfers funds in excess of the following limits,
unless prior approval is received from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress:
(A) 15 percent for any program, project or activity for
which $2,000,000 or more is available at the beginning of the
fiscal year; or
(B) $400,000 for any program, project or activity for which
less than $2,000,000 is available at the beginning of the
fiscal year;
(6) transfers more than $500,000 from either the Facilities
Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category or the
Resources Management and Development category to any program,
project, or activity in the other category, unless prior
approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of
both Houses of Congress; or
(7) transfers, where necessary to discharge legal
obligations of the Bureau of Reclamation, more than
$5,000,000 to provide adequate funds for settled contractor
claims, increased contractor earnings due to accelerated
rates of operations, and real estate deficiency judgments,
unless prior approval is received from the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
(b) Subsection (a)(5) shall not apply to any transfer of
funds within the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and
Rehabilitation category.
(c) For purposes of this section, the term ``transfer''
means any movement of funds into or out of a program,
project, or activity.
(d) Except as provided in subsections (a) and (b), the
amounts made available in this title under the heading
``Bureau of Reclamation--Water and Related Resources'' shall
be expended for the programs, projects, and activities
specified in the ``House Recommended'' columns in the ``Water
and Related Resources'' table included under the heading
``Title II--Department of the Interior'' in the report
accompanying this Act.
(e) The Bureau of Reclamation shall submit reports on a
quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress detailing all the funds reprogrammed
between programs, projects, activities, or categories of
funding. The first quarterly report shall be submitted not
later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 202. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise
made available by this Act may be used to determine the final
point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis
Unit until development by the Secretary of the Interior and
the State of California of a plan, which shall conform to the
water quality standards of the State of California as
approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis
drainage waters.
(b) The costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program
and the costs of the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program
shall be classified by the Secretary of the Interior as
reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully
repaid pursuant to the ``Cleanup Program--Alternative
Repayment Plan'' and the ``SJVDP--Alternative Repayment
Plan'' described in the report entitled ``Repayment Report,
Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and San Joaquin Valley
Drainage Program, February 1995'', prepared by the Department
of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Any future
obligations of funds by the United States relating to, or
providing for, drainage service or drainage studies for the
San Luis Unit shall be fully reimbursable by San Luis Unit
beneficiaries of such service or studies pursuant to Federal
reclamation law.
Sec. 203. (a) Title I of Public Law 108-361 (the Calfed
Bay-Delta Authorization Act), shall be applied by
substituting ``2025'' for ``2022'' each place it appears.
(b) Section 103(f)(4)(A) of Public Law 108-361 (the Calfed
Bay-Delta Authorization Act) is amended by striking
``$30,000,000'' and inserting ``$40,000,000''.
Sec. 204. (a) Section 104(c) of the Reclamation States
Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991, as amended (43 U.S.C.
2214(c)), shall be applied by substituting ``2025'' for
``2022''.
(b) Section 301 of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought
Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2241)--
(1) shall be applied by substituting ``2025'' for ``2022'';
and
(2) is amended by striking ``$120,000,000'' and inserting
``$130,000,000''.
Sec. 205. None of the funds made available by this Act or
any other Act may be used to continue the reinitiated
consultation on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley
Project and State Water Project under section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536), consistent
with the letter from the Bureau of Reclamation dated
September 30, 2021, requesting such reinitiated consultation,
until the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation requests
and receives in writing from the Director of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service a comprehensive report
explaining the purpose, methodology, and anticipated outcomes
of such reinitiated consultation: Provided, That not later
than 15 days after the date on which the Director provides to
the Commissioner such report, the Commissioner shall submit
to Congress such report.
Sec. 206. (a) The Central Valley Project and California
State Water Project shall be operated in accordance with the
Preferred Alternative and FWS Biological Opinion and NOAA
Biological Opinion.
(b) For the purposes of this section--
(1) the term ``Preferred Alternative'' means the
Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative), as described in the
Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Reinitiation of
Consultation on the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the
Central Valley Project and the State Water Project'' issued
by the Bureau of Reclamation, and dated December 2019;
(2) the term ``FWS Biological Opinion'' means the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service ``Biological Opinion for the
Reinitiation of Consultation on the Coordinated Operations of
the Central Valley Project and State Water Project'' (Service
File No. 08FBTD00-2019-F-0164) signed on October 21, 2019;
and
(3) the term ``NOAA Biological Opinion'' means the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric

[[Page H4750]]

Administration Fisheries ``Biological Opinion on the Long-
Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and the State
Water Project'' (Consultation Tracking Number: WRCO-2016-
00069) signed on October 21, 2019.
Sec. 207. Section 40902(a)(2) of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3202(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``this
Act, except for any project for which--'' and inserting
``this Act; or''; and
(B) by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``(except that
projects described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph
(B) shall not be eligible)''.
Sec. 208. The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the
Nation Act (Public Law 114-322) is amended in section
4004(a)--

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), strike ``public
water agency that contracts'' and insert ``contractor'';
(2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or proposed action''
after ``biological assessment'';
(3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or proposed action''
after ``biological assessment'';
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (6) as
paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively;
(5) after paragraph (2), by inserting the following new
paragraph:
``(3) receive a copy of the draft proposed action and have
the opportunity to review that document and provide comment
to the action agency, which comments shall be afforded due
consideration during development;''; and
(6) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by paragraph (4) of
this section--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
``action agency proposes a proposed action or'' before ``the
consulting agency'';
(B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``proposed action
or'' before ``alternative will''; and
(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``alternative
actions'' and inserting ``actions or alternatives''.
Sec. 209. (a) Title III of subtitle J of the Water
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Public Law
114-322) is amended--
(1) in section 4007(i), by striking ``2021'' and inserting
``2026''; and
(2) in section 4013--
(A) in paragraph (1), by deleting ``section 4004, which
shall expire 10 years after the date of its enactment'' and
inserting ``section 4004, which shall expire on December 16,
2034''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``on or before December
16, 2026'' after ``4009(c)''.
(b) Section 1602(g)(1) of the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h) is
amended by striking ``$50,000,000'' and inserting
``$167,500,000''.
(c) Section 4(a)(2)(F)(i) of the Water Desalination Act of
1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note; Public Law 104-298) is amended by
striking ``$30,000,000'' and inserting ``$100,500,000''.

TITLE III

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

ENERGY PROGRAMS

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment,
and other expenses necessary for energy efficiency and
renewable energy activities in carrying out the purposes of
the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real
property or any facility or for plant or facility
acquisition, construction, or expansion, $1,960,000,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That of such
amount, $223,000,000 shall be available until September 30,
2026, for program direction.

Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response

For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment,
and other expenses necessary for energy sector cybersecurity,
energy security, and emergency response activities in
carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any
facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction,
or expansion, $200,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of such amount, $28,000,000 shall
be available until September 30, 2026, for program direction.

Electricity

For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment,
and other expenses necessary for electricity activities in
carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any
facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction,
or expansion, $250,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of such amount, $19,700,000 shall
be available until September 30, 2026, for program direction:
Provided further, That funds under this heading allocated
for the purposes of section 9 of the Small Business Act, as
amended (15 U.S.C. 638), including for Small Business
Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer
activities, or for the purposes of section 1001 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, as amended (42 U.S.C. 16391(a)), for
Technology Commercialization Fund activities, may be
reprogrammed without being subject to the restrictions in
section 301 of this Act.

Grid Deployment

For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment,
and other expenses necessary for grid deployment in carrying
out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act
(42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or
condemnation of any real property or any facility or for
plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion,
$60,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That of such amount, $6,000,000 shall be available until
September 30, 2026, for program direction.

Nuclear Energy

For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment,
and other expenses necessary for nuclear energy activities in
carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any
facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction,
or expansion, $1,793,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of such amount, $97,000,000 shall
be available until September 30, 2026, for program direction:
Provided further, That for the purpose of section 954(a)(6)
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as amended, the only amount
available shall be from the amount specified as including
that purpose in the ``Bill'' column in the ``Department of
Energy'' table included under the heading ``Title III--
Department of Energy'' in the report accompanying this Act.

Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out
fossil energy and carbon management research and development
activities, under the authority of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition of interest, including defeasible and equitable
interests in any real property or any facility or for plant
or facility acquisition or expansion, and for conducting
inquiries, technological investigations, and research
concerning the extraction, processing, use, and disposal of
mineral substances without objectionable social and
environmental costs (30 U.S.C. 3, 1602, and 1603),
$875,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That of such amount $70,000,000 shall be available until
September 30, 2026, for program direction.

Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves

For Department of Energy expenses necessary to carry out
naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities,
$13,010,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That notwithstanding any other provision of law, unobligated
funds remaining from prior years shall be available for all
naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

For Department of Energy expenses necessary for Strategic
Petroleum Reserve facility development and operations and
program management activities pursuant to the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), $295,148,000,
to remain available until expended.

Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve

For Department of Energy expenses necessary for Northeast
Home Heating Oil Reserve storage, operation, and management
activities pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act
(42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), $7,150,000, to remain available
until expended.

Energy Information Administration

For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out
the activities of the Energy Information Administration,
$141,653,000, to remain available until expended.

Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup

For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment
and other expenses necessary for non-defense environmental
cleanup activities in carrying out the purposes of the
Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real
property or any facility or for plant or facility
acquisition, construction, or expansion, $324,000,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That in addition,
fees collected pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of section 5 of
the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 6939f(b)(1))
and deposited under this heading in fiscal year 2025 pursuant
to section 309 of title III of division C of Public Law 116-
94 are appropriated, to remain available until expended, for
mercury storage costs.

Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund

For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out
uranium enrichment facility decontamination and
decommissioning, remedial actions, and other activities of
title II of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and title X,
subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, $864,182,000,
to be deposited into and subsequently derived from the
Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund,
to remain available until expended, of which $5,000,000 shall
be available in accordance with title X, subtitle A, of the
Energy Policy Act of 1992.

Science

For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment,
and other expenses necessary for science activities in
carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any
facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction,
or expansion, and purchase of not more than 35 passenger
motor vehicles, $8,390,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of such amount, $238,000,000 shall
be available until September 30, 2026, for program direction.

Nuclear Waste Disposal

For Department of Energy expenses necessary for nuclear
waste disposal activities to carry out the purposes of the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of

[[Page H4751]]

1982, Public Law 97-425, as amended, $12,040,000, to remain
available until expended, which shall be derived from the
Nuclear Waste Fund.

Technology Transitions

For Department of Energy expenses necessary for carrying
out the activities of technology transitions, $20,000,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That of such
amount, $12,000,000 shall be available until September 30,
2026, for program direction.

Clean Energy Demonstrations

For Department of Energy expenses necessary to carry out
program direction of the Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations, $27,500,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026.

Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy

For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out
the activities authorized by section 5012 of the America
COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69), $450,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That of such amount,
$40,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2026, for
program direction.

Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program

Such sums as are derived from amounts received from
borrowers pursuant to section 1702(b) of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 under this heading in prior Acts, shall be
collected in accordance with section 502(7) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided, That for
necessary administrative expenses of the Title 17 Innovative
Technology Loan Guarantee Program, as authorized, $55,000,000
is appropriated, to remain available until September 30,
2026: Provided further, That up to $55,000,000 of fees
collected in fiscal year 2025 pursuant to section 1702(h) of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 shall be credited as offsetting
collections under this heading and used for necessary
administrative expenses in this appropriation and shall
remain available until September 30, 2026: Provided further,
That to the extent that fees collected in fiscal year 2025
exceed $55,000,000, those excess amounts shall be credited as
offsetting collections under this heading and available in
future fiscal years only to the extent provided in advance in
appropriations Acts: Provided further, That the sum herein
appropriated from the general fund shall be reduced (1) as
such fees are received during fiscal year 2025 (estimated at
$170,000,000) and (2) to the extent that any remaining
general fund appropriations can be derived from fees
collected in previous fiscal years that are not otherwise
appropriated, so as to result in a final fiscal year 2025
appropriation from the general fund estimated at $0:
Provided further, That the Department of Energy shall not
subordinate any loan obligation to other financing in
violation of section 1702 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 or
subordinate any Guaranteed Obligation to any loan or other
debt obligations in violation of section 609.8 of title 10,
Code of Federal Regulations.

Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program

For Department of Energy administrative expenses necessary
in carrying out the Advanced Technology Vehicles
Manufacturing Loan Program, $18,000,000, to remain available
until September 30, 2026.

Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program

For Department of Energy administrative expenses necessary
in carrying out the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program,
$6,300,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026.

Indian Energy Policy and Programs

For necessary expenses for Indian Energy activities in
carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), $95,000,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That of the
amount appropriated under this heading, $14,000,000 shall be
available until September 30, 2026, for program direction.

Departmental Administration

For salaries and expenses of the Department of Energy
necessary for departmental administration in carrying out the
purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), $387,078,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026, including the hire of passenger motor
vehicles and official reception and representation expenses
not to exceed $30,000, plus such additional amounts as
necessary to cover increases in the estimated amount of cost
of work for others notwithstanding the provisions of the
Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1511 et seq.): Provided, That
such increases in cost of work are offset by revenue
increases of the same or greater amount: Provided further,
That moneys received by the Department for miscellaneous
revenues estimated to total $100,578,000 in fiscal year 2025
may be retained and used for operating expenses within this
account, as authorized by section 201 of Public Law 95-238,
notwithstanding the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 3302: Provided
further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced as
collections are received during the fiscal year so as to
result in a final fiscal year 2025 appropriation from the
general fund estimated at not more than $286,500,000.

Office of the Inspector General

For expenses necessary for the Office of the Inspector
General in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector
General Act of 1978, $100,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026.

ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Weapons Activities

For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment
and other incidental expenses necessary for atomic energy
defense weapons activities in carrying out the purposes of
the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real
property or any facility or for plant or facility
acquisition, construction, or expansion, $20,338,752,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That of such
amount, $135,264,000 shall be available until September 30,
2026, for program direction.

Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation

For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment
and other incidental expenses necessary for defense nuclear
nonproliferation activities, in carrying out the purposes of
the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real
property or any facility or for plant or facility
acquisition, construction, or expansion, $2,445,000,000, to
remain available until expended.

Naval Reactors

(including transfer of funds)

For Department of Energy expenses necessary for naval
reactors activities to carry out the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition (by purchase, condemnation, construction, or
otherwise) of real property, plant, and capital equipment,
facilities, and facility expansion, $2,118,773,000, to remain
available until expended, of which, $94,750,000 shall be
transferred to ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--
Nuclear Energy'', for the Advanced Test Reactor: Provided,
That of such amount made available under this heading,
$62,848,000 shall be available until September 30, 2026, for
program direction.

Federal Salaries and Expenses

For expenses necessary for Federal Salaries and Expenses in
the National Nuclear Security Administration, $564,475,000,
to remain available until September 30, 2026, including
official reception and representation expenses not to exceed
$17,000.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

Defense Environmental Cleanup

For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment
and other expenses necessary for atomic energy defense
environmental cleanup activities in carrying out the purposes
of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101
et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any
real property or any facility or for plant or facility
acquisition, construction, or expansion, $7,132,000,000, to
remain available until expended: Provided, That of such
amount, $326,893,000 shall be available until September 30,
2026, for program direction.

Other Defense Activities

For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase,
construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment
and other expenses, necessary for atomic energy defense,
other defense activities, and classified activities, in
carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the
acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any
facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction,
or expansion, $1,179,000,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That of such amount, $387,781,000 shall
be available until September 30, 2026, for program direction.

POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS

Bonneville Power Administration Fund

Expenditures from the Bonneville Power Administration Fund,
established pursuant to Public Law 93-454, are approved for
official reception and representation expenses in an amount
not to exceed $5,000: Provided, That during fiscal year
2025, no new direct loan obligations may be made.

Operation and Maintenance, Southeastern Power Administration

For expenses necessary for operation and maintenance of
power transmission facilities and for marketing electric
power and energy, including transmission wheeling and
ancillary services, pursuant to section 5 of the Flood
Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), as applied to the
southeastern power area, $9,127,000, including official
reception and representation expenses in an amount not to
exceed $1,500, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 and section 5 of the
Flood Control Act of 1944, up to $9,127,000 collected by the
Southeastern Power Administration from the sale of power and
related services shall be credited to this account as
discretionary offsetting collections, to remain available
until expended for the sole purpose of funding the annual
expenses of the Southeastern Power Administration: Provided
further, That the sum herein appropriated for annual expenses
shall be reduced as collections are received during the
fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2025
appropriation estimated at not more than $0: Provided
further, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to
$75,778,000 collected by the Southeastern Power
Administration pursuant to the Flood Control Act of 1944 to
recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be
credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain
available until expended for the sole purpose of making
purchase power and wheeling expenditures: Provided further,
That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses
means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same
year that they

[[Page H4752]]

are incurred (excluding purchase power and wheeling
expenses).

Operation and Maintenance, Southwestern Power Administration

For expenses necessary for operation and maintenance of
power transmission facilities and for marketing electric
power and energy, for construction and acquisition of
transmission lines, substations and appurtenant facilities,
and for administrative expenses, including official reception
and representation expenses in an amount not to exceed $1,500
in carrying out section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944
(16 U.S.C. 825s), as applied to the Southwestern Power
Administration, $55,070,000, to remain available until
expended: Provided, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 and
section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s),
up to $43,630,000 collected by the Southwestern Power
Administration from the sale of power and related services
shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting
collections, to remain available until expended, for the sole
purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Southwestern
Power Administration: Provided further, That the sum herein
appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as
collections are received during the fiscal year so as to
result in a final fiscal year 2025 appropriation estimated at
not more than $11,440,000: Provided further, That
notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $80,000,000 collected
by the Southwestern Power Administration pursuant to the
Flood Control Act of 1944 to recover purchase power and
wheeling expenses shall be credited to this account as
offsetting collections, to remain available until expended
for the sole purpose of making purchase power and wheeling
expenditures: Provided further, That for purposes of this
appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures that are
generally recovered in the same year that they are incurred
(excluding purchase power and wheeling expenses).

Construction, Rehabilitation, Operation and Maintenance, Western Area
Power Administration

(including rescission of funds)

For carrying out the functions authorized by title III,
section 302(a)(1)(E) of the Act of August 4, 1977 (42 U.S.C.
7152), and other related activities including conservation
and renewable resources programs as authorized, $340,983,000,
including official reception and representation expenses in
an amount not to exceed $1,500, to remain available until
expended, of which $340,983,000 shall be derived from the
Department of the Interior Reclamation Fund: Provided, That
notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, section 5 of the Flood
Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), and section 1 of the
Interior Department Appropriation Act, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 392a),
up to $241,111,000 collected by the Western Area Power
Administration from the sale of power and related services
shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting
collections, to remain available until expended, for the sole
purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Western Area
Power Administration: Provided further, That the sum herein
appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as
collections are received during the fiscal year so as to
result in a final fiscal year 2025 appropriation estimated at
not more than $99,872,000, of which $99,872,000 is derived
from the Reclamation Fund: Provided further, That
notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $525,000,000 collected
by the Western Area Power Administration pursuant to the
Flood Control Act of 1944 and the Reclamation Project Act of
1939 to recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be
credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain
available until expended for the sole purpose of making
purchase power and wheeling expenditures: Provided further,
That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses
means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same
year that they are incurred (excluding purchase power and
wheeling expenses): Provided further, That the remaining
unobligated balances from amounts described in the fifth
proviso under this heading in Public Law 111-85 are hereby
permanently rescinded.

Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund

For operation, maintenance, and emergency costs for the
hydroelectric facilities at the Falcon and Amistad Dams,
$6,525,000, to remain available until expended, and to be
derived from the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance
Fund of the Western Area Power Administration, as provided in
section 2 of the Act of June 18, 1954 (68 Stat. 255):
Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of that Act and
of 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $6,297,000 collected by the Western
Area Power Administration from the sale of power and related
services from the Falcon and Amistad Dams shall be credited
to this account as discretionary offsetting collections, to
remain available until expended for the sole purpose of
funding the annual expenses of the hydroelectric facilities
of these Dams and associated Western Area Power
Administration activities: Provided further, That the sum
herein appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as
collections are received during the fiscal year so as to
result in a final fiscal year 2025 appropriation estimated at
not more than $228,000: Provided further, That for purposes
of this appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures
that are generally recovered in the same year that they are
incurred: Provided further, That for fiscal year 2025, the
Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration may
accept up to $1,685,000 in funds contributed by United States
power customers of the Falcon and Amistad Dams for deposit
into the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund,
and such funds shall be available for the purpose for which
contributed in like manner as if said sums had been
specifically appropriated for such purpose: Provided
further, That any such funds shall be available without
further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation for
use by the Commissioner of the United States Section of the
International Boundary and Water Commission for the sole
purpose of operating, maintaining, repairing, rehabilitating,
replacing, or upgrading the hydroelectric facilities at these
Dams in accordance with agreements reached between the
Administrator, Commissioner, and the power customers.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

salaries and expenses

For expenses necessary for the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission to carry out the provisions of the Department of
Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including
services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, official reception
and representation expenses not to exceed $3,000, and the
hire of passenger motor vehicles, $532,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding any
other provision of law, not to exceed $532,000,000 of
revenues from fees and annual charges, and other services and
collections in fiscal year 2025 shall be retained and used
for expenses necessary in this account, and shall remain
available until expended: Provided further, That the sum
herein appropriated from the general fund shall be reduced as
revenues are received during fiscal year 2025 so as to result
in a final fiscal year 2025 appropriation from the general
fund estimated at not more than $0.

GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

(including transfers of funds)

Sec. 301. (a) No appropriation, funds, or authority made
available by this title for the Department of Energy shall be
used to initiate or resume any program, project, or activity
or to prepare or initiate Requests For Proposals or similar
arrangements (including Requests for Quotations, Requests for
Information, and Funding Opportunity Announcements) for a
program, project, or activity if the program, project, or
activity has not been funded by Congress.
(b)(1) Unless the Secretary of Energy notifies the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at
least 3 full business days in advance, none of the funds made
available in this title may be used to--
(A) make a grant allocation or discretionary grant award
totaling $1,000,000 or more;
(B) make a discretionary contract award or Other
Transaction Agreement totaling $1,000,000 or more, including
a contract covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation;
(C) provide nonoperational funding through a competition
restricted only to Department of Energy National Laboratories
totaling $1,000,000 or more;
(D) provide nonoperational funding directly to a Department
of Energy National Laboratory totaling $25,000,000 or more;
(E) issue a letter of intent to make an allocation, award,
or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A),
(B), (C), or (D); or
(F) announce publicly the intention to make an allocation,
award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph
(A), (B), (C), or (D).
(2) The Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committees
on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 15 days
of the conclusion of each quarter a report detailing each
grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling less
than $1,000,000 provided during the previous quarter.
(3) The notification required by paragraph (1) and the
report required by paragraph (2) shall include the recipient
of the award, the amount of the award, the fiscal year for
which the funds for the award were appropriated, the account
and program, project, or activity from which the funds are
being drawn, the title of the award, and a brief description
of the activity for which the award is made.
(c) The Department of Energy may not, with respect to any
program, project, or activity that uses budget authority made
available in this title under the heading ``Department of
Energy--Energy Programs'', enter into a multiyear contract,
award a multiyear grant, or enter into a multiyear
cooperative agreement unless--
(1) the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement is funded
for the full period of performance as anticipated at the time
of award; or
(2) the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement includes
a clause conditioning the Federal Government's obligation on
the availability of future year budget authority and the
Secretary notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both
Houses of Congress at least 3 days in advance.
(d) Except as provided in subsections (e), (f), and (g),
the amounts made available by this title shall be expended as
authorized by law for the programs, projects, and activities
specified in the ``Bill'' column in the ``Department of
Energy'' table included under the heading ``Title III--
Department of Energy'' in the report accompanying this Act.
(e) The amounts made available by this title may be
reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the
Department shall notify, and obtain the prior approval of,
the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress
at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed
reprogramming that would cause any program, project, or
activity funding level to increase or decrease by more than
$5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time
period covered by this Act.
(f) None of the funds provided in this title shall be
available for obligation or expenditure through a
reprogramming of funds that--
(1) creates, initiates, or eliminates a program, project,
or activity;
(2) increases funds or personnel for any program, project,
or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this
Act; or

[[Page H4753]]

(3) reduces funds that are directed to be used for a
specific program, project, or activity by this Act.
(g)(1) The Secretary of Energy may waive any requirement or
restriction in this section that applies to the use of funds
made available for the Department of Energy if compliance
with such requirement or restriction would pose a substantial
risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national
security.
(2) The Secretary of Energy shall notify the Committees on
Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under
paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3
days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or
restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall
include an explanation of the substantial risk under
paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver.
(h) The unexpended balances of prior appropriations
provided for activities in this Act may be available to the
same appropriation accounts for such activities established
pursuant to this title. Available balances may be merged with
funds in the applicable established accounts and thereafter
may be accounted for as one fund for the same time period as
originally enacted.
Sec. 302. Funds appropriated by this or any other Act, or
made available by the transfer of funds in this Act, for
intelligence activities are deemed to be specifically
authorized by the Congress for purposes of section 504 of the
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3094) during fiscal
year 2025 until the enactment of the Intelligence
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025.
Sec. 303. None of the funds made available in this title
shall be used for the construction of facilities classified
as high-hazard nuclear facilities under 10 CFR Part 830
unless independent oversight is conducted by the Office of
Enterprise Assessments to ensure the project is in compliance
with nuclear safety requirements.
Sec. 304. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to approve critical decision-2 or critical
decision-3 under Department of Energy Order 413.3B, or any
successive departmental guidance, for construction projects
where the total project cost exceeds $100,000,000, until a
separate independent cost estimate has been developed for the
project for that critical decision.
Sec. 305. None of the funds made available in this title
may be used to support a grant allocation award,
discretionary grant award, or cooperative agreement that
exceeds $100,000,000 in Federal funding unless the project is
carried out through internal independent project management
procedures.
Sec. 306. No funds shall be transferred directly from
``Department of Energy--Power Marketing Administration--
Colorado River Basins Power Marketing Fund, Western Area
Power Administration'' to the general fund of the Treasury in
the current fiscal year.
Sec. 307. (a) The Secretary of Energy may not establish any
new regional petroleum product reserve unless funding for the
proposed regional petroleum product reserve is explicitly
requested in advance in an annual budget submitted by the
President pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States
Code, and approved by the Congress in an appropriations Act.
(b) The budget request or notification shall include--
(1) the justification for the new reserve;
(2) a cost estimate for the establishment, operation, and
maintenance of the reserve, including funding sources;
(3) a detailed plan for operation of the reserve, including
the conditions upon which the products may be released;
(4) the location of the reserve; and
(5) the estimate of the total inventory of the reserve.
Sec. 308. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to draw down and sell petroleum products from the
Strategic Petroleum Reserve (1) to any entity that is under
the ownership, control, or influence of the Chinese Communist
Party; or (2) except on condition that such petroleum
products will not be exported to the People's Republic of
China.
Sec. 309. (a) None of the funds made available by this Act
may be used by the Secretary of Energy to award any grant,
contract, cooperative agreement, or loan of $10,000,000 or
greater to an entity of concern as defined in section 10114
of division B of Public Law 117-167.
(b) The Secretary shall implement the requirements under
subsection (a) using a risk-based approach and analytical
tools to aggregate, link, analyze, and maintain information
reported by an entity seeking or receiving such funds made
available by this Act.
(c) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent
with the obligations of the United States under applicable
international agreements.
(d) The Secretary shall have the authority to require the
submission to the agency, by an entity seeking or receiving
such funds made available by this Act, documentation
necessary to implement the requirements under subsection (a).
(e) Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly
known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act''), shall not apply to
the implementation of the requirements under this section.
(f) The Secretary and other Federal agencies shall
coordinate to share relevant information necessary to
implement the requirements under subsection (a).
Sec. 310. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to admit any non-United
States citizen from Russia or China to any nuclear weapons
production facility, as such term is defined in section 4002
of the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2501), other than
areas accessible to the general public, unless 30 days prior
to facility admittance, the Department of Energy provides
notification to the Committees on Appropriations and Armed
Services of both Houses of Congress.
Sec. 311. (a) None of the funds made available by this Act
or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2025 for the
Department of Energy may be obligated or expended to procure
or purchase computers, printers, or interoperable
videoconferencing services needed for an office environment
in which the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, or any
subsidiary or parent entity of the manufacturer, bidder, or
offeror, of the equipment is an entity, or parent company of
an entity in which the People's Republic of China has any
ownership stake.
(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) also applies in cases
in which the Secretary has contracted with a third party for
the procurement, purchase, or expenditure of funds on any of
the equipment and software described in such subsection.
Sec. 312. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to further develop, finalize, administer, implement,
or enforce the proposed regulation by the Department of
Energy titled ``Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and
Major Renovations of Federal Buildings'' 87 Fed. Reg. 78382
(December 21, 2022).
Sec. 313. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to provide a categorical exclusion from the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) for
energy storage systems, as described in the Department of
Energy's final rule, part 1021 of title 10, Code of Federal
Regulations.
Sec. 314. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be expended to support the Department of Energy Justice40
initiative as defined by or required by Executive Order 14008
of January 27, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 7619; relating to tackling
the climate crisis at home and abroad).
Sec. 315. Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C.
717b) is amended--
(1) by striking subsections (a) through (c);
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections
(a) and (b), respectively;
(3) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c), and
moving such subsection after subsection (b), as so
redesignated;
(4) in subsection (a), as so redesignated, by amending
paragraph (1) to read as follows: ``(1) The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (in this subsection referred to as the
`Commission') shall have the exclusive authority to approve
or deny an application for authorization for the siting,
construction, expansion, or operation of a facility to export
natural gas from the United States to a foreign country or
import natural gas from a foreign country, including an LNG
terminal. In determining whether to approve or deny an
application under this paragraph, the Commission shall deem
the exportation or importation of natural gas to be
consistent with the public interest. Except as specifically
provided in this Act, nothing in this Act is intended to
affect otherwise applicable law related to any Federal
agency's authorities or responsibilities related to
facilities to import or export natural gas, including LNG
terminals.''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d)(1) Nothing in this Act limits the authority of the
President under the Constitution, the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National
Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), part B of title II
of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et
seq.), the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. 4301 et
seq.), or any other provision of law that imposes sanctions
on a foreign person or foreign government (including any
provision of law that prohibits or restricts United States
persons from engaging in a transaction with a sanctioned
person or government), including a country that is designated
as a state sponsor of terrorism, to prohibit imports or
exports.
``(2) In this subsection, the term `state sponsor of
terrorism' means a country the government of which the
Secretary of State determines has repeatedly provided support
for international terrorism pursuant to--
``(A) section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Control Reform
Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A));
``(B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2371);
``(C) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.
2780); or
``(D) any other provision of law.''.
Sec. 316. From the unobligated balances of amounts made
available under the heading ``Department of Energy--Energy
Programs--Electricity'' in title IV of division N of Public
Law 117-328 to carry out activities to improve the resilience
of the Puerto Rican electric grid, thirty-five hundredths of
one percent of the amounts made available under such heading
shall be transferred not later than January 1, 2025, to the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Energy
to carry out the provisions of the Inspector General Act of
1978, in addition to amounts otherwise available for such
purpose, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
any amounts so transferred that were previously designated by
the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 or
a concurrent resolution on the budget are designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 and shall be available only if the
President designates such amount as an emergency requirement
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i).
Sec. 317. (a) Of the unobligated balances from amounts
previously made available to the Department of Energy, the
following funds shall be transferred from the following
programs in the specified amounts to ``Department of Energy--
Energy Programs--Nuclear Energy'', and, in addition to
amounts otherwise made available, shall be available for the
not more than two competitive awards for Generation 3+ small

[[Page H4754]]

modular reactor deployment projects described in section
311(a)(1)(A) of division D of the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-42) and the two awards for
demonstration projects made prior to the date of enactment of
this Act under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, as
authorized under section 959A of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a)--
(1) $980,000,000, to remain available until expended, from
the unobligated balances under the heading ``Department of
Energy--Energy Programs--Nuclear Energy'' in division J of
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-
58), of which $120,000,000 shall be available in fiscal year
2025 and $860,000,000 shall be available in fiscal year 2026;
(2) $1,500,000,000, to remain available until expended,
from the unobligated balances under the heading ``Department
of Energy--Energy Programs--Carbon Dioxide Transportation
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program Account'' in
division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
(Public Law 117-58);
(3) $1,500,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2026, from the unobligated balances under section 50141 of
Public Law 117-169; and
(4) $5,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2026, from the unobligated balances under section 50144 of
Public Law 117-169:
Provided, That amounts transferred pursuant to paragraphs
(1) and (2) shall continue to be treated as amounts specified
in section 103(b) of division A of Public Law 118-5.
(b) Public Law 117-169 is amended--
(1) in section 50141(a) by amending the dollar amount to
read as ``$25,000,000,000''; and
(2) in section 50144(b) by amending the dollar amount to
read as ``$5,000,000,000''.

TITLE IV

INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

Appalachian Regional Commission

For expenses necessary to carry out the programs authorized
by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, as
amended, and for expenses necessary for the Federal Co-
Chairman and the Alternate on the Appalachian Regional
Commission, for payment of the Federal share of the
administrative expenses of the Commission, including services
as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, and hire of passenger motor
vehicles, $200,000,000, to remain available until expended.

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

salaries and expenses

For expenses necessary for the Defense Nuclear Facilities
Safety Board in carrying out activities authorized by the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by Public Law 100-456,
section 1441, $45,000,000, to remain available until
September 30, 2026, of which not to exceed $1,000 shall be
available for official reception and representation expenses.

Delta Regional Authority

salaries and expenses

For expenses necessary for the Delta Regional Authority and
to carry out its activities, as authorized by the Delta
Regional Authority Act of 2000, notwithstanding sections
382F(d), 382M, and 382N of said Act, $32,100,000, to remain
available until expended.

Denali Commission

For expenses necessary for the Denali Commission including
the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and
capital equipment as necessary and other expenses,
$17,000,000, to remain available until expended,
notwithstanding the limitations contained in section 306(g)
of the Denali Commission Act of 1998: Provided, That funds
shall be available for construction projects for which the
Denali Commission is the sole or primary funding source in an
amount not to exceed 80 percent of total project cost for
distressed communities, as defined by section 307 of the
Denali Commission Act of 1998 (division C, title III, Public
Law 105-277), as amended by section 701 of appendix D, title
VII, Public Law 106-113 (113 Stat. 1501A-280), and for Indian
Tribes, as defined by section 5304(e) of title 25, United
States Code, and in an amount not to exceed 50 percent for
non-distressed communities: Provided further, That
notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding payment
of a non-Federal share in connection with a grant-in-aid
program, amounts under this heading shall be available for
the payment of such a non-Federal share for any project for
which the Denali Commission is not the sole or primary
funding source, provided that such project is consistent with
the purposes of the Commission.

Northern Border Regional Commission

For expenses necessary for the Northern Border Regional
Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle
V of title 40, United States Code, $41,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That such amounts shall
be available for administrative expenses, notwithstanding
section 15751(b) of title 40, United States Code.

Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

For expenses necessary for the Southeast Crescent Regional
Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle
V of title 40, United States Code, $20,000,000, to remain
available until expended.

Southwest Border Regional Commission

For expenses necessary for the Southwest Border Regional
Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle
V of title 40, United States Code, $5,000,000, to remain
available until expended.

Great Lakes Authority

For expenses necessary for the Great Lakes Authority in
carrying out activities authorized by subtitle V of title 40,
United States Code, $5,000,000, to remain available until
expended.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

salaries and expenses

For expenses necessary for the Commission in carrying out
the purposes of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, $955,368,200, including official
representation expenses not to exceed $30,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That of the amount
appropriated herein, not more than $11,435,000 may be made
available for salaries, travel, and other support costs for
the Office of the Commission, to remain available until
September 30, 2026: Provided further, That revenues from
licensing fees, inspection services, and other services and
collections estimated at $807,672,200 in fiscal year 2025
shall be retained and used for necessary salaries and
expenses in this account, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, and
shall remain available until expended: Provided further,
That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced by the
amount of revenues received during fiscal year 2025 so as to
result in a final fiscal year 2025 appropriation estimated at
not more than $147,696,000.

office of inspector general

For expenses necessary for the Office of Inspector General
in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act
of 1978, $19,578,000, to remain available until September 30,
2026: Provided, That revenues from licensing fees,
inspection services, and other services and collections
estimated at $16,274,000 in fiscal year 2025 shall be
retained and be available until September 30, 2026, for
necessary salaries and expenses in this account,
notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code:
Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be
reduced by the amount of revenues received during fiscal year
2025 so as to result in a final fiscal year 2025
appropriation estimated at not more than $3,304,000:
Provided further, That of the amounts appropriated under this
heading, $1,505,000 shall be for Inspector General services
for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

salaries and expenses

For expenses necessary for the Nuclear Waste Technical
Review Board, as authorized by Public Law 100-203, section
5051, $4,100,000, to be derived from the Nuclear Waste Fund,
to remain available until September 30, 2026.

GENERAL PROVISIONS--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

Sec. 401. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall comply
with the July 5, 2011, version of Chapter VI of its Internal
Commission Procedures when responding to Congressional
requests for information, consistent with Department of
Justice guidance for all Federal agencies.
Sec. 402. (a) The amounts made available by this title for
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be reprogrammed for any
program, project, or activity, and the Commission shall
notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of
Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed
reprogramming that would cause any program funding level to
increase or decrease by more than $500,000 or 10 percent,
whichever is less, during the time period covered by this
Act.
(b)(1) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may waive the
notification requirement in subsection (a) if compliance with
such requirement would pose a substantial risk to human
health, the environment, welfare, or national security.
(2) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall notify the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of
any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but
not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which
a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied.
Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial
risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver and shall
provide a detailed report to the Committees of such waiver
and changes to funding levels to programs, projects, or
activities.
(c) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b), and (d),
the amounts made available by this title for ``Nuclear
Regulatory Commission--Salaries and Expenses'' shall be
expended as directed in the report accompanying this Act.
(d) None of the funds provided for the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission shall be available for obligation or expenditure
through a reprogramming of funds that increases funds or
personnel for any program, project, or activity for which
funds are denied or restricted by this Act.
(e) The Commission shall provide a monthly report to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress,
which includes the following for each program, project, or
activity, including any prior year appropriations--
(1) total budget authority;
(2) total unobligated balances; and
(3) total unliquidated obligations.

TITLE V

GENERAL PROVISIONS

(including transfer of funds)

Sec. 501. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may
be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence
congressional action on any legislation or appropriation
matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate to
Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.
Sec. 502. (a) None of the funds made available in title III
of this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or
instrumentality of the United States Government, except
pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer authority provided
in this Act or any other appropriations Act for any fiscal
year, transfer authority referenced in the report
accompanying this Act, or any authority whereby a department,
agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government
may provide goods or services to another department, agency,
or instrumentality.

[[Page H4755]]

(b) None of the funds made available for any department,
agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government
may be transferred to accounts funded in title III of this
Act, except pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer
authority provided in this Act or any other appropriations
Act for any fiscal year, transfer authority referenced in the
report accompanying this Act, or any authority whereby a
department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States
Government may provide goods or services to another
department, agency, or instrumentality.
(c) The head of any relevant department or agency funded in
this Act utilizing any transfer authority shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a
semiannual report detailing the transfer authorities, except
for any authority whereby a department, agency, or
instrumentality of the United States Government may provide
goods or services to another department, agency, or
instrumentality, used in the previous 6 months and in the
year-to-date. This report shall include the amounts
transferred and the purposes for which they were transferred,
and shall not replace or modify existing notification
requirements for each authority.
Sec. 503. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act
may be used to maintain or establish a computer network
unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and
exchanging of pornography.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds
necessary for any Federal, State, Tribal, or local law
enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal
investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.
Sec. 504. (a) No federal monies shall be expended in
furtherance of any agreement among private entities for
consolidated interim storage of spent nuclear fuel that is
not specifically authorized under federal law until such time
that host state and local governments and any affected Indian
tribes have formalized their consent.
(b) Provided that the prohibition provided for in this
section shall not apply to facilities presently storing
commercial spent nuclear fuel, pursuant to a license issued
by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as of the date of
enactment of this Act.
(c) For purposes of this section, ``spent nuclear fuel''
shall have the same meaning as provided in section 2 of the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101).
Sec. 505. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out any program, project, or activity that
promotes or advances Critical Race Theory or any concept
associated with Critical Race Theory.
Sec. 506. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be made available to implement,
administer, apply, enforce, or carry out the Equity Action
Plan of the Department of Energy, or Executive Order 13985 of
January 20, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 7009, relating to advancing
racial equity and support for underserved communities through
the Federal Government), Executive Order 14035 of June 25,
2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 34593, relating to diversity, equity,
inclusion, and accessibility in the Federal workforce), or
Executive Order 14091 of February 16, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg.
10825, relating to further advancing racial equity and
support for underserved communities through the Federal
Government).
Sec. 507. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 7 of
title 1, United States Code, section 1738C of title 28,
United States Code, or any other provision of law, none of
the funds provided by this Act, or previous appropriations
Acts, shall be used in whole or in part to take any
discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially,
on the basis that such person speaks, or acts, in accordance
with a sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction,
that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one
man and one woman.
(b) Discriminatory Action Defined.-- As used in subsection
(a), a discriminatory action means any action taken by the
Federal Government to--
(1) alter in any way the Federal tax treatment of, or cause
any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny,
delay, or revoke an exemption from taxation under section
501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 of, any person
referred to in subsection (a);
(2) disallow a deduction for Federal tax purposes of any
charitable contribution made to or by such person;
(3) withhold, reduce the amount or funding for, exclude,
terminate, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, any Federal
grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement,
guarantee, loan, scholarship, license, certification,
accreditation, employment, or other similar position or
status from or to such person;
(4) withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise make
unavailable or deny, any entitlement or benefit under a
Federal benefit program, including admission to, equal
treatment in, or eligibility for a degree from an educational
program, from or to such person; or
(5) withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise make
unavailable or deny access or an entitlement to Federal
property, facilities, educational institutions, speech fora
(including traditional, limited, and nonpublic fora), or
charitable fundraising campaigns from or to such person.
(c) Accreditation; Licensure; Certification.--The Federal
Government shall consider accredited, licensed, or certified
for purposes of Federal law any person that would be
accredited, licensed, or certified, respectively, for such
purposes but for a determination against such person wholly
or partially on the basis that the person speaks, or acts, in
accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral
conviction described in subsection (a).
Sec. 508. None of the funds made available by this Act or
any other Act may be used to implement, administer, or
enforce any COVID-19 mask or vaccine mandates.
Sec. 509. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to obligate or award funds, including subgrants and
other subawards, to the Wuhan Institute of Virology,
including affiliated researchers.
Sec. 510. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be used to fly or display a flag
over or within a facility of the federal government other
than the flag of the United States, flag bearing an official
U.S. Government seal or insignia, or POW/MIA flag.
Sec. 511. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be made available to finalize any
rule or regulation that meets the definition of section
804(2)(A) of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 512. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to develop or implement guidance related to the
valuation of ecosystem and environmental services and natural
assets in Federal regulatory decision-making, as directed by
Executive Order 14072 of April 22, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 24851,
relating to strengthening the Nation's forests, communities,
and local economies).
Sec. 513. The funds made available in this act or any
other appropriations act for the purposes of implementing the
United States Government Commitments in support of the
Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative set forth in the
Memorandum of Understanding of December 14, 2023, between the
United States, the States of Oregon and Washington, the
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of
Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe, and environmental non-profit
organizations, that require reimbursement by the Bonneville
Power Administration and do not arise from Bonneville's
current reimbursement obligations, shall be limited to the
$300,000,000 Bonneville committed to in such Commitments of
December 14, 2023, should Bonneville be required to implement
the U.S. Government Commitments in support of the Columbia
Basin Restoration Initiative set forth in the Memorandum of
Understanding of December 14, 2023, between the United
States; the States of Oregon and Washington; the Confederated
Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation; the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation; the Nez Perce Tribe;
and environmental non-profit organizations.
Sec. 514. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce any of
the following rules:
(1) The final rule entitled ``Energy Conservation Program:
Energy Conservation Standards for Distribution Transformers''
published by the Department of Energy in the Federal Register
on April 22, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 29834), or any substantially
similar rule.
(2) The final rule entitled ``Energy Conservation Program:
Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing''
published by the Department of Energy in the Federal Register
on May 31, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 32728), or any substantially
similar rule.
(3) The final rule entitled ``Energy Conservation Program:
Energy Conservation Standards for Room Air Conditioners''
published by the Department of Energy in the Federal Register
on May 26, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 34298), or any substantially
similar rule.
(4) The final rule entitled ``Energy Conservation Program:
Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional
Cooking Products'' published by the Department of Energy in
the Federal Register on February 14, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg.
11434), or any substantially similar rule, including any rule
that would directly or indirectly limit consumer access to
consumer conventional cooking products, including gas kitchen
ranges or ovens.

spending reduction account

Sec. 515. $0.
This Act may be cited as the ``Energy and Water
Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025''.

The CHAIR. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as
amended, are waived.
No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order
except those printed in part A of House Report 118-602, amendments en
bloc described in section 3 of House Resolution 1370, and pro forma
amendments described in section 4 of that resolution.
Each further amendment printed in part A of the report shall be
considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only
by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read,
shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject
to amendment except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 1370,
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on
Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting
of amendments printed in part A of House Report 118-602 not earlier
disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall be considered as read, shall be
debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled

[[Page H4756]]

by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Appropriations or their designees, shall not be subject to amendment
except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 1370, and shall not
be subject to a demand for division of the question.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for
the purpose of debate.

Amendments En Bloc Offered by Mr. Fleischmann of Tennessee

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 1370, I
offer amendments en bloc.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc consisting of amendment Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,
12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 39, 52, 57,
58, 59 and 65, printed in part A of House Report 118-602, offered by
Mr. Fleischmann of Tennessee:

Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Beyer of Virginia

Page 36, line 3, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $40,000,000) (increased by $40,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Bilirakis of Florida

Page 39, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $6,000,000) (increased by $6,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 3 Offered by Ms. Blunt Rochester of Delaware

Page 30, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky

Page 7, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $500,000) (increased by $500,000)''.

Amendment no. 6 Offered by Mr. Costa of California

Page 16, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $3,000,000)''.
Page 39, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $3,000,000)''.

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mrs. Dingell of Michigan

Page 30, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $25,000,000) (reduced by $25,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 8 Offered by Mr. Duarte of California

Page 4, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (decreased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 12 Offered by Ms. Perez of Washington

Page 30, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $10,000,000) (reduced by $10,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 13 Offered by Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas

Page 39, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.
Page 68, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 14 Offered by Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas

Page 16, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Page 20, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $2,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 15 Offered by Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey

Page 6, line 17, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 21 Offered by Mr. Jackson of Texas

Page 41, line 4, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
Page 42, line 9, after the first dollar amounts, insert
``(decreased by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 24 Offered by Mr. Massie of Kentucky

Page 4, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 26 Offered by Mrs. Miller of West Virginia

Page 33, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $500,000) (increased by $500,000)''.

Amendment no. 27 Offered by Mr. Molinaro of New York

Page 6, line 17, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,500,000)''.
Page 39, line 18, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,500,000)''.

Amendment no. 28 Offered by Mr. Molinaro of New York

Page 39, line 18, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.
Page 65, line 17, after the first dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $5,000,000)''.

Amendment Offered by Mr. Moylan of Guam

Page 3, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $35,000,000) (increased by $35,000,000)''.

Amendment no. 30 Offered by Mr. Moylan of Guam

Page 30, line 18, after dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by
$2,500,000) (increased by $2,500,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 31 OFFERED BY MR. MOYLAN OF GUAM

Page 32, line 1, after dollar amount, insert ``(reduced by
$15,000,000) (increased by $15,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 32 OFFERED BY MR. MURPHY OF NORTH CAROLINA

Page 4, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 33 OFFERED BY MR. NEGUSE OF COLORADO

Page 16, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
Page 39, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 34 OFFERED BY MR. NEWHOUSE OF WASHINGTON

Page 40, line 15, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $100,000,000) (increased by $100,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 39 OFFERED BY MR. OGLES OF TENNESSEE

Page 34, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 52 OFFERED BY MRS. RAMIREZ OF ILLINOIS

Page 36, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $193,000,000) (reduced by $193,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 57 OFFERED BY MS. SCHRIER OF WASHINGTON

Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $100,000,000) (increased by $100,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 58 OFFERED BY MR. SCOTT OF VIRGINIA

Page 36, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $21,000,000) (increased by $21,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 59 OFFERED BY MR. SCOTT OF VIRGINIA

Page 36, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $10,000,000) (increased by $10,000,000)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 65 OFFERED BY MR. WALTZ OF FLORIDA

Page 2, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $1,500,000)''.
Page 7, line 3, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,500,000)''.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur)
each will control 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan en bloc amendment was
developed in coordination with the minority. It contains
noncontroversial amendments addressing important issues at the agencies
funded in this bill that have been agreed to by both sides.
Mr. Chairman, I support the adoption, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. This
en bloc contains noncontroversial amendments from Members of both
parties, and I have no objection.
Mr. Chair, I urge support of the amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from the State of Washington (Mr. Newhouse), who is a member of the
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Fleischmann for yielding
to me today.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment as part of this en
bloc which addresses an important issue in my district as well as the
State of Washington.
The Bonneville Power Administration is required to carry out a Fish
and Wildlife program to protect, mitigate, and enhance species affected
by the development of and operations of the Federal Columbia River
Power System.
There has not been an inspector general report in over a decade
regarding the effectiveness of the program, which has received
significant resources and is supported by rate-paying customers in my
district.
I want to ensure transparency and that ratepayer dollars are being
used effectively in carrying out the mandates explicitly established by
Congress for this program.
My amendment is simple. It highlights the need for a report from the
Department of Energy Inspector General on the Bonneville Power
Administration's Fish and Wildlife program to ensure it has fulfilled
these mandates.
In light of covert efforts to breach the Lower Snake River dams,
which are a crucial source of power, irrigation, and transportation in
the Pacific Northwest, it is essential that Congress

[[Page H4757]]

continue to apply oversight and ensure that all entities involved in
the operation of these dams meet their statutory requirements and
provide clean, renewable power to our region.

{time} 1145

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Duarte).
Mr. DUARTE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
Fleischmann) for yielding time to me.
Mr. Chairman, the last 2 years in California have been very, very
wet, and flooding has devastated our valley. I saw firsthand the
devastation in Planada, California, when brush and sediment in Miles
Creek forced floodwater into neighborhoods that had been flooded from
similar events just 5 years prior. My office and I helped displaced
families in Planada after their homes were destroyed or damaged by
floodwater. The work is still not done.
I am never going to object to Mother Nature blessing our State with
rain and snow, but we must better prepare to capture and manage our
water coming off of the Sierra Nevada mountains to protect our
communities and farms.
Mr. Chairman, my amendment, which I am grateful is included in this
package, is very simple. It prioritizes funds for the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, one, to study the scope and scale of sediment buildup in
the rivers and streams in the San Joaquin watershed and, two, to report
to Congress on how to reduce that buildup to protect families and farms
from flooding. My amendment has the bipartisan support of Congressmen
Costa, Fong, and Harder.
As I close, I make one additional important point. Water abundance is
affordable energy, food, and housing. Farms create good-paying jobs,
stabilize soil, improve air quality, and deliver affordable dinners to
working American families. Hydroelectric energy is clean energy when we
need it. Houses can only be built where water abundance is available.
Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Fleischmann for supporting my
amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support this en bloc package of
amendments.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chair, I am very pleased that this amendment, which
I was proud to cosponsor with my colleagues Reps. Beyer and Trahan, was
made in order. The amendment is quite straightforward. It would ensure
that the Department of Energy's total support for fusion materials and
fuel cycle R&D at least matches the level of $105 million proposed in
the President's FY 2025 Budget Request (PBR).
The most recent Long Range Plan produced by the Fusion Energy
Sciences Advisory Committee recommended significantly increasing
support for fusion materials and fuel cycle R&D, as well as for
innovative public-private partnerships such as the fusion milestone
program, even under constrained budget scenarios. H.R. 8997 currently
includes $40 million to support the new Fusion Innovation Research
Engine (FIRE) collaboratives proposed by DOE that will focus on
addressing fusion materials and fuel cycle R&D in particular. And the
bill also includes $25 million for construction of the Material Plasma
Exposure Experiment (MPEX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These are
important activities and projects that I certainly support. However,
the PBR also proposes $20 million for fusion materials R&D and $20
million for fusion fuel cycle R&D beyond the specific work carried out
by the FIRE collaboratives. The bill report is currently silent on
funding for these critical activities, so this amendment would simply
clarify that they would also be supported by this bill.
I strongly urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support this amendment. This will help prioritize DOE's fusion efforts
with a focus on accelerating the commercialization of this potentially
transformational industry here in the U.S. as quickly as possible.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).
The en bloc amendments were agreed to.

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Brecheen

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4 printed in
part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the Department of Energy to reinstate the general
license for export of special nuclear material, source
material, and deuterium for nuclear end use to the People's
Republic of China or to fund specific licenses for
exportation of nuclear materials to the People's Republic of
China.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
Mr. BRECHEEN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment prohibits the Department
of Energy from issuing licenses to export nuclear materials to China,
closing a loophole that currently allows for the export of some of
those products.
Last year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rightly suspended the
general license for export of nuclear material to China. However, this
action left open the possibility that nuclear exporters could be
granted a specific license to continue sending nuclear materials to
China.
This commonsense amendment is something that should be put forward,
as no one wants the United States to give one of our greatest
adversaries access to nuclear materials. For years, the People's
Republic of China has engaged in a campaign of aggressive economic and
political competition with the United States. China steals our
intellectual property; engages in dishonest trade practices; spies on
U.S. citizens, to include balloons; and constantly attempts to spread
its influence across the United States.
China is openly aggressive in the Asia-Pacific region, making clear
its desire for regional dominance.
We should never reward this behavior by giving them dangerous nuclear
materials. We cannot allow these materials with a potential for dual
use to be sent to our most powerful global adversary. We are engaged in
competition with them.
With a People's Republic of China that is not friendly, we cannot
allow our trade policies to work to the detriment of our national
security.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Brecheen).
The amendment was agreed to.
The CHAIR. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Ohio seek
recognition?
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Ms. DeLauro, I move to
strike the last word.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Sarbanes).
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
time.
Mr. Chair, I rise with respect to an amendment that I introduced with
Congressman Bilirakis that has already been made part of the en bloc,
which has been agreed to. I am very appreciative of that, but I just
want to put a very few words on the record.
Mr. Chair, that amendment would provide funding to the Department of
Energy's Office of International Affairs to establish the U.S.-Eastern
Mediterranean Energy Center, a research center for energy innovation
and collaboration with our eastern Mediterranean allies, Greece,
Cyprus, and Israel.
Building off of the success of the U.S.-Israel Energy Center, the
U.S.-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center was authorized by the
bipartisan Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of
2019, which was enacted in appropriations legislation for fiscal year
2020.
In the Department of Energy's own words, this center will strengthen
the region's energy security, bring economic growth for countries
across the region, deepen geopolitical ties among participating
governments, and open commercial opportunities for U.S. companies.
The legislation explicitly notes the earlier legislation that
authorized this partnership, that the U.S. Government should establish
the United States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center, as authorized by
section 204 of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and

[[Page H4758]]

Energy Partnership Act of 2019. This center would serve as a critical
venue to further this collaboration.
I am thankful for the support of the amendment. I thank, in
particular, the chair and ranking member of the Appropriations
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies.
Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to put these important words
on the record.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. Flood

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 9 printed in
part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for or to advance the research, development,
demonstration, processing, or promotion of alternative
proteins.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Flood) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.
Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple. It would bar the
Department of Energy from spending taxpayer dollars on lab-grown meat.
Under President Biden's radical climate agenda and regulatory regime,
the Department of Energy has chosen to target our Nation's food and
beverage industry. Hardworking producers across the Nation wake up
every day and raise the highest quality livestock in the world, and
they are already making significant investments in long-term
sustainability.
My home State of Nebraska leads the Nation in beef and veal exports
and is among the top-producing States for hogs. Raising our Nation's
food is a way of life for many in my home State and across the Nation.
Instead of subverting the efforts of farmers and ranchers, the
Department of Energy could invest in lowering energy costs, working to
regain energy independence, unlocking energy exports, or any number of
issues facing everyday Americans.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.
The amendment purports to prohibit funding for what is termed ``lab-
grown meat'' at the Department of Energy.
One would normally think of the Department of Agriculture as the
place for that to occur. However, the actual amendment text prohibits
funds to be ``used for or to advance the research, development,
demonstration, processing, or promotion of alternative proteins.''
The term ``alternative proteins,'' without getting too deep into the
scientific weeds, is very broad, and this would likely have an impact
largely beyond the purported intent related to lab-grown meat.
Members probably have seen some of the scientific and medical work
being done across our country, for example, in kidney transplantation.
There is great crossover between some of the pure sciences and some of
the applied sciences in trying to heal and trying to help people live
longer and to replace damaged organs and so forth, so we need this
science to progress.
This amendment would restrict the work of the Department of Energy,
which is a basic science department, and its Office of Science, which
is the Nation's largest supporter of basic research in the physical
sciences.
This amendment would impact work both for the Basic Energy Sciences
division and the Biological and Environmental Sciences division.
Sometimes these sciences cross over as we become smarter and more able
to heal. With supercomputing, we are now going to be moving into an age
way beyond where the 20th century was, and we don't want to harm that
research.
The Basic Energy Sciences division supports fundamental research to
understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the
electronic, atomic, and molecular levels in order to provide the
foundations of new energy technologies, which, of course, we are all
balls of energy in one way or another.
With supercomputing, we are now going so far beyond where science in
the last century went in terms of understanding how we function and how
our world functions. For example, within the basic energy sciences,
they conduct biosciences and photosynthetic system studies to modify a
protein to better understand its function.
This work is deep into high science. This is not producing cattle for
market. This is something very different.
The mission of the Biological and Environmental Sciences Research
division is to support transformative science to achieve a predictive
understanding of complex biological, Earth, and environmental systems,
even trying to understand the reaction inside the human body of the
biochemical reactions of a nerve sheath, which requires the help of
supercomputers.
Understanding proteins, which is a subdivision of understanding how
all matter functions, is fundamental to understanding biology.
The unintended consequences of this amendment are widespread and
could cripple our Nation's ability to make breakthroughs in biology,
bioenergy, decarbonization of the food industry, and human health.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this
amendment. I would love to work with the gentleman on trying to meet
the challenge my colleague is trying to solve, but this is not the way
to do it.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms.
Kaptur) sharing her concerns about my amendment.

Every time a Nebraskan farmer wakes up and faces the day, folks on
that side of the aisle are looking to shut down confined animal feeding
operations. They are looking to different ways to produce meat so that
we can't produce what we do in Nebraska, which is the number one beef
State in the Nation.
There is no trust. There is no trust with the Biden administration
and this Department of Energy that our way of life is going to be
protected.
This amendment should send a clear signal to everybody on the other
side of the aisle that the producers that feed the world are ready to
fight, to stand up for our industry, and to fight for livestock across
this country.
This amendment ultimately sends a clear message that it is
inappropriate for the Department of Energy to spend taxpayer dollars on
lab-grown meat.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I would be more than happy to come to those
farmers' farms. I serve on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the
Appropriations Committee. I have farmers in my district that raise
cattle. I want to find ways to reuse manure for soil complements and
energy. We have other farmers here in this Chamber who care about this
very much. The gentleman should know that he has an ally on this side
of the aisle.

{time} 1200

I just don't want to diminish the high science in the study of
proteins that is so valuable to us as a country. Please know, at least
this Member doesn't want to do anything to hurt your industry; we only
want to help you. We don't want imported meat.
I am very unhappy China owns Smithfield's at this point. I want
American producers to succeed, so just know you found a friend, not
with this amendment, but with your desire to promote American
agriculture in the animal industry.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Nebraska (Mr. Flood).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Beyer

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10 printed in
part A of House Report 118-602.

[[Page H4759]]

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Mr. Garamendi, I have an
amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the W87-1 Modification Program.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Beyer) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I rise today to bring forward this amendment
pausing wasteful, unnecessary expenditures on the development of the
W87-1 warhead.
We are spending billions, yes, billions with a b, on this
modernization program, making this the most expensive program of its
type. We have increased funding for this one weapon program for reasons
that remain murky and unclear, even as the program remains plagued by
planning and operational shortcomings.
For those not familiar, this warhead modification program will
require building additional nonnuclear and nuclear assemblies to
replace the W78 warhead. In what might be a warning as to the wisdom of
this program, it was restarted in FY 2019 following a 4\1/2\ year pause
in its development.
When the program was subjected to scrutiny, there were problems. In
fact, both priority recommendations from the GAO, the Government
Accountability Office, on this program remain open and unaddressed.
In 2020, the GAO found that the NNSA does not require the program to
follow best practices and they lack an integrated master schedule
sufficient to manage the program.
Mr. Chair, both failures remain true today. This integrated schedule
is particularly important when we consider the challenge of building
new facilities. The W87-1 is the first weapon since the end of the Cold
War that requires new or remanufactured nuclear and nonnuclear
components, so understanding what facilities can be built at what time
should be the most basic of requirements.
As it stands, the first production unit for this program is not
anticipated until 2029 at the earliest. For those who truly want this
program to finish on time, taking a pause and reassessing must be our
first step; otherwise, we will continue to watch as the program
experiences delays, bloat, and cost overruns. A pause in funding will
allow us to be conscientious stewards of the taxpayers' money, to
evaluate the program and ensure we aren't getting stuck in another
sunk-cost fallacy.
I understand the threats to our country. However unfortunate it may
be, I know nuclear weapons are and will remain a reality of the world.
I also know that we should be leaders for nonproliferation and for
reducing the threat that nuclear weapons pose. That is why I, on behalf
of Congressman John Garamendi, am proposing rational steps in our
policy, which will demonstrate that we prioritize reason and judgment
over hyperbole and haste.
We must demonstrate leadership by showing that we have the wisdom to
reassess and readjust when we go astray. A pause would provide time for
us to evaluate our nuclear policies and how to best support nuclear
nonproliferation worldwide.
Mr. Chair, the bottom line is clear. To support our country's bottom
line, we should support this amendment and pause funding on W87-1 so
that we can conduct necessary and needed assessments before moving
forward on this money pit of a weapon.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, while I appreciate my colleague's
interest on these issues, my view is steadfast and the same as it was
last year when a similar amendment was offered.
Threats to the United States have changed and technology has
advanced, but our ICBM capability has not kept up. The W87-1
modification program will replace the W78 warhead, which is one of the
oldest in the stockpile.
This program will improve warhead security, safety, and use control.
This amendment puts at risk our ability as a Nation to respond to
increasing threats from our adversaries. I strongly oppose the
amendment and I strongly urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).
The amendment was rejected.

Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Beyer

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 11 printed in
part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Congressman Garamendi from
California, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the Savannah River Plutonium Modernization
Program.

[[Page H4760]]

The construction and operation of the Savannah River Plutonium
Processing Facility poses significant environmental and safety risks.
These concerns necessitate a thorough reevaluation of the project's
potential impact on the environment and public health.
The project's strategic value should be critically assessed in the
context of current and future defense needs. Given the evolving
geopolitical landscape, alternative approaches to managing the
plutonium stockpile may be more effective and less costly.
There are more cost-effective and technologically feasible
alternatives to address the Nation's plutonium processing needs.
Investing in these alternatives could achieve the same strategic
objectives without the extensive costs and risks associated with the
Savannah River project.
Halting this project could bolster U.S. leadership in nuclear
nonproliferation efforts, demonstrating a commitment to reducing the
global nuclear threat.
It provides an opportunity to redirect efforts for its international
cooperation and nonproliferation initiatives. A pause in funding allows
for a reevaluation of the project's necessity and fiscal prudence,
ensuring taxpayer money is spent responsibly. Avoiding a sunk-cost
fallacy is essential. Continuing to pour money into a troubled project
does not make strategic or economic sense.
Ensuring national security does not necessitate continuing with
flawed and costly projects.
In conclusion, Mr. Chair, this amendment pauses nuclear projects to
address cost overruns and mismanagement. If we want responsible
development and smart spending, we must pause funding and reassess our
approach.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the
amendment.
The CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I thank our chairman, Chuck
Fleischmann, from Tennessee for his leadership.
Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, our Nation's strategic nuclear deterrence is perhaps the
best example of peace through strength. With the murderous invasion of
Ukraine by war criminal Putin and Russia's recent decision to transport
nuclear weapons to Belarus, and with nuclear submarines 60 miles from
the United States being in Cuba, which is obviously a threat to our
neighbors in Florida, the United States must be ready to face any
challenge if provoked.
Plutonium pit production modernization is one of the most critical
and pressing national security needs of the United States, which has
not had the ability to produce new pits since the 1990s. Employees of
the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, with employees from Georgia,
are working around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to bring
the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility to life, which will
produce the majority of our Nation's supply of plutonium pits online as
soon as possible.
As the only Member of Congress who has worked at the Savannah River
Site, I know firsthand the dedication and the competence of the
Savannah River Site employees, and I am very grateful that Chairman
Chuck Fleischmann visited the site recently and saw the world-class
facilities.

The bipartisan program began under the Trump administration and has
been rightfully continued under the Biden administration.
Further, Congress correctly rejected this same amendment during
consideration in last year's energy and water appropriations bill by a
wide margin of 116-303.
I am grateful to represent the site with my Democratic colleague, Jim
Clyburn; with my next-door neighbor, Rick Allen of Georgia; and another
next-door neighbor, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina.
Given the uncertainties regarding plutonium aging and the evolving
geopolitical landscape, a current war of dictators invading
democracies, the United States cannot postpone reestablishing this
critical capability.
Delaying the restoration of this capability could result in
significant cost increases and risk to national security. Further, the
Savannah River Site will take advantage of its nearly 75 years of
successfully manufacturing components for the nuclear weapons stockpile
as the right place to complete this mission.
Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), my neighbor.

{time} 1215

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for
yielding.
Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to amendment No. 11 offered by
Mr. Garamendi, which would prohibit funding for plutonium pit
production at the Savannah River Site.
Because of the policies of the current administration, this world is
more dangerous today than probably any time in recent history.
The Savannah River Site, also known as SRS, is a Department of Energy
site conducting important work to defend our national security. It
employs thousands of constituents in Georgia's 12th District.
Currently under construction at the Savannah River Site is the
Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility. When construction is
completed, this facility will produce at least 50 of the 80 new pits
per year required by the Department of Defense to sustain the United
States' nuclear weapons stockpile. It is called strength through peace
or peace through strength.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30
seconds to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chair, this shortsighted amendment would critically
threaten this urgent national security mission by prohibiting funding
for the Savannah River Plutonium Modernization Program, which funds
facility construction, workforce development, process design, and other
critical functions to ensure SRS can begin producing pits as quickly as
possible once the construction is complete.
The Savannah River Site is committed to nuclear modernization to
ensure America's nuclear deterrent is safe and reliable. To say
otherwise is simply false. This program is critical to our national
defense, and I urge a ``no'' vote on amendment No. 11.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman
from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan).
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I want to let John Garamendi know we are
thinking about him and praying for him.
This amendment threatens to weaken our Nation's defense capability by
preventing the critical production of plutonium pits at the Savannah
River Site.
Plutonium pits are a key component for nuclear weapons. Due to
factors including plutonium aging, safety and security advancements,
global risk, and weapons modernization, these pits need to be replaced
from time to time.
The United States has not had the ability to produce new pits in the
quantities required for the nuclear weapons stockpile since the
previous pit production facility at Rocky Flats, Colorado, was shut
down in the 1990s.
When construction is complete, the Savannah River Plutonium
Processing Facility will produce at least 50 of the 80 new pits per
year required by the Department of Defense to sustain the U.S. nuclear
weapons stockpile.
This amendment would prohibit funding for the Savannah River
Plutonium Modernization Program, which funds facility construction as
well as workforce development, process design, and other critical
functions so that SRS can begin producing pits as quickly as possible
once the construction is complete.
This bipartisan program has been supported by both the current and
former Presidential administrations. Similarly, this amendment was
soundly rejected during consideration of the fiscal year 2024 Energy-
Water Development appropriations bill.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

[[Page H4761]]

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of
my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).
The amendment was rejected.
The Chair understands that amendment No. 16 will not be offered.

Amendment No. 17 Offered by Mr. Griffith

The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 17 printed in
part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 33, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $8,750,000)''.
Page 39, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $8,750,000)''.

The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Griffith) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is just plain and simple
common sense. It addresses the importance of all types of research and
development funding at the Department of Energy--specifically, the
energy research conducted at the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon
Management.
In my ideal world, I would have virtual parity between renewable
energy and fuels and research on ways to reduce the environmental and
climate impacts of fossil fuels.
Any effective plan to counter climate change and handle increased
energy demand must take into account our Nation's vast supply of
natural resources and our talent for technological innovation.
China is projected to increase its emissions for the foreseeable
future and reportedly began construction in 2023 on coal units
equivalent to 70 gigawatts of power. This statistic doesn't take into
account the large number of coal-fired plants China is financing in
Africa and other countries with emerging economies.
Rural folks in India do not have access to reliable, baseload
electricity in their homes. India has begun using renewables, but to
lift the poorest citizens up, they will have to increase their use of
fossil fuels, like the particularly low-grade coal mined in their
country.
In the developing world, more energy means more hope and less
poverty. More hope and less poverty is a good thing. We really take it
for granted in this country when we cut the lights on that we will have
lights that turn on. We take that comfort for granted.
I don't blame folks in developing countries for using fossil fuels.
Leaders in those countries would have a difficult case to make to
choose to condemn their people to poverty because of a lack of energy.
We know that much of the world will continue to use fossil fuels for
decades to come, and that is why the United States needs to be a leader
in finding new ways to control emissions with carbon capture and better
ways to control pollutants.
That is why DOE funding for fossil and renewable research is so
important. We need to produce and export better, cleaner, more
efficient energy technology.
DOE plays an important role in this R&D, but it can do more for
fossil energy. Over the years, this research has borne some fruit,
including projects, some at Virginia Tech and some at a company called
MOVA in Pulaski County in my district, where researchers have been able
to create more advanced filtration systems to be used on smokestacks of
all varieties to take out pollutants.
In the past few fiscal years, the spread between the renewable energy
research account and the fossil energy office has really gotten off
kilter. In the underlying bill, $1.966 billion is appropriated for
energy and efficiency and renewable energy while $857 million is
appropriated for fossil energy.
I applaud Congressman Fleischmann for really closing that spread from
the last fiscal year and working toward an increased focus on the
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
I am advocating with this amendment that we shouldn't ignore our
fossil fuel and carbon mitigation research. My amendment increases the
fossil energy and carbon mitigation account by $8.75 million, or 1
percent, with an offset from the departmental expenses account.
I am not against renewable energy. I just believe we shouldn't put
most of our eggs into one basket.
To meet expanding energy demand, a comprehensive, all-of-the-above
energy policy must include robust funding for R&D at the Federal level.
These funds will continue to shorten the timeline to really make clean
energy and carbon mitigation technologies available for commercial use.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support an all-of-the-above
energy policy and, more importantly, an all-of-the-above research
policy at DOE, and I ask them to vote in favor of this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 18 Offered by Ms. Hageman

The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Jackson of Texas). It is now in order to
consider amendment No. 18 printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap
published by the Department of Energy and dated September
2022 (DOE/EE-2635).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment,
amendment No. 18 to H.R. 8997, which prohibits funds from the
Department of Energy's implementation of its proposed Industrial
Decarbonization roadmap.
The Industrial Decarbonization roadmap radically reforms four
different categories of CO<inf>2</inf> emitters in the residential,
commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors.
We have seen this administration target residential carbon emissions
by going after everything that works in your home, from gas stoves to
washers and dryers to water heaters. Additionally, we have seen this
administration go after the transportation sector through tailpipe
emission requirements, fuel efficiency standards, and propping up the
electric vehicle industry.
The Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap specifically targets a few key
industries that significantly contribute to the stability of our
Nation's economy and supply chain--namely, the petroleum refining,
chemicals, iron and steel, cement, and food and beverage industries.
This so-called roadmap actually recommends the use of less efficient
energy sources, including so-called clean energy to ultimately replace
the use of affordable and reliable energy resources. This roadmap is
anti-energy independence and in favor of forced transition away from
fossil fuels.
According to the Department of Energy, this initiative is ``critical
to equity goals, specifically the administration's Justice 40
initiative.'' However, there is nothing just about forcing millions of
Americans into energy poverty.
For those of my colleagues who may support this roadmap, remember
that it is your fellow Americans who pay for it.
One of the goals mentioned in the roadmap is to ``prepare the
existing 11.4 million American manufacturing workers and future
workforce for the clean energy transition.''
Mr. Chairman, I can tell you this administration is not concerned
about our workers. I recently met with coal miners in Wyoming whose
livelihoods have been threatened by a recent BLM action. I asked OSMRE
and the BLM in a recent hearing what their plans were to mitigate for
the tens of thousands of job losses that will result from this
regulation, and they couldn't answer.

[[Page H4762]]

As the sole Representative of a State whose legacy industries have
been undermined by the Federal Government in the name of this so-called
transition, I voice my strong opposition to this roadmap.
Mr. Chair, I urge passage of my amendment, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, first, let me say that I rise in strong
opposition to this amendment, but I understand the gentlewoman's desire
to protect the jobs of people in the State that she is sworn to
represent. I respect that very much.
Southern Ohio has had a lot of transition in the energy industry, and
we understand what it means when you lose jobs. We have a fossil fuel
energy research lab in the State of Pennsylvania that actually is
looking at products like coal and seeing if, in fact, there aren't rare
earths in there that are worth more per ton than traditional mining. I
just mention that.
I sadly have to rise in opposition to her amendment because it would
essentially prohibit funds to implement the Industrial Decarbonization
Roadmap published by the Department of Energy in fiscal year 2022. The
purpose of the roadmap is to develop a strategic approach to
decarbonizing the Nation's industrial sector.
I come from a major industrial area. I can't tell you how many
funerals I have been to, including my own brother's, of people who
worked in industry. His situation was as a mechanic on heavy duty
equipment, garbage trucks, fire trucks, and police cars, working in
garages where the people ingested the fumes.
George Tucker, who was the head of our Local 7 unit in that garage,
had a double cancer. He suffered for almost two decades.
Believe me, these are horrendous illnesses that come from working in
unsafe conditions.
The purpose of the roadmap is to develop a strategic approach to
decarbonizing the Nation's industrial sector, which we need, while
simultaneously creating good-paying jobs for American workers, spurring
economic growth, developing U.S. leadership in new technologies, and
creating a cleaner, more equitable future for all Americans.
For a number of our mechanics, whether they are repairing airplanes
or whether they are working in extractive industries, the conditions
that they work under are really tragic.
One of the interesting things to look at is, in the different States
that we live in, if you look at the occupational safety and health
bills that come in the form of healthcare, the money that it costs to
take care of sick people who have had to work in these industries, that
is not our job in this account, but I can guarantee you, we hemorrhage
money because of the illnesses of people across this country.
This roadmap focused on proven steps for energy technology
innovation, advancing early stage research and development, investing
in multiple industrial process strategies, scaling through
demonstrations, and integrating solutions from that.
Particularly with what is happening to air quality because of the
climate crisis, our efforts are even more needed to make the industrial
sector more efficient, to position it to be a global leader in
innovation as well as clean air and clean circumstances that people
work in and to be competitive in the future global clean energy
economy.

{time} 1230

We really are transitioning to a different world. It will be a
healthier one. I really don't want to go back to the 20th century and
what these individuals and their families have had to live through. It
is really ugly.
While it is clear that we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy
that taps domestic oil and gas and invests in clean energy, we must
also continue to promote energy innovation in all sectors of our
economy. It is just intelligent. It is just a wise thing to do for the
country.
The transition will be difficult, and we know that, because people
lose jobs and technologies go out of date, but some that come on are
just ingenious. America is a country of invention, and I believe that
we will work our way forward in this new challenge to decarbonize our
Nation's industrial sector, create good-paying jobs, spur economic
growth, create a cleaner future for all Americans, and lead the world
in these new technologies.
I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, the Biden-Harris administration hasn't been
shy about its distaste for American workers who provide affordable and
reliable energy to the rest of the country. This administration cares
more about filling the pockets of OPEC, Venezuela, and Iran than it
does about energy independence, energy affordability, and energy
reliability.
The main component of the roadmap is a transition to what they refer
to as no-carbon fuels. Not only is such a goal ludicrous and
infeasible, but Americans see through these claims. The reality is that
this so-called no-carbon fuels receive four times more in subsidies and
yet produce only one-fifth of the energy. They are simply unreliable
and unaffordable, even with the ridiculous amount of taxpayer money
being thrown at them.
This so-called clean energy is completely propped up by the Federal
Government. Figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration
show that renewables received at least $15.6 billion in subsidies
during fiscal year 2022. Ironically, the second largest recipients of
subsidies, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration are
low-income families, who are struggling to pay their utility bills
under this administration.
Why are they struggling? They are struggling because of rising energy
prices and rising utility rates that come as the result of forcing this
so-called transition--forced energy poverty by an out-of-touch Biden-
Harris administration.
We cannot afford to pursue these failed energy policies imposed upon
us by this radical administration. I ask my colleagues to join me in
defunding the Department of Energy's implementation of its proposed
Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Moran). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 19 Offered by Ms. Houlahan

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 19
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $150,000,000) (increased by $150,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan) and a Member opposed each will control
5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.
Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, today I rise to urge my colleagues to
support my bipartisan amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations
Act.
My amendment seeks a commonsense approach to a pressing issue that
impacts not only our energy and national security but also the daily
lives of millions of Americans, including my constituents, who have
struggled with power reliability issues in the wake of increased
extreme weather events. Notably, my bipartisan amendment urges the
Department of Energy to address domestic shortages of electrical
transformers using the existing authorities of the Defense Production
Act.
Large power transformers and distribution transformers are the
backbone of our Nation's electrical grid. They ensure that power is
delivered to homes, businesses, and essential services across our
country. Here is the problem: Right now we are facing a significant
shortage of these critical pieces of infrastructure due to supply chain
challenges. This leaves our grid vulnerable to disruptions, whether
from natural disasters or cyberattacks or extreme weather. It also
leaves us

[[Page H4763]]

dependent on other countries, including our foreign adversaries like
China, for these key components. This means that both our energy and
our national security are at risk.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, which I am very proud to represent, we
have experienced significant electricity reliability issues following
extreme weather events. Indeed, just this past week, severe storms
caused very prolonged power outages in our community, impacting
families, businesses, and essential services like hospitals and
emergency response units. In addition, more than 130,000 Pennsylvanians
were without power during those heat advisories, some for days and days
on end. These outages have highlighted the fragility of our current
grid infrastructure, and they underscore the current need to bolster
our critical energy supply chains.
My district is not alone in these struggles. Indeed, across the
Nation, we have seen the impacts of power outages and grid failures as
they become more frequent. They disrupt communities, hinder economic
activity, and have even claimed lives. Swiftly addressing the shortage
of transformers is about protecting our communities, our economy, our
national security, and our American way of life.
Luckily, we have the tools to address this issue. There are existing
authorities within the Defense Production Act that could be leveraged
to bolster domestic manufacturing to supply and repair transformers and
ensure that our grid remains resilient and reliable. In fact, in 2022,
President Biden granted the authority to utilize the Defense Production
Act to accelerate domestic production of transformers and electric grid
components.
In addition, I was proud to vote in favor of the Inflation Reduction
Act, which also included $500 million in funding for the DPA, or
Defense Production Act, much of which is still available to bolster
these critical supply chains and should be rapidly deployed. This
amendment showcases the strong bipartisan support for the Department of
Energy to utilize these existing authorities and existing funding for
this purpose.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Climate Solution Caucus, I have worked
tirelessly with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure our
energy infrastructure and to combat climate change. This amendment is a
testament to that shared commitment to these goals. I thank my co-
chair, Representative Andrew Garbarino, and caucus members Jack
Bergman and Don Bacon, and Congresswoman Kim Schrier for their
support on this amendment. By addressing the shortage of transformers,
we are not only enhancing our Nation's energy security but also
advancing our efforts to build a more resilient energy system that
serves all of the American people.
In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment
to help bolster our grid, to protect families and communities, and to
ensure a reliable power supply for all Americans.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Jackson of Texas

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 20
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used by the National Nuclear Security Administration to
halt the construction of a High Explosive Synthesis,
Formulation, and Production facility at the Pantex Plant near
Amarillo, Texas.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Jackson) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, Amarillo, Texas, is home to the
Pantex plant, our Nation's only nuclear weapons assembly and
disassembly facility.
The saying within the nuclear enterprise is ``all roads lead to
Pantex'' because this facility in my district is a mandatory stop for
every single nuclear weapon within our Navy and Air Force that provides
continuous global strategic deterrence.
Despite the critical importance of Pantex, the Biden-Harris
administration tried to cancel a key modernization project at the site,
the High Explosive Synthesis, Formulation, and Production facility.
However, Congress successfully rejected that proposed cut and restored
funding for the project in March to help keep it on track.
Well, here we go again. The FY25 budget request once again seeks to
pause this important project and provide zero funding for the High
Explosive Synthesis, Formulation, and Production facility.
While the underlying bill provides some funding for the project, I
believe that we need to take steps to ensure the Department of Energy
cannot stop this vital project. That is exactly what my amendment does.
It prohibits the administration from halting construction of the much-
needed High Explosive Synthesis, Formulation, and Production facility
at Pantex.
This major construction project will enhance our nuclear deterrence
capability by allowing the National Nuclear Security Administration to
modernize and scale its high-explosive production capabilities to meet
the pressing and urgent stockpile requirements.
Right now, Pantex relies on a single, external vendor for large-scale
synthesis, formulation, and blending for high-explosive products and,
unfortunately, we have seen significant issues with that vendor,
including lack of prioritization and late deliveries.
As it stands right now, this reality presents a single point of
failure in the nuclear enterprise that could bring our nuclear weapons
production to a grinding halt if anything goes wrong.
Once this project is complete, NNSA will be able to meet all long-
term high-explosive material needs for the weapons stockpile while
successfully mitigating nearly all risks associated with production.
The new facility will improve the control systems for formulation and
allow for higher confidence in repeatability between batches, something
that is incredibly important when you are talking about high explosives
combined with nuclear weapons.
Most importantly, I repeat that this will eliminate a single point of
failure in our nuclear weapons supply chain that currently exists. We
can no longer afford to delay investments in the Pantex plant and the
nuclear enterprise. The world is in a dangerous place with constant
global threats from China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, nonstate actors,
and more, and our nuclear deterrent is quite possibly the most
important tool in our arsenal.
Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to support my amendment to prohibit the
administration from halting construction on this critical modernization
initiative. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment because
it would prohibit the National Nuclear Security Administration from
halting construction on the HE Synthesis, Formulation and Production
facility at the Pantex plant in Texas.
The FY25 bill does provide $20 million to proceed with activities, so
there is funding in the bill. I would ask the gentleman to go back and
look and see if that doesn't at least move the project forward. I have
long been a champion of ensuring that our country maintains a safe,
secure, and credible nuclear deterrent while also addressing the threat
of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. We have to do both.
However, as I have said, I continue to be troubled by the
unsustainable spending in the Department of Energy's weapons program.
The National Nuclear Security Administration needs to improve its
program and project management given that more than half of its
projects are over cost or behind schedule. I am going to repeat that.
Over half of its projects are over cost or behind schedule. There is a
problem there. Pantex isn't a complete victim because there is money in
the bill for

[[Page H4764]]

the facility. However, they have a problem over there, and they need to
figure out what can be done to move these programs forward more
quickly.
Importantly, we must also face the realities of defense funding gaps.
I am on the Defense Subcommittee, as well. We have to begin making
important decisions to prioritize within these programs. As one step in
the prioritization process, the National Nuclear Security
Administration proposed pausing construction of this facility to focus
resources on higher priority items, which we have asked them to do,
necessary for nuclear weapons modernization efforts.
I would say to the gentleman, one of the things he might want to
consider is to talk to some of the folks here who promote these weapons
systems, but then the NNSA can't build them fast enough, so we have to
be disciplined in the guidance that we give them.
Only through strategic prioritization can the programs achieve
success in meeting the needs of stockpile requirements and maintaining
our Nation's nuclear deterrent. We should not prohibit the NNSA from
pausing certain activities, especially since those issues will be
resolved through conferencing funding levels.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.

{time} 1245

Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentlewoman from
Ohio's comments, and I understand that the government does spend too
much money. I am also interested in looking for ways we can stop
useless or wasteful spending.
However, I will say that you are right that the money is in the bill
for this particular project. I also agree with you that I don't want to
take the autonomy away from all of these departments. I think they
should have some autonomy to do what they need to with their budget and
with their money.
However, I feel strongly about this because, as I mentioned, this is
a single point of failure in our nuclear supply chain. I have spent
lots of time at Pantex talking to them about the consequences of this,
some of the problems with the single-source vendor that we currently
have.
I feel like this is important enough that we need an insurance policy
in the form of this amendment to make sure that this money that is
currently in the bill does not get taken out and used for any other
process.
I would be interested in looking at other areas to save money, but I
don't think this is the particular area that is in our best interest,
from a national security standpoint, to save that money.
Mr. Chair, I appreciate the comments of the gentlewoman, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jackson).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 22 will
not be offered.

Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mrs. Luna

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 23
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement or enforce Corps of Engineers memorandum
CERE-AP, issued by the South Atlantic division on July 9,
1996, relating to ``Approval of Perpetual Beach Storm Damage
Reduction Easement as a Standard Estate''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1316, the gentlewoman
from Florida (Mrs. Luna) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, the Army Corps has halted beach renourishment projects in
Florida due to their perpetual public access easement policy.
This is now affecting more than nine counties in Florida where the
Corps has refused to renourish our beaches without stripping property
rights from every homeowner, which is an unattainable requirement.
The Corps has renourished Florida beaches for the past two decades,
using temporary construction easements to proceed with beach
renourishment. The Corps is now going back to enforcing this new
policy, purportedly from 1996 but not enforced for the past two
decades.
They refuse to address the threat of shore erosion while we continue
to watch our beaches disappear before our eyes. We have endangered
species on that beach area, as well.
Numerous members of the Florida delegation have reached out to
Assistant Secretary Connor at the Corps to resolve this issue. The
unelected bureaucrats at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have a
different agenda. They have been stonewalling us every step of the way
and have neither followed up nor even gone through proceeding with
scheduled beach renourishment projects where we are in dire need due to
damages from recent hurricanes.
If the Army Corps does not do this, our beaches will continue to
dissipate and our homes will be susceptible to destruction. The truth
is that the Army Corps did not acquire perpetual easements before, and
they do not need them now. The responsibility for the inevitable
degradation of Florida's beaches, marine life, and economy will rest
entirely on the Army Corps of Engineers.
Mr. Chair, I had another amendment that I had submitted in regard to
this that would have required the Army Corps to provide the Committees
on Appropriations in the House and Senate a report on the authorized
hurricane and storm damage risk reduction projects impacted by
hurricanes and other natural disasters over the last several years.
Unfortunately, this was not made in order.
I do not know who the Army Corps is working for, but it is clear that
they do not work for the American people. The amendment puts the Army
Corps on notice for their shameful neglect of Floridians and forces
them to work on restoring our beaches.
Again, we have some of the most endangered sea turtles that are
nesting in our area. As a result of this habitat destruction, I am
concerned that it is actually going to permanently impact our sea
turtle population for the entire world.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment, and I
have some sense of what is happening in Florida. I live along the Great
Lakes, and I see what is happening with our shorelines and the changing
climate conditions that are impacting life.
This amendment would prohibit funds for the Army Corps of Engineers
to implement or enforce guidance from 1996 called approval of perpetual
beach storm damage reduction easement, underline the word ``easement,''
as a standard estate.
What that means is if the government is going to be involved, a
private owner has to give them permission to have this easement, to go
in and do work. That has to be really hard in Florida because of what
is happening along all of your coasts.
While this might sound like a lot of jargon, it is actually an
attempt to have some areas of the country treated differently than
other areas.
Beach renourishment is an important function. The Army Corps of
Engineers plays a major role in that, and it includes the adding of
sediment onto or directly adjacent to an eroding beach. The Army Corps
of Engineers generally requires that real estate easements are granted
when performing work, which makes sense because taxpayers are footing
the bill for these improvements that the Corps installs.
Further, it seems particularly of interest to taxpayers that if our
taxpayer dollars are improving private property, then there should be
an easement provided. In this case, that wasn't required in the past,
but the Army Corps of Engineers realized it wasn't following standard
procedures and decided to implement that going forward.
I also realize that a sudden change in policy can have impacts on
local communities. I support efforts to ensure

[[Page H4765]]

that there is adequate time to plan for and adjust to changes in
policy. I expect that the final Water Resources Development Act, which
is not our job, will address this issue in a way that reduces the
negative impacts on local communities while ensuring consistency in
implementing the laws and regulations of this country, especially when
it comes to projects funded with taxpayer dollars.
However, this amendment is not that balanced approach. This matter
should be addressed by the appropriate authorizing committee.
For these reasons, I cannot support this amendment, and I urge my
colleagues to vote against it, though I can certainly share the
gentlewoman's concern about what is happening on all Florida coasts.
The ecosystem is changing greatly, and we are going to have to, as a
country, figure out how to handle our coasts.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chair, I want to put out there that we have been
working on this for a number of years, not to mention my predecessors,
both Democratic and Republican, have also attempted to work on this
only to really be stonewalled by the Army Corps. To have them not even
respond to Members of Congress isn't going to fix the issue any time
soon.

Mr. Chair, I point out that while we are legislating here in
Washington, people are actually losing their homes. To demand that a
property owner give up their own property rights so that the Army Corps
can go and restore habitat for endangered species and then point to a
policy that they haven't enforced--not to mention when we have asked
for actual documentation of internal communications, they sent us
redacted information because they didn't want us to know about the
internal communications that they were having.
I do think that it is political. I had a bipartisan delegation come
up from my home. Mayors and local community leaders met with the Biden
White House. They said this needs to be fixed, and we will help you. Do
you know what? Nothing happened.
I hope that people consider supporting this. I am also concerned
about taxpayer dollars, but I see our taxpayer dollars going to support
basket-weaving projects in parts of the world that we don't even have
an invested interest in. Frankly, when it comes down to it, I think
this is a way better use. Not to mention, we also have a military
purpose and focus in the State of Florida, and I think this benefits
everyone net positive.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 25 Offered by Mr. McCormick

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 25
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the spending reduction
account), insert the following:
Sec. ___. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to close the Toto Creek, Bolding Mill, Duckett Mill,
Old Federal, Van Pugh South Campground, Sawnee, or Bald Ridge
Creek campgrounds located at Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. McCormick) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Chair, I rise and offer my amendment No. 25 to
H.R. 8997, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2025.
My amendment No. 25 prevents the Army Corps of Engineers from closing
parks and campgrounds around Lake Lanier. My amendment would ensure
these campgrounds are open for my constituents and for people all
across the country to enjoy the outdoors in Georgia's Sixth District.
Lake Lanier is the most visited lake of the 464 federally operated
lakes in the United States, with well over 10 million visitors from all
over the country annually. The Army Corps of Engineers operates the
lake and the campgrounds and parks surrounding it.
Over the past year, the Corps suggested they may close some of the
campgrounds and parks around the lake, citing a lack of appropriations
needed for maintenance. Congress provided $58.2 billion for the Army
Corps of Engineers for fiscal year `24. That amount was $11.1 billion
more than fiscal year `23, an almost 20 percent increase in Federal
funding. The Corps has expressed that these appropriations are not
enough.
Still, Lake Lanier Army Corps of Engineers leadership took the
initiative and started a partnership with many localities in my
district to share maintenance, upkeep, and operations activities, which
should also ensure that these facilities remain open.
I am excited about this new partnership and hope that the Army Corps
continues to rely on local partnerships while ensuring sufficient funds
are allocated to the most visited lake in the United States. The more
local control, the better.
In today's day and age, when people are hooked on their cell phones
and electronics, it is more important than ever to ensure that the
families of Georgia-06 and Americans across the country have access to
all the beauty Lake Lanier has to offer. These parks must remain open
to the benefit of all.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's
amendment because it prohibits funds provided by this act from closing
campgrounds or parks operated by the Army Corps of Engineers located at
or around Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia.
I can certainly understand the strong interest in preventing the
Corps from closing campgrounds and parks in a particular area. I am
trying to think if we have any around me. I don't think so. I probably
should get them to do some in our area.
The Army Corps of Engineers is one of the Nation's leading Federal
providers of outdoor recreation, so you indeed are fortunate. Its
recreation sites receive 262 million visitors each year and include
more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 States.
Unfortunately, the Army Corps of Engineers recreation funding has
been--guess what?--declining in recent years. We know they have to make
decisions.
I support the notion that we do not want the Corps to begin closing
recreation sites due to lack of funding. However, this is an issue that
affects hundreds of sites across dozens of States.
As I said, personally, I don't have a dog in the fight. I do not
believe we should begin the practice of using funding prohibitions to
carve out special designations but instead should urge and will urge
the Corps to develop a comprehensive and fair solution to address the
challenge of funding the Corps recreation sites.
For this reason, I oppose the amendment at this time, but I look
forward to working with the gentleman and my colleagues to develop a
solution to the larger problem. Hopefully, through that, the
gentleman's site could be benefited.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Chair, I reiterate, my colleague talked about
diminishing funds. The funding has increased almost 20 percent, $11.1
billion more. We didn't close it last year, and we had the same
amendment last year because they said the same threat.
I think it is important that we provide these facilities when we are
talking about $58 billion to keep the parks open. When we talk about
something that is good for everybody, it doesn't matter if you are a
Democrat or Republican, it is something that can be and should be done.
We have actually partnered with local facilities to make sure this
happens even through private funding. Why wouldn't we put in a specific
thing for the most visited lake in the United States? Ten million
visitors annually benefit all districts. It doesn't matter where you
are from. I highly encourage

[[Page H4766]]

my peers and humbly ask my colleagues to support my amendment No. 25.
Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time.

{time} 1300

The Acting CHAIR (Ms. Malliotakis). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. McCormick).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 35 Offered by Mr. Ogles

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 35
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, as the designee of Mr. Norman of South
Carolina, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to consider the social cost of greenhouse gases in
the development and implementation of a budget for a Federal
agency, in any Federal procurement processes, or when
preparing an environmental review pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 43217 et seq.).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, this amendment prohibits the use of funds to
consider the social cost of greenhouse gases in the development and
implementation of budgets, Federal procurement processes, and
environmental reviews.
President Biden is directing agencies to consider the social cost of
greenhouse gases in the development and implementation of budgets, the
Federal procurement process, and environmental reviews.
Progressive Democrats use these social costs of greenhouse gas
metrics to justify sweeping climate policies and stringent regulations
that drive up costs. However, the social cost of greenhouse gases is an
extremely inefficient policymaking tool. Estimates are based on very
questionable, flawed, and uncertain assumptions, and the Biden
administration refuses to share any details on how they come up with
these numbers.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this
amendment which would prohibit the use of funds for the consideration
of the social cost of greenhouse gases in the development and
implementation of budgets, Federal procurement processes, and
environmental reviews.
As I have said, it is undeniable that we are witnessing growing
weather events stemming from climate change occurring in real time
before our very eyes. During 2023, there were 28 separate billion-
dollar weather events and climate disasters, costing over $92 billion.
There have already been 15 confirmed billion-dollar weather and climate
disasters so far this year. In fact, I am sure the gentleman can check
with his constituents, but people's home insurance is going up, and
there are many places in the country where insurance is no longer
offered. The cost of what is happening is rising.
We do not have the luxury to pretend that climate change isn't
impacting us or that our actions aren't causing it. We need to
understand what is happening to people across this Nation. We just
heard from a Member from Florida in terms of requesting funding for
beach replenishment in a place where the water is rising and sloshing
over the edges of Florida on all coasts.
Tell American citizens who have lost businesses, homes, and loved
ones or have lived in structures that have collapsed or disappeared
from hurricanes, wildfires, and other recent natural disasters, that
there are no costs from climate change. That is wrong.
It is already past time for aggressive action to address climate
change and its impacts. It is critical for us to analyze and account
for the potential impacts of government actions on the climate, and it
is just as important to use that information for positive actions to
help heal.
The truth is that climate change is having catastrophic social and
economic impacts here and across the globe, and they are real.
Pretending that climate change doesn't exist won't make it go away.
Madam Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this
harmful amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I certainly appreciate my colleagues'
sentiments, but I think the key here is analysis and the metrics, or
the lack thereof, on some of these policies and regulations.
As we assign metrics that can't be quantified to policies and
regulations, driving up costs to industry, that is passed to the
consumer. As you have more people moving into zones that are prone to
tornadoes or hurricanes, you are going to see more incidents, you are
going to see more destruction, and you are going to see more costs.
Those folks move there knowing that that is the cost-benefit analysis
of it.
What I would say is that the current metrics are insufficient. They
drive up costs. It is at a time when we have ballooning budgets and at
a time when our border is wide open. These are the things that we need
to be discussing, not metrics for gases that can't be quantified.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 36 Offered by Mr. Ogles

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 36
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, as the designee of Mr. Norman of South
Carolina, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the American Climate Corps.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, this amendment would prohibit funding for the
American Climate Corps that the Biden administration established
through an executive order last year.
When you understand that we have the power of the purse and that we
are the body that is supposed to authorize and appropriate on that
executive order alone, this should be dismantled.
The Biden administration describes the American Climate Corps as a
workforce training and service initiative for careers in the clean
energy and climate reliance economy. As part of the administration's
Justice40 goal, the corps will focus on equity and environmental
justice.
This cost is around $30 billion. Madam Chair, I just want to
emphasize that we have a border that is overrun. We have deficits that
are out of control. Inflation is at an all-time high.
People in our country are struggling, and when I see a line item for
equity and environmental justice, I am appalled, just as my
constituents are and should be.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment which
prohibits funding for the American Climate Corps.
I have long been a champion of engaging young people in the climate
corps to teach practical skills, to get them out of their narrow
worlds, and to provide more open opportunities as happened many years
ago with the Works Progress Administration.
The whole intent of the climate corps is to create capable people and
give

[[Page H4767]]

them skills to move into ultimately middle-class jobs focused on
weatherizing homes in this country, installing solar and other energy
infrastructure. Hopefully, we will get some mechanical engineers out of
that and some water engineers, hydraulic engineers. To mitigate coastal
erosion, maybe we will get some Army Corps of Engineers enlistees. To
prevent fires and flooding--you can't go out West and not have an
energy company tell you that they are short on people who can climb the
poles and try to make repairs after the wildfires out there.
The Coast Guard needs individuals to enlist. We also need people to
construct and maintain public trails and more, all these wonderful
metro parks we have and national parks. This will be a great experience
for America's young adults.
From the West to the Great Plains to the coasts and the Great Lakes,
we are witnessing the wreckage brought about by a changing climate
whose ferocity knows no bounds.
We just heard from a Member from Florida about beach replenishment.
How about putting some of these folks that would be in the climate
corps to participate in that effort, if it can be funded.
Our success in tackling climate change will require bold, innovative
strategies commensurate with the scope of the threats we have and the
younger generation coming up behind us to provide that opportunity for
them to gain the skills.
Last year, President Biden announced the American Climate Corps to
train a band of young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the
clean energy economy.
The programs will give a new generation of Americans the skills
necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality
employment opportunities after they complete their training or service
program.
We must continue to invest in the American workforce of the future.
What a wonderful way to give the young people who would be moving
forward in this an opportunity to help repair and build forward their
Nation.
Madam Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I look forward to working with my colleague
on how to get the next generation to engage in the workforce. As we see
and as she mentioned, we have a shortage of workers in the oilfields.
We need people to climb poles, drill for oil, and be captains of ships
for the Coast Guard. Teaching them environmental justice isn't what she
is talking about.
We need workers to roll up their sleeves and buy into the American
Dream of building a life for the future in America. It is not solar
panels. It is the oil and gas beneath our feet. We have got to stop
pushing the progressive Democrat agenda, which is pulling us away from
the very thing that is part of our national security, which is fossil
fuels.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 37 Offered by Mr. Ogles

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 37
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, as the designee of Mr. Norman of South
Carolina, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be made available to the Interagency Working Group on the
Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, this amendment would prohibit funds from
being used by the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of
Greenhouse Gases.
The Interagency Working Group was originally convened by the Obama
administration before being disbanded by the Trump administration and
reimposed through President Biden's radical climate Executive Order No.
13990.
Progressive Democrats use the social cost of greenhouse gases metrics
to justify sweeping climate policies, strict regulations, and like I
have said before, it does nothing but drive up costs for the American
consumer.
As I have explained, President Biden began directing agencies to
consider the social cost of greenhouse gases in the development and
implementation of budgets, Federal procurements, and environmental
reviews. At a time when we have to get down to the dollars and cents,
where we have to be cutting budgets, where we have to be saving
dollars, metrics that can't be quantified are not acceptable.
These costs are hard to explain. They are hard to measure. They are
not reliable.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.

{time} 1315

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, this amendment would prohibit funds for the
Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases.
I don't know where the gentleman lives, but I live in an area where
we have very ozone-heavy industrial zones. We have major neighborhoods
that are oxygen short. We have areas where methane belches out of old
landfills and dumps. We are not the only place in America that has
these places, and this amendment would prohibit funds for the
Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases.
We are involved in a big tree planting project in our area right now,
10,000 trees to try to replace the old ones that are over 100 years old
and try to bring oxygen into oxygen-short areas.
It is very clear that in urban areas coast to coast, there are places
that are not healthy to live, and I don't think the countryside should
be a dumping ground for waste from industry or any other place, but
that has happened in many States in our Union.
The work that is being done by the department is crucial to making
sure that the government accounts for the potential impacts of
government actions on climate.
I have to say this, and it doesn't relate to gases, but back in the
eighties we ruined the freshwater lake of Erie, and we have been
cleaning it up ever since. What happened?
The Clean Water Act was passed, and you couldn't dump DDT into the
water anymore. We had only two bald eagles left on Lake Erie. Today, we
have given rebirth to the American bald eagle population, and they have
even flown over to Cleveland and are multiplying now over there.
So we have seen the results of stupidity and ignorance in the past,
and we don't intend to be ignorant in the 21st century.
It is critical to analyze and account for the potential impacts of
private as well as governmental actions on climate, and it is important
to use that information to better ourselves. I wish we had an answer in
the Great Lakes right now for dissolved reactive phosphorus. We don't.
However, if we are not smart, the greatest freshwater legacy in the
world will be ruined for humanity, and that is not acceptable.
There is an old expression: Don't try to fool Mother Nature. I say:
Don't ignore Mother Nature when she is telling you something is going
wrong.
Mr. Chair, this is one such moment in American history. We can't
pretend that the impact of human activity on planet Earth is
negligible. There are billions of us now, and there is a draw on Mother
Earth, and we have to understand her and hear her.
We must robustly meet the needs of the future and not flounder in the
past.

[[Page H4768]]

Madam Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this
harmful amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, as an Eagle Scout, I truly want to see our
community become and be a better place. As someone who lives in a rural
area, I am passionate about our rural communities and seeing a better
and vibrant rural America.
However, the mistakes of the past don't justify passing regulations
that destroy American energy, destroy American industry, and that make
it cost prohibitive for R&D to take place so that we do produce cleaner
energy and so we do produce chemicals or precious metals in a cleaner
and more efficient way for the American consumer. Nonetheless, this
working group is designed to undermine American industry.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise as the designee of the gentlewoman
from Connecticut, and I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Chu).
Ms. CHU. Madam Chair, as written, this partisan Energy and Water
appropriations bill undermines the very programs and principles it
purports to uphold. This bill will cut over 5 percent of nondefense
spending compared to enacted levels, raising prices and making us less
prepared to respond to the growing threat of the climate crisis and
related natural disasters.
By slashing the Department of Energy's efficiency and renewable
energy programs, Republicans will increase families' energy costs. By
reducing the Department of Energy's loans programs by a whopping $8
billion, Republicans will be killing good-paying jobs, and our capacity
to confront the climate crisis will be further hindered. By cutting the
weatherization assistance program and prohibiting funding for the
Department of Energy's Justice40 Initiative, low-income households will
see higher home energy bills.
However, this bill goes beyond just harmful energy policies. House
Republicans have made it their mission to insert divisive harmful
riders in every single appropriations bill this year, and this one is
no different. To name just a few, this bill contains provisions that
would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from renaming items
commemorating the Confederacy and its glorification of enslavement,
prohibit funding of executive orders aimed at advancing racial equity,
and it would allow for firearms on public lands.
The Democratic motion to recommit will strike another provision in
this bill that would allow discrimination against same-sex couples. At
every turn, House Republicans are finding creative ways to entrench
homophobia and other forms of discrimination in what should be
bipartisan, good-faith funding bills. Rather than equip our country and
our constituents with the tools needed to fight existential battles
like climate change, House Republicans are committing to sending an
anti-equality message that hate should win. House Democrats and I will
not stand for this.
For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to
recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I
would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.
My amendment would strike the provisions in this bill that would
allow for discrimination to same-sex couples, and that would ban the
use of Pride flags at facilities.
Madam Chair, I include in the Record the text of the amendment.
Ms. Chu moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8997 to the
Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment:
Strike section 507.

Ms. CHU. Madam Chair, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for
the motion to recommit.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Amendment No. 38 Offered by Mr. Ogles

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 38
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I rise as the designee for the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Norman), and I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be made available to the Department of Energy Office of
Science's Office of Scientific Workforce Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, this amendment would prohibit funding for
policies that advance the Biden administration's radical DEI agenda.
Specifically, this amendment would prohibit the use of funds for the
Department of Energy's Office of Scientific Workforce Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion.
This office's mission is to promote diverse, equitable, and inclusive
workplaces.
Now even science must bow to equity and inclusion. Science should be
rooted in fact and research, not wokeism.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. This amendment prohibits the use of funds for the
Department of Energy's Office of Science's Scientific Workforce
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
This bill already includes harmful riders that show Republicans are
not interested in bills that can gain bipartisan support and become
law.
The underlying bill includes a provision that prohibits funds related
to advancing racial equity and supporting underserved communities--I
represent some of those--and related to diversity, equity, and
inclusion and accessibility in the Federal workforce.
In addition, the bill includes a provision that prohibits any
activities related to critical race theory that, as we heard during
markups last year, none of my Republican colleagues could even define.
How many times do my Republican colleagues need to emphasize that
they do not like diversity, equity, and inclusion?
I would encourage my friend to go to a website and look up Admiral
William McRaven's wonderful, wonderful, speech to a graduating class of
the Naval Academy called ``Make Your Bed.'' What was interesting about
it is that as a former SEAL, he talked about who actually in his SEAL
training were the guys who actually won?
They were the guys who weren't the tallest, and they weren't the
biggest, but they were a squad of sort of people who weren't as tall,
they weren't as big, but their fierce spirit drove them to victory. I
would urge the gentleman to look at that film, and then come back and
consider whether he should ever offer an amendment like this again.
I really do not understand why these provisions are necessary on an
Energy and Water bill, and I would hope that my colleagues can stop
targeting those who may be different from themselves and embrace
acceptance or at least tolerance of others. That is the greatness of
America.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chairman, we have seen what happens when the
Department of Energy prioritizes diversity and inclusion over all else.
It results in hiring nonbinary nuclear officials like Sam Brinton who
uses they/them pronouns and steals women's clothes.
From the military to corporations to Federal agencies, we have seen
time and time again that the DEI mission fosters tribalism in the
workplace. We have seen where corporations, Tractor Supply and John
Deere, for examples, have pulled away from DEI policies because they
are a failure.
One has to ask when you look at the attempted assassination of
President

[[Page H4769]]

Trump when the Director put diversity above all else, was that
complicit in the fact that a shooter almost killed the former
President?
Diversity and inclusion as a priority when it should be based off of
metrics, skill set, and who actually deserves the job, that should be
the priority.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 40 offered by Mr. Ogles

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 40
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the
proposed rule entitled ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy
Conservation Standards for Automatic Commercial Ice Makers''
published by the Department of Energy in the Federal Register
on September 25, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 65628).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, the administration's war on appliances
continues. First, it was gas stoves. Then it was water heaters. Now the
Biden-Harris administration apparently wants to go after ice makers
because, as everyone knows, ice makers are obviously a major source of
greenhouse gas emissions.
The Department of Energy has proposed a rule to impose stringent
regulations on commercial automatic ice makers in the name of energy
efficiency.
For my fellow Americans watching this amendment debate, if someone
knocks on the door of your local business and tells you they are from
the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, don't answer it.
Close the door.
What this does is drive up costs to hardworking citizens, people who
own restaurants, and it makes the products more expensive, and for
what?
Where are the metrics?
This is baloney.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. The
Department of Energy is charged with implementing congressionally
directed energy efficiency standards.
I will tell you, Madam Chair, in our home, efficiency standards have
made hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars of difference in
savings, certainly in the area of the water heater and the
refrigerator.
In accordance with the statute, the Department of Energy has
published regulations in the code of Federal regulations for more than
60 categories of appliance and equipment types. The Department of
Energy drafts the efficiency regulations with the full participation of
equipment manufacturers and the public at large. The process includes
thorough consideration of all comments and concerns.
These actions result in direct energy savings for American consumers.
Look at all the little postcards you get in the mail making unsolicited
offers. I got one yesterday for windows. I know we are not talking
about windows here, but the difference between different window types
and how much energy you can save, consumers look at that.
We have to work toward improving the reliability and performance
across household appliances and commercial and industrial equipment.
Efficiency standards are not bans, and they do not impact existing
appliances that Americans have purchased.
However, I think it is safe to say that virtually all Americans, let
alone all the people in this room, have benefited from these types of
efficiency standards over the course of their lifetimes, and I bet the
gentleman's household has, as well.
Again, these actions are required by congressional direction.
Collectively, the Biden administration's past and planned energy
efficiency actions will save Americans $1 trillion. That is at the
household level.

{time} 1330

That will save the average family at least $100 a year through lower
utility bills. That amount may not be a lot to some people, but it is a
great deal of money to a lot of people.
The Department of Energy estimates that this specific rule would save
Americans $44 million in annual operating costs. It will make us
smarter and better as a country.
If Congress does not like these standards, that should be addressed
by new laws through the Energy and Commerce Committee, not through
funding prohibitions.
With respect to the proposed energy efficiency standards for
automatic commercial ice makers, I urge my colleagues with concerns to
participate fully in the rulemaking process. That is the appropriate
response to a proposed rule that Members oppose.
Congress has vested the Department of Energy with the authority to
promulgate these rules. They listen to the American people and let us
fully participate in that process.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, to my colleague's point, we are getting new
windows in a couple of weeks, but that is a cost that, as a household,
my wife and I decided to expend, and it is a metric that I can quantify
for myself over time.
We have seen this play before. In 2014, the Obama administration
pushed out a rule to force different sectors of the American economy to
comply with more restrictive energy conservation standards. They
targeted hotels and hospitals, schools, office buildings, and
supermarkets.
The projected cost at that time to manufacturers represented 25
percent of their profits. There is no savings for the American
consumer. This is a Marxist-style wealth distribution scheme that
forces increased costs on the manufacturer, which ultimately costs the
consumer more money.
If someone wants to buy windows for their home and wants to improve
the energy standards of their home, that is one thing. For the
government to come in and meddle in an industry that is not truly
contributing to carbon emissions or gas emissions is ridiculous.
This is absurd. That is why this amendment is offered.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 41 Offered by Mr. Ogles

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 41
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce the rule
entitled ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation
Standards for Consumer Water Heaters'' published by the
Department of Energy in the Federal Register on May 6, 2024
(89 Fed. Reg. 37778).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, the administration's war on everyday
appliances continues with no end in sight, and it has to be pointed out
that the ultimate price of these regulations is and will be paid by the
American consumer.
At a time when inflation is higher, when going to the grocery store
costs more, when rents have increased, when the dream of buying a home
has slipped away for many Americans, and the costs of purchasing and
operating a car

[[Page H4770]]

have increased, the last thing we need is more government policies that
are going to force something that I would consider necessary in every
home, which is a water heater. To increase costs on a necessity for the
American people at a time when they are already struggling just doesn't
make sense.
It is time for government to get out of the way of industry. Let's
get back to free market principles and stop forcing radical Marxist
agenda items on industry. It didn't work. It doesn't work. This isn't
going to work.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, as I have mentioned on other amendments, the
Department of Energy is charged with implementing congressionally
directed energy efficiency standards. In accordance with the statute,
the Department has published regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations for more than 60 categories of appliance and equipment
types. The Department of Energy drafts the energy efficiency
regulations with the full participation of equipment manufacturers and
the public at large.
The results are energy savings for the buyer of the equipment. I have
experienced that in my own house, and now that the gentleman is buying
an appliance for his house, my colleague is going to experience those
savings, too. The gentleman ought to add them up. It makes a
difference.
Efficiency standards are not bans, and they do not impact existing
appliances in Americans' homes. I think it is safe to assume that
virtually all Americans have benefited from these types of efficiency
standards over the course of their lifetimes. Also, our environment has
benefited.
These actions are required by congressional direction. Laws were
passed asking the Department of Energy to do this, and we know that
these efficiency standards will save our people over a trillion
dollars. That isn't chicken feed. It will save the average family well
over $100 a year through lower utility bills.
The Department of Energy estimates that this specific rule would
slash household utility costs by over $7 billion annually and could
save consumers $1,800 on their energy bills over the life of the
appliance.
That helps pay for the appliance. It helps consumers save money for
something else they can buy.
If Congress does not like these standards, Members should address it
with new laws through the Energy and Commerce Committee, not through
funding prohibitions, as the gentleman suggests. Stopping the
Department of Energy from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing energy
efficiency standards will only create uncertainty for manufacturers and
consumers.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her words.
This kind of climate alarmist rulemaking isn't about reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. It is about control. It is absolutely
ridiculous that some bureaucrats at the Department of Energy can impose
energy efficiency standards that radically alter the marketplace.
The Biden-Harris climate crusade has gone too far. They have
weaponized the Federal rulemaking process to officially place
nonelectric technology off the market. My amendment sends a message
that the climate cartel running the White House has no claim on our
appliances. Enough is enough.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 42 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 42
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement or enforce the final rule entitled
``Comprehensive Plan and Special Regulations With Respect to
High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing; Rules of Practice and
Procedure Regarding Project Review Classifications and Fees''
published by the Delaware River Basin Commission on April 21,
2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 20628).

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chairman, this amendment prohibits the use of funds
to implement or enforce the DRBC's rule to ban hydraulic fracturing
within the Delaware River Basin. The best way to combat high natural
gas prices that all of us are paying is to produce more natural gas in
America, not less.
In places like my home, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the second
largest natural gas producer in the Nation, it is unfortunate that
unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats at the Delaware River Basin
Commission have instituted a hydraulic fracturing ban for a portion of
our State, our Commonwealth, stripping away, at the stroke of a pen,
property and mineral rights from Pennsylvanians in contravention of the
will of their own legislature. These aren't elected officials. These
are folks who just have a different idea and have the authority to
take.
The result is a prohibition on the development of critical shale
plays in eastern Pennsylvania that can bring desperately needed natural
gas to market and the unconstitutional taking of the mineral rights of
Pennsylvania. That is the result.
To be clear, this amendment simply prohibits the DRBC from
implementing or enforcing this hydraulic fracturing ban, but it does
not impact the ability of the States in the river basin to regulate
hydraulic fracturing as they see fit.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. This
amendment creates a funding prohibition related to the Delaware River
Basin Commission.
The Delaware River Basin Commission is a Federal-interstate compact
agency charged with managing the water resources of the Delaware River
Basin on a regional basis without regard to political boundaries. As
established by law, through the Delaware River Basin Compact that went
into effect in 1961, the commission consists of the Army Corps of
Engineers and four basin State Governors. Those States are Delaware,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The gentleman is from
Pennsylvania, one of the four States.
The Corps of Engineers and these States work as equal partners for
planning, development, and regulatory actions for the river basin.
Given the commission's statutory mission, it analyzed the risks to
water resources posed by high-volume hydraulic fracturing and
horizontal drilling techniques. Through a public rulemaking process,
the commission developed regulations on high-volume hydraulic
fracturing in rock formations within the Delaware River Basin.
I do not pretend to be an expert on the Delaware River Basin. I trust
what these four States have worked on together.
As a reminder, the commission consists of the Governors of the four
basin States, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and the
North Atlantic Division commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
It does not strike me as a proper role for Congress, particularly
through an appropriations rider, to overrule regional and local
governments on this complex matter.
While the commission's work could be further discussed, I am also
concerned that this implicates funding provided to the Delaware River
Basin Commission as community project funding on behalf of one Member
of this body.
Madam Chair, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote against
this

[[Page H4771]]

amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, during previous debates on this issue,
mistruths were spread about the impact of this policy change on the
water reservoirs that serve New York City. These claims are false and
easily disproved by the facts, which I am going to lay out right now.
The safety of hydraulic fracturing has been demonstrated through its
extensive use across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across the
country, not only over the past two decades but for multiple decades.
The Obama-era EPA--not the current one and not the last one, but the
Obama-era EPA--determined that the practice did not pose a threat to
drinking water. Simple geography and hydrology make this outcome an
impossibility. All New York City reservoirs are upriver from
Pennsylvania or on the Hudson River, which does not connect to
Pennsylvania, precluding any impact from Pennsylvania from reaching
those reservoirs.
The intention of this amendment and its primary impact will be
unleashing Pennsylvania's full energy potential by allowing
Pennsylvanians in the river basin that they live in to use their
property that they bought with their money and their mineral rights
that they bought with their money as they see fit, subject to the laws
passed by their elected officials, not by some bureaucrat from some
other State.
It is time to stop this underhanded attack on property rights,
representative government, and State sovereignty and restore American
energy security at the same time. Opposition to this amendment
essentially is saying my colleagues support a ban on hydraulic
fracturing and for higher natural gas prices for Members' constituents.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

{time} 1345

Amendment No. 43 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 43
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 38, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $18,000,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $18,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, this amendment would eliminate funding for
administrative expenses necessary for the Advanced Technology Vehicles
Manufacturing Loan Program, which provides loans to companies that make
Green New Deal cars, and to manufacture so-called advanced technology
vehicles and qualifying components, like car manufacturers in this
country need an infusion of cash from taxpayers that are buying their
cars.
This law recklessly spends over $1 trillion, ignoring the fact that
the national debt is now $35 trillion and will likely be $36 trillion
by the end of this year. The package also includes almost $8 billion in
subsidies for electric vehicle chargers, even though profit incentives
have driven private actors in the auto industry, independent startups,
and utilities across the country to rush to build charging stations on
their own. We don't have to subsidize this.
Car dealerships are having trouble moving electric vehicles. Do you
know how I know, Madam Chair? Because they come in and tell me, and
they beg me to do something about it. They can't get these vehicles off
their lots. There is no need to continue throwing good money after bad,
coercing private companies to manufacture Green New Deal vehicles that
our citizens do not want.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I rise to oppose the gentleman's
amendment.
In my view, the elimination of this funding would hurt Federal
oversight of the billions in loans the Advanced Technology Vehicles
Manufacturing Program has already given. These funds are primarily used
for portfolio management and financial oversight. No new loan
authorities are provided in this bill.
ATVM loans will be repaid for many years in the future. Eliminating
this funding puts the ability of the government to receive these
payments in jeopardy. We must ensure proper oversight of taxpayer
funding. For these reasons, I must oppose the gentleman's amendment,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, many have supported this program, but in
recent years, it is even more egregious. Recent legislation removed the
$25 billion cap on loan authority. While some folks say, well, the
loans are all out and we just need to administer them, the cap on loan
authority has now opened up. It has opened up the program not just to
light-duty vehicle manufacturers, but to medium- and heavy-duty
vehicles, trains, and maritime vessels.
What do you think is going to happen when the government is handing
out money without a cap on it?
You know what is going to happen, Madam Chair. You go from $35
trillion to $36 trillion, and the debt just keeps on climbing a
trillion dollars every 100 days.
I know there are people that want this money. Everybody wants
government money, but the people that live in this country that pay the
bill can no longer afford it.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I thank the chairman of the committee for
yielding, and I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.
I say to the gentleman who is offering it, I have a lot of respect
for the State of Pennsylvania because, like Ohio, you manufacture
things. You make things happen in America.
Right now, in the vehicular sector, especially in new electric
drivetrains, the leading nation in the world for that is not the United
States of America. The leading nation is China, and to a great degree,
if you look at the figures. I don't have them here with me on the
floor, but what China has done in other sectors is it manufactures over
what the market needs.
Let's take steel, for example. Pennsylvania used to be a great
steelmaking State, and it still has shreds of that left. China
manufactured four times what the world needs and then it dumped them.
It does the same in pharmaceuticals.
We understand what they are going to do next: cars. The cars they are
manufacturing, millions of them, much more than this country, they are
going to dump them here too because that is what is happening inside
the world of global trade in the automotive sector.
I oppose the gentleman's amendment because I want America to be able
to compete and to have all the componentry here, including the
batteries, in order to move our population. Hybrids are selling. I
don't think the all-electric vehicle is as popular. He is correct.
There were subsidies provided for that, but we are building a supply
chain in the automotive sector, and we could lose it. We could
definitely lose it because our trade laws are weak.
We are an open country. Other places are not. The Chinese can
manufacture because they have billions of hands, really, to work with.
It is a much greater population, and they will strategically target. I
would just ask the gentleman to take a look at that.

[[Page H4772]]

The funding in this bill includes, with the people applying, $19
billion in active applications for loans, and there is also the
administration of another $19 billion in loans that are either active
or have conditional commitments.
Let me just go through a couple of them. There is a $2.5 billion loan
that just closed in November to support 6,000 construction jobs and an
estimated 5,100 permanent jobs at three newly constructed lithium-ion
battery cell manufacturing facilities in Spring Hill, Tennessee,
not that far from Pennsylvania and Ohio; also, Lansing, Michigan; and
Lordstown in my home State of Ohio near the Pennsylvania border.

There is a $9.2 billion conditional commitment to finance the
construction of three manufacturing plants to produce batteries. We are
behind, even with all the money we put into research and everything in
order to make batteries more efficient. The Ford Motor Company and
their future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles are estimated to
support 5,000 construction jobs and 7,500 operation jobs in Kentucky
and Tennessee once the plants are opened and running.
We just dedicated in my hometown to working with the Koreans, the
South Koreans, a Mobis battery facility to serve the Jeep Gladiator,
which is going to have a hybrid electric offering to the marketplace.
This is all new.
From automotive America, I cannot accept the gentleman's amendment
because we want to beat the Chinese, we want to be the best, and we
have to have the help of the government in that because we have to move
these technologies faster.
There was an $850 million loan commitment announced in June of this
year to help finance the construction of KORE Power, an advanced
battery cell manufacturing facility in Buckeye, Arizona, to support up
to 700 construction jobs and 1,250 operation jobs once the facilities
are open.
In all of our labs at the Department of Energy, we are trying to push
battery technology to a level never seen before. This takes time, but
it is happening. Believe me, there are other countries that are ahead
of us. We are in a catch-up mode, and we are in a predumping mode.
I completely disagree with the gentleman's amendment and urge a vote
against it.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 44 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 44
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 37, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $55,000,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $55,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, the Federal loan guarantee program is exactly
what it says. They are loans that are guaranteed by the Federal
Government. Of course, that just transfers the risk of those loans to
the taxpayers.
As with any government subsidy, they reduce the market discipline of
loan recipients. Recipients get the loan, they know the Federal
Government is going to pay the bill if it fails, and when it fails that
is exactly what happens.
Now there is a checkered past in the Department of Energy's Loan
Guarantee Program, and it demonstrates that it is not immune from these
concerns. As it currently stands today, it hasn't been reformed; it
hasn't been revamped. We are just going to keep on loaning money. Among
the most egregious examples of title 17 loan failures are Solyndra,
Fisker Automotive, and A123 Systems. All three entities received
hundreds of millions of dollars in loan guarantees before filing for
bankruptcy and leaving the taxpayer holding the bag.
They filed for bankruptcy, by the way, because they produced things
that the American people didn't want but were forced on them. To add
insult to injury, A123 Systems and Fisker Automotive were purchased by,
you guessed it, Chinese companies for pennies on the dollar.
You pay the bill; they get the money. Meaning, the CCP, the Communist
Party of China, was the ultimate beneficiary of our tax dollars and the
good people that are working hard every day to pay those loans.
Both companies also received subsidies from the Michigan State
government under then-Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Now, you might not care about that because it was in Michigan. Maybe
you don't live in Michigan where Fisker Automotive and A123 Systems
were located, went bankrupt, took your money, and then were sold to the
Chinese, but the integrity of these programs is heightened by the fact
that Secretary of Energy Granholm's leadership position is now at that
Department and will oversee these loans.
Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, much like the gentleman's last
amendment, I respectfully think the result of his amendment would be
the opposite of his intent.
There is no new loan authority provided in this bill. Existing title
17 loans, however, will be repaid for many years in the future.
Eliminating the funding in this bill puts the ability of the government
to receive these repayments in jeopardy. In my view, we must ensure
proper oversight of this taxpayer funding. For these reasons, I must
respectfully oppose the amendment.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I must disagree. The so-called Inflation
Reduction Act, I don't know if anyone's keeping score, but when I go to
the grocery store since the Inflation Reduction Act, prices are higher.
When I go to the gas station, prices are higher. It hasn't really
reduced inflation, but that is another story.
Since the Inflation Reduction Act provides approximately $11.7
billion for the loan program office to issue new loans, we are going to
keep going. We are going to burden the taxpayer with the potential for
these loans to go bad, and they have gone bad.
This additional funding raises significant concerns that the program
will, once again, be used as a piggy bank for any administration and
the Secretary to reward politically-favored industries.
Madam Chair, my bosses, my constituents, can't afford this continued
grifting. We have to stop the gravy train for these failed green energy
companies on the backs of taxpayers. If private industry wants to
invest, God bless them, but the taxpayers shouldn't be forced to.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

{time} 1400

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. I
obviously rise in opposition to this amendment.
If you want to increase fraud and hinder the ability of the Federal
Government to quickly and efficiently interact with private businesses,
then, by all means, vote for this gentleman's amendment.
However, I will vote against it because we must continue to invest in
the manufacturing prowess of this country.

[[Page H4773]]

We have to catch up. So many of our jobs were outsourced to penny-
wage environments in very undemocratic countries, and we lost
manufacturing in small towns and big cities across America. So we are
in a catch-up mode right now to domestic onshoring and reshoring of
vital economic activities, including the manufacturing of vehicles that
all of us use to get to work and to conduct the business of this
country.
I urge my colleagues to vote for America against this misguided
amendment.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 1\1/2\ minutes
remaining.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, continue to invest. Continue to invest. It is
going to continue unless this amendment passes. We are going to keep
throwing good money after bad.
We are going to continue to invest in Chinese slave labor. It needs
to be understood that the material that makes these batteries--even
though the material that comes to the United States of America, we
don't produce any of our own material here; it is not allowed--is going
to come from slave labor in China.
If that is not bad enough, the raw material is going to come from
child slave labor in Africa promoted by the Chinese. You are going to
continue to invest because you are going to be forced to continue to
invest in them.
This is an easy one, Madam Chair. The American people are sick of
investing in these things that are immoral and unaffordable. I urge
adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 45 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 45
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 65, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $35,000,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $35,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, this amendment cuts $35 million from this
bill for the Appalachian Regional Commission, lowering the funding
level in this bill to $165 million.
The IIJA provided the Appalachian Regional Commission with an
advanced appropriation of $200 million every single year, the entirety
of its authorization level for fiscal year 2022 through 2026, meaning
every dollar provided under this bill is more than the authorized
level.
This Congress said this is the level at which you can spend. We are
spending way above that. In other words, under this amendment, the ARC
would still receive $365 million for the fiscal year rather than $400
million provided by the underlying bill.
Even with this minimal cut under this amendment, the program's
funding is still extremely bloated, and its effectiveness remains
unclear. It doesn't really remain unclear. It is completely unknown. I
know. I sat in and presided over the hearing regarding this commission
and all the commissions where, literally, the metric they use to
determine success was we get loan applications. People want to receive
loans and grants. That is their measure of success.
Where I live in Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Trail comes right
through the district, and people in Appalachia certainly sorely need
help, but they don't need a bunch of throwaway things from contractors
outside of their area coming in to make a bunch of money off the
government and leave them with whatever is left over.
This commission's programs are duplicative of other Federal
development economic programs and are better addressed at the State and
local levels where those States know exactly what is needed.
In fact, the FY18 budget justification identified the Appalachian
Regional Commission failed to show a strong link between grants and a
positive impact on the community they serve. They are giving out money,
but they can't justify any of it through metrics or through any
performance evaluation whatsoever.
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment would cut funding for the Appalachian
Regional Commission, which supports hundreds of cost-shared projects,
partnering with private industry to bring needed jobs to this depressed
region.
The underlying energy and water bill maintains funding for the ARC at
the fiscal year 2024 level of $200 million, which was the same as the
fiscal 2023 enacted level.
These communities cannot afford to lose the millions of dollars in
private investment this commission leverages. I respectfully urge a
``no'' vote on the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, that might be all well and good, but last year,
the commission's inspector general--not Perry, not this Congress, the
inspector general identified the massive increase in the commission's
funding over recent years as a threat to its ability to evaluate grant
proposals, measure program performance, and conduct appropriate
oversight, meaning this spike in funding threatens to worsen an already
tenuous link between funding and success.
Mr. Chair, these commissions are populated by the politically
connected to hand out money to those that are connected to them. That
is what they are for. That is what they do. They don't do much else
other than that, and they are certainly no measure of success.
Again, I presided over the hearing where we asked them for their
metric, their measure of success. Again, Mr. Chair, it was that they
received a lot of applications for grants and loans.
People want money. That is your measure of success? That is pathetic.
We certainly must bring the funding level for the ARC down to ensure
that it has the capacity to ensure if you are going to spend the
money--I am not getting rid of the commission. I am just saying if you
are going to spend the money, let's do it wisely and actually prove
that it does something to help the people that you allegedly are
helping as opposed to the people that sit on the commission and dole
out the tax dollars.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) the distinguished chair
emeritus of the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding
time.
Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The
Appalachian Regional Commission has been an invaluable partner for
Appalachia since its inception in 1965. ARC investments have propelled
our region forward, especially after the decline of the coal industry.
Thanks to the ARC, the regional poverty rate has been cut by more
than half. Additionally, the number of high-poverty counties has been
cut by more than 60 percent.
In fact, in just the past year, the ARC has supported the creation or
retention of over 50,000 jobs and served over 50,000 households with
improved critical infrastructure. That is real, impactful economic
development. Last year in Kentucky, the ARC supported 74 projects,
supporting nearly 900 jobs.
Mr. Chair, cutting off ARC funding back to the fiscal year '19 levels
will

[[Page H4774]]

slow progress in our region when we need it most. We can't turn our
back on Appalachia, not now, not ever.
I urge opposition to this amendment.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Rosendale). The gentleman from Pennsylvania has
1 minute remaining.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, since 1965, which is a long time ago now, they
say the poverty rate has been cut in half, but the general poverty rate
across the country has been cut in half since 1965. The general rate.
None of that can be attributed to the ARC.
By the way, the map that we had provided by the ARC at the hearing
showed one county in all of the region, in all of the States had
improved. One. This is not a cut.
As a result of the IIJA, it is well above what they were supposed to
be appropriated, and everyone in here knows it. Everyone knows it, but
they will take the money anyhow.
I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 46 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 46
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 66, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $7,100,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $7,100,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces the funding to the
Delta Regional Commission by $6.1 million, back to the FY19 level. In
FY17, the Obama administration sought to cut funding for the Delta
Regional Commission by $3 million. The FY18, FY19, FY20, and FY21
budgets all sought to eliminate funding for the Delta Regional
Commission, identifying it as duplicative of other Federal economic
development programs.
Where have we heard that before?
The FY21 budget pointed out that the Delta Regional Commission, like
others, is set aside for special geographic designations rather than
applied across the country, based on objective criteria indicating
local areas' levels of distress.
Well, that is what States are for. That is not the Federal
Government. If you don't live there, this isn't going to help you at
all, but you are going to pay for it.
We are $35 trillion in debt, Mr. Chair. We simply can't continue to
allow for the rapid growth of parochial commissions. They probably do
wonderful things for the people that are there, probably, but they
duplicate other Federal programs, and they continue undeterred. Federal
programs that are likely doing the work that States and local
governments should be doing.
We wonder how did we get to $35 trillion in debt? Well, I don't know.
Everybody got a commission, a handout, money. At a minimum, we should
return the funding of this program to prepandemic FY19 levels. We need
to find somewhere in this budget some sanity, so that our taxpayers
aren't footing the bill for things they can't afford to pay for.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 1415

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the
gentleman's amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, while I appreciate my colleague's
interest in keeping the Federal spending in check, I would note that
the 12 bills reported by the Appropriations Committee collectively
adhere to the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
How funds are allocated within that top line may be different than it
was in previous years, but cutting these regional commissions won't
actually reduce overall spending. It would just result in spending
somewhere else, maybe even somewhere more objectionable to my
colleague.
As with the previous amendment, I respectfully urge a ``no'' vote,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, this actually does reduce the spending. This is
actually an amendment that does reduce spending. As far as the FRA is
concerned, my goodness, just saying it meets FRA, well, FRA spends more
than last year. Every year we spend more than the year before. We never
see a year where we actually cut any spending.
Maybe this is a small account. Mr. Chair, $6 million is pretty small
in the face of trillions of dollars and billions of dollars, I agree.
We have got to start somewhere.
Again, the FY18, FY19, FY20, and FY21 budgets all sought to eliminate
funding for the Delta Regional Commission, eliminate it. Not me. That
is what the budget wanted to do then. I am saying in 2024, let's just
reduce it to FY19 and try to live within our means, just like my bosses
and your bosses and our bosses have to do at home. They don't get more
money every single year regardless of what happens.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Huizenga). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 47 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 47
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 66, line 14, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $2,000,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, this amendment reduces funding for the Denali
Commission by $2 million, to the FY19 prepandemic level.
The Denali Commission's mission of providing job training and other
economic development services in rural Alaska can better be served by
the 29 other Federal programs with which it duplicates. There are 29
other programs doing this.
The Obama administration sought to eliminate funding for the
commission in FY12 because it was duplicative and did not select
projects based on competition or merit. Again, we are just handing out
money, but we have a fancy name.
In 2013, the inspector general for the Denali Commission called for
the elimination of the program. The elimination of the program. I am
just saying, let's take it to FY19, $2 million. The inspector general
stated that he recommended that Congress put its money elsewhere.
Well, it is not our money. It is their money. It is our bosses'
money. You might go to Alaska. I don't know if you need a job training
program if you go there. Maybe if you plan to go, you

[[Page H4775]]

should--well, that is another story. The Trump administration,
likewise, sought to eliminate the commission in FY18, FY19, FY20, and
FY21.
Again, it seems imprudent to continually fund yet another parochial
commission in the face of two administrations. It seems like that to
me; it might not to you, but these are both parties. People say, well,
you folks up there can't get along, can't agree on anything. Well, here
two parties on either side of the aisle said the same thing, and the
inspector general's recommendations were that we cease funding.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, this regional commission helps
distressed communities across Alaska with basic infrastructure, like
water and sewage systems and power generation. For similar reasons as
the previous amendments, I respectfully urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, at a bare minimum, we should pass this
amendment just to keep the Denali Commission where it is, at its pre
COVID-19 level, and not allow for its continued growth in the face of
trillions of dollars of debt while our people can't afford gas,
groceries, daycare, their electricity bills.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 48 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 48
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 67, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $19,750,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $19,750,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment to reduce funding
for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, the SCRC, to
prepandemic, fiscal year 2019 levels.
Yet again, this commission serves as a duplicative slush fund for
parochial interests, this time for projects in Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. I
have many friends in those locations.
From FY 2010 to FY 2020, the SCRC received $250,000 annually, all
without having an appointed Federal co-chair. There was nobody in
charge. There was nobody running the thing, but they still got
$250,000. I know in the face of trillions, $250,000 isn't much. Where I
come from, my bosses would love to have $250,000 every single year and
not have to account for it because nobody is in charge.
After a co-chair was appointed in December 2021--again, conveniently,
with close ties to political leadership--the number is now a whopping
$20 million in this bill. From $250,000 with nobody in charge to
somebody politically connected to $20 million.
There is absolutely no reason for that dramatic increase in funding--
well, there is one, but you are probably not going to like it--
especially when these projects fund both projects with no national
nexus, like electric vehicle charging stations.
We have to have a regional commission to do that? We just had an
amendment where you are telling me the Department of Energy has got to
pay for that, but now the regional commission pays for that also.
In addition to the charging stations, they also fund stormwater
management and green infrastructure. Stormwater management is a
problem, I am sure, in every State, but here again, is that the Federal
Government's role? According to the SCRC's 2023-2027 strategic plan,
that is what they are going to spend the money on.
Our constituents, our bosses, do not have money for these projects
that have no impact on their lives, and in many cases drive up the cost
of living for them.
Mr. Chair, I urge support of this amendment, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, my objections to this amendment mirror
my objections to the previous amendments to cut funding for regional
commissions. I respectfully urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Again, Mr. Chair, we are just spending dollars. This
government agency, this program does it, and here is another one. The
last, the Denali Commission, there were 29 separate programs. This is
not much different. I didn't count them up, but I assure you, there are
other Federal programs that do the same thing. A question that hasn't
been answered here is: Is it the role of the Federal Government?
I ask my bosses, my constituents, the people on this floor how many
gas stations did they pay for through Federal appropriations? There are
a bunch of gas stations around the country, everyone stops at them, we
know their names. We bought them because we bought gasoline. Somebody
invested in that, and we bought gasoline, and that paid for it, but in
this case, we are going to pay for electric vehicle charging stations
through our taxes, whether or not we have an electric vehicle. Whether
or not that vehicle pays any highway taxes, we are going to pay for it.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 49 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 49
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 67, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert
``(reduced by $21,000,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $21,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer this amendment to reduce
funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission, or the NBRC, to
prepandemic fiscal year 2019 levels.
Like other regional commissions, the NBRC provides economic
development assistance to projects in various States, in this case,
Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.
I don't know if you are seeing a theme here. You want extra money
from the Federal Government, and you are not getting enough, just
create a commission. Get your buddies in other States to create a
commission, and in comes the money.
These commissions simply serve as a slush fund for parochial and
regional projects with little or actually no national nexus. They don't
belong in the

[[Page H4776]]

purview of the Federal government. They belong in State and local
governments.
Let's take a look at some of the funded programs taken from the 2022
annual report, which is the latest report available, 2022:
$304,000 to purchase a sound system for an auditorium in New
Hampshire. I am sure it is wonderful. If I get to New Hampshire, maybe
I will get to hear it, but in the meantime I am going to pay for it,
and so are you.
Over $350,000 to expand rail yard capacity in upstate New York. I
don't know, I am paying for freight costs. We have all kinds of
incentives for railroads in this country. I know, Mr. Chair, I am on
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We have $350,000
coming from this commission to pay for that, as well.
Another $350,000 for a sailing center on Lake Champlain. I am sure it
is wonderful. I am sure it is lovely. I live in Pennsylvania. I am not
getting up to the lake too often.
These projects are all well and good. Some of them ought to be funded
by private investment and others should be funded by States or
localities.
Mr. Chair, our taxpayers are broke, and our country is broke.
Somebody has to do something about it. Somebody has to make the hard
decisions.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, for the same reasons as the previous
amendments, I respectfully urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, instead of pandering to special interest
groups, we have got to pare back these wasteful programs that
oftentimes serve as a boondoggle for a limited number of folks in a
limited location.
This amendment does not zero out the commission's funding. It doesn't
say we have got to get rid of the commission. Other administrations
have done that. This doesn't say that. It simply reduces the funding to
pre-COVID, pre-Biden spending levels where, quite honestly, most of our
bosses, our constituents are living. That is where their paychecks are.
They are back there, and we are up here, taking their money and
spending it on things that are already being spent on that should be
spent by somebody else.
They should be attached to accountability at State and local elected
officials, but they are not. They are attached to regional commissions
that most people don't know who exist, have no idea who runs them or
what they do.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

{time} 1430

Amendment No. 50 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 50
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 68, line 6, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $2,500,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,500,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I am going to sound like a broken record here,
so I will keep it short. I am not picking winners and losers or
favorites here. First, the Great Lakes Authority has only been
authorized since 2022. It is 2024 now. It still does not have a Federal
co-chair. It has no website. It has no programs funded. There is nobody
there.
Yet, strangely, it is still receiving Federal dollars, to the tune of
$5 million, for projects supposedly in the watershed regions of
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania,
and Wisconsin. I don't know because there is no one to ask.
Mr. Chair, we have seen how other commissions have gone. President
Trump urged the elimination of three of them, and President Obama
recommended cuts and elimination for the Denali Commission, making it
bipartisan.
With that level of bipartisan criticism of existing commissions, I
don't see why we need to dig ourselves even deeper with yet another
commission. My goodness, Pennsylvania is covered by two of them. That
is my home State. You have to call the balls and strikes.
I know people in this building will scoff at the difference between
$2.5 million and $5 million. We are saying $2.5 million, which is
pretty bad for me. I am saying to spend $2.5 million on a commission
that doesn't have a co-chair, has no website, and has no programs
funded, not $5 million.
It is still $2.5 million being sent to who knows where for who knows
what, but it is $2.5 million less going toward a commission that cannot
even begin operations without any Senate-confirmed Federal co-chair.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, in terms of the Great Lakes, for all the
States it covers and with the enormous interests of the Great Lakes
region, one that we share with Canada, we move into some really complex
developmental questions in a region that has lost so many jobs.
I see what the gentleman's point is, but I don't agree with him. I
stand up in support of all the commissions. I invite the gentleman to
travel to these regions and see and meet with the co-chairs of these
panels around our country.
This is off the subject in a way, but the gentleman's region was
heavily impacted by what happened in East Palestine. I haven't seen the
gentleman say anything on the floor in support of the mayor of that
town or the people of that town.
If that had happened in my town, I would have been doing everything
in my power to try to move the people out of that region who didn't
want to stay there anymore and build them a better community in which
to live and find the funds to do that, working with the railroads. I
don't see the gentleman addressing issues of concern in his own region.
By the way, the part of Pennsylvania that drains into Lake Erie is
covered by the Great Lakes Authority, so the gentleman is actually
speaking against the interests of his own State on this amendment and a
prior one. That is really shocking to me.
Mr. Chair, I don't support the gentleman's amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, with all due respect, Pennsylvania can handle
itself. We don't need some commission to do our work. We understand
where the water from Lake Erie goes, to the Great Lakes. We understand
it is complex.
I looked at the list, and I have been to all of these States. I would
be happy to meet with the Federal co-chair, but there isn't one. There
isn't any. I would be happy to see what they are doing, but that person
doesn't exist.
Do you know what exists? Millions of dollars going to this
organization where there isn't anybody there. That is what exists. That
is what we are trying to rectify. We are not even saying take all of
it. Just take some of it so we don't spend as much on an organization
with no website, no co-chair, no plan.
All of us know it is not going to stop at $5 million for this
commission, just like the rest. It will all balloon up to tens of
millions of dollars if Congress, using the power of the purse, doesn't
put its foot down.

[[Page H4777]]

I love Pennsylvania. I love my home State. We want to handle our
business. We don't need unelected bureaucrats not from Pennsylvania
telling us how to do things in Pennsylvania. That is what they are
going to do with this.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 51 Offered by Mr. Perry

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 51
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 68, line 1, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $2,500,000)''.
Page 81, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert
``(increased by $2,500,000)''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I know you can't believe it, but there is one
left. Like I said, we are equal opportunity here. We are going to take
a look at all of them.
This amendment would halve the funding of the Southwest Border
Regional Commission. This commission, which only had its first chairman
confirmed in 2022 and was funded only starting in fiscal year 2021,
funds projects in the southern border regions of Arizona, California,
New Mexico, and Texas.
Incidentally, the first chairman was previously the director of
economic development and special initiatives for Senator Heinrich,
which continues this theme of political connection to the chairmen of
these regional commissions.
I don't know if everyone is getting that, but I bet those not
appointed to the regional commission who live in those States get it.
Look, I know folks on the other side of the aisle care about the
border. Well, I hope they do. I know our side sure does.
However, the answer to solving border problems is to actually enforce
our Nation's immigration laws, not to give $5 million to a commission
that has not published a strategic plan and does not even appear to
have a website.
We are going to give $5 million to them to fix the border. We can't
even fix it at the Federal level. Well, we can, but we refuse to. The
commission received $250,000 in FY21 but is now being funded at $5
million in this bill for FY24. For what results? If they are there to
fix the border, I would argue they have done a pretty poor job, but we
are going from $250,000 to $5 million.
This amendment doesn't get rid of the commission. That argument can
be made, but this amendment just says we are going to take it from $5
million to a still exorbitant $2.5 million.
I suspect we are going to hear from some of my colleagues from Texas
about how they want to use this opportunity to fix the border, but this
regional commission isn't the answer.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, for the same reasons with the previous
amendments, I respectfully urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, for all the reasons so stated amendment after
amendment with all of these commissions duplicating Federal programs,
which are specious to begin with, again, it is irrelevant to regions of
the country or commissions. I am not picking on one as opposed to
another, not trying to pick the winners and losers.
Our citizens can't afford their bills. This Federal Government can't
afford its bills. Every dollar that we are talking about in this
appropriations bill, every single dollar, is borrowed money.
Let's not borrow as much. Let's not borrow $2.5 million as much. That
is all this is saying. Still borrow a whole bunch, all of it as a
matter of fact, but just not $2.5 million more.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 53 Offered by Mr. Rosendale

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 53
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to transfer or delegate control or maintenance
responsibility of the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel
to any non-Federal entity.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Montana (Mr. Rosendale) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Montana.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Chair, my amendment No. 53 to the Energy and Water
Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025, would
prohibit funds from being used to transfer or delegate control or
maintenance responsibility of the Lower Yellowstone fish bypass channel
to any non-Federal entity.
The Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project was established in 1902 and
was designed solely to provide irrigation water to the farmers in
eastern Montana and western North Dakota. The project specializes in
water distribution, not managing fish bypass channels for endangered
species like the pallid sturgeon. The fish bypass channel introduced in
2007, over 100 years after this project was built, was meant to address
species conservation, and the Yellowstone River location was selected
over the Lower Missouri River because of the huge cost savings.
Now, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation are
trying to shift costs and responsibilities to the irrigators even after
its shotty construction, which has required additional work immediately
following its completion and will continue to require expensive
maintenance going forward. This is despite there being no formal
agreement and the bypass channel having no operational connection to
the project's irrigation duties.
Our farmers are already struggling with economic pressures and cannot
afford this additional burden.
This amendment ensures that Federal agencies cannot offload their
responsibilities onto local communities. It is time for the Federal
Government to be accountable for its decisions and not unjustly and
unilaterally transfer those costs to those who are unprepared and
financially stretched.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, this amendment prevents funds from being used
to transfer or delegate control or maintenance responsibility of the
Lower Yellowstone fish bypass channel to any non-Federal entity.
Essentially, the gentleman wants the Corps and Bureau of Reclamation
to continue paying for this after over 100 years. If folks don't agree
with the authorities, laws, and policies of the Bureau of Reclamation,
then this is the type of matter that should be properly

[[Page H4778]]

vetted through the regular order of committees of jurisdiction in this
House, not through a funding prohibition.
For these reasons, I cannot support this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against it, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Chair, the fish bypass channel is a complete
separate structure that is not connected to the irrigation facilities
that have been in place for over 100 years. This new facility was just
constructed within the last 10 years, and the Army Corps of Engineers
constructed it. They funded that construction, and they took care of
that construction. The irrigation project is a Bureau of Reclamation
project.
The only reason that the Army Corps of Engineers stepped in to do
this work on the Yellowstone River was because they wanted to mitigate
the pallid sturgeon because of the Endangered Species Act, and they
found the cost much more reasonable to do that on the Yellowstone
River, where the population is so much lower. Also, they could
accomplish it easier than to go on the Lower Missouri, where they truly
had the problem. They were mitigating this off-site.
Now, they are trying to transfer those costs to the local farmers and
ranchers, to the 350 families available. It is just not right. It is
just not fair to unilaterally make that decision.
Mr. Chair, I appreciate the support of my colleagues for this
amendment. It is critically important for the folks in eastern Montana,
and it sets a good precedent going across the Nation.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

{time} 1445

The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Montana will
be postponed.

Amendment No. 54 Offered by Mr. Roy

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 54
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement, administer, or enforce Order No. 1920
published by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on May
13, 2024.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Roy) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, the amendment I have at the desk is designed to
prohibit funds for FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
which subsidizes transmission to renewables. There is a certain order
number, order No. 1920.
The thing is, a lot of Americans don't really know what the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission is or does, but it plays a massive role in
their lives. It is an agency that regulates interstate transmission of
natural gas, oil, and electricity, to which President Biden has
appointed a lot of commissioners to advance his climate agenda.
In May, FERC approved order No. 1920 which will force everyday
Americans to subsidize the cost of transmission lines so renewable
energy developers can reap the benefits of billions of dollars in
Federal subsidies.
Just so everybody can understand what is going on, Congress, in its
infinite wisdom, while we are $35 trillion in debt, while our economy
was reeling in the wake of a massive economic shutdown in response to
the pandemic, in Congress' infinite wisdom, it passed the so-called
Inflation Reduction Act, in which we massively subsidize and fund
predominantly Chinese companies and billion-dollar companies here in
the United States to advance openly what our colleagues on the other
side of the aisle want to advance with respect to pushing their climate
agenda.
We are going to subsidize our enemies, undermine our natural
resources and strengths to produce American natural gas, American oil,
American cars, the internal combustion engine, and in doing so, we are
going to drive up the cost of all American families' goods and services
and their ability to carry out their lives.
Now, in order to carry out the fantasy that our radical, progressive
Democratic colleagues want to push on the American people--much like
when they tried to jam the metric system on me when I was in elementary
school--they want to jam this absurdity onto the American people.
They are going to say now not only do you have to eat a more
expensive electric vehicle, not only do you have to have an unreliable
grid, not only do you have to subsidize China and our enemies, oh, no,
you get to go even further. This is going to force electricity rate
payers--that means Americans--to pay for the cost of transmission lines
to renewable projects which will make unreliable energy allegedly more
available.
Guess what? On a cloudy, windless day, you still need that wonderful
natural gas, coal, and nuclear power to power your homes or power all
of your magic unicorn electric vehicles that power you around the
country. Meanwhile, those electric vehicles are piling up on the lots
of dealerships.
Now, you are reading articles where 50 percent of the people who own
electric vehicles today are saying: Oh, gosh, I don't think I will do
that anymore. I am going to sell them.
Yet, we also have this administration about to jam the American
people with a rule saying you are going to have to have two-thirds of
the fleet in our country be electric by 2032.
This is an administration, and these are radical, progressive,
Democratic colleagues who are at war with the American family. I
believe we should defund this. That is what my amendment does.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, the first thing I would like to say to the
gentleman from Texas is that our country is probably going to have 400
million people by 2050, and we are going to have to make some changes
to accommodate them. We may not agree on what those are, but we can't
live in 1950. It just simply isn't that Nation anymore.
This amendment prohibits funds for the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission order No. 1920. That is a transmission and cost allocation
rule that requires the Nation's transmission providers to plan for the
transmission we know we will need in the future.
I live in a region that was wiped out back in about the early 2000s.
What happened was one energy company goofed and turned off a switch,
and it blacked out the entire Midwest, Northeast, and Canada, costing
us $9 billion in economic activity and nine lives that were lost.
Now, it was upsetting that the grid was so integrated that we
couldn't save the Ohioans that were damaged in that situation. I felt
the transmission was old back then, and I know it is old now.
The FERC order 1920 is a transmission and cost allocation rule that
requires the Nation's providers, the transmission providers, to plan
for the transmission we know we will use in the future. Frankly, we
need it right now.
This rule adopts specific requirements addressing how transmission
providers must conduct long-term planning for regional transmission
facilities and determine how to pay for them so that the needed
transmission is built.
This rule was the first time in more than a decade that FERC has
addressed the regional transmission policy. Boy, can we be a witness to
that in the Midwest. We know when it wasn't there. We could see the
lines just sag when the outage occurred.
To maintain a reliable electric grid and ensure that we meet our
growing clean energy demands, studies show we

[[Page H4779]]

may need to expand transmission by 60 percent by 2030. A resilient and
reliable energy grid is also critical in confronting extreme weather
and climate events that will only increase in severity. We see them
every month. It is clear that we need to improve how our country plans,
pays for, and builds the electric grid of the future.
Finally, this rule was developed and voted on by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, which is an independent agency that regulates
the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and so on.

The final rule reflected more than 15,000 pages of comments from
nearly 200 stakeholders, the ones that could understand how to submit
comments.
This rule is one step in the much larger, complex puzzle to ensure
that we have a reliable and efficient electric grid as our Nation's
energy needs change in the coming decades.
A lot of people around this country are producing on property now.
They don't need to go up to the grid. Maybe if things happen on their
property, they have to bring down power from the grid. That ability has
to be there, too.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this harmful
amendment and help us prepare for the future, for heaven's sake.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I would note that FERC Commissioner Mark Christie
exposed this rule for what it is: ``The final rule inflicts staggering
costs on consumers by promoting the construction of trillions of
dollars of transmission projects, not to serve consumers in accordance
with the Federal Power Act, but to serve a major policy agenda never
passed by Congress, to serve the profit-making interests of developers
of politically preferred generation, primarily wind and solar, and to
serve corporate `green energy' preferential purchasing policies.''
Chuck Schumer basically admitted this, saying the order is: `` . . .
what we need to see the clean energy revolution, we catalyze with the
IRA come to fruition.''
This is an agenda. This is not about 1950. This is about 2050. You
need clean-burning natural gas to actually power our homes, our
hospitals, and our lives. You need to have reliable power. We ought to
have more nuclear power. We can do that, and we are working on that,
but you shouldn't be having these fanciful energy policies being put
out there, mandated on the American people, that are crippling
families.
That is the truth. In the quest for this radical agenda, you are
empowering our enemies and absolutely destroying the American family
who can't afford an electric vehicle that costs $17,000 more than the
internal combustion engine.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.

Amendment No. 55 Offered by Mr. Roy

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 55
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to implement any of the following Executive orders:
(1) Executive Order 13990, relating to Protecting Public
Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle
the Climate Crisis.
(2) Executive Order 14008, relating to Tackling the Climate
Crisis at Home and Abroad.
(3) Section 6 of Executive Order 14013, relating to
Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs To Resettle Refugees and
Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration.
(4) Executive Order 14030, relating to Climate-Related
Financial Risk.
(5) Executive Order 14057, relating to Catalyzing Clean
Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability.
(6) Executive Order 14082, relating to Implementation of
the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022.
(7) Executive Order 14096, relating to Revitalizing Our
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Roy) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, the amendment that I have put forward here would
prohibit any of the funding in the Energy and Water Development
appropriations bill from being used to carry out President Biden's
executive orders on climate change.
Now, we have successfully gotten this amendment adopted in numerous
appropriations bills last year and this year, and I hope we will again.
The executive orders serve as the catalyst to--as I was referring to
Chuck Schumer a minute ago--some of the Department of Energy's most
radical actions.
The Justice40 Initiative is a radical environmental justice
initiative that directs 40 percent of the Federal clean energy and
energy efficiency spending based on race, migrant status, and other
characteristics.
DOE's transition to carbon pollution-free energy sources, a zero-
emissions fleet, and a net-zero building portfolio make our Federal
agencies wholly dependent on China for energy and wasting taxpayer
dollars in the process.
DOE's overall efficiency standards for almost every household
appliance, from washing machines to dishwashers to refrigerators to gas
stoves, all of this is designed with a purpose. It is all designed to
advance this radical agenda by radical, progressive Democratic
colleagues who are more interested in worshipping at the altar of this
so-called climate agenda than they are at advancing human flourishing,
as God gave us the resources to do, and to develop wisely and
appropriately for the betterment of civilization and to make our world
a better place.
We manage climate change. We don't run from it. We actually protect
our people. We allow people to advance, to be able to live in heat and
cool, to be able to move around the planet and engage in commerce and
lift people up, create economic opportunity.
We don't do that by hiding. We don't do that by empowering our
enemies. We don't do that by undermining prosperity and undermining all
that made this country great, with the available and abundant resources
God gave us in this great continent of North America. We don't do that.
That is what our radical, progressive Democratic colleagues want to
do. That is what they are doing. They are sending us back to the Stone
Age and making people suffer. They are making the American people
suffer. They are driving up the price of goods and services. They are
making it harder to afford a car. They are making it harder for a
plumber or small business man or business woman to do their job or take
care of their families.
The goal here is to say these orders have no place. Congress has a
role here in telling the administration: You have yet again overstepped
your bounds. You are ignoring the Court on student loans. You are
making up policies on a daily basis, endangering Americans with wide-
open borders. You are allowing Americans to get killed, fentanyl to
pour into our communities, and here, with this radical agenda, you are
bankrupting the hardworking American family who made this country
great. That is the purpose of the amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. LaHood). The gentlewoman from Ohio is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.
America can't live in the past. We have to adapt to the new reality.
During 2023, just last year, there were 28 separate billion-dollar
weather and climate disasters costing over $92 billion.
I say to my colleague from Texas, he has had some rough weather down
there, too. Not just rough weather, but coming off the Gulf, those
fierce incidents that occurred in Texas. I don't know how much it cost,
but they are part of that $92 billion.

[[Page H4780]]

{time} 1500

You have had some real energy problems down there with shutoffs and
all. I don't know what it is like to live in Texas. I have visited
there a couple of times. You can't deny reality.
I don't know what has happened to property insurance rates in Texas,
but I can tell you what, every single bill that I get has gone up for
our house insurance, the property insurance and so forth. Some places
in Florida, they are not even selling insurance anymore. They can't get
insurance on their property.
These incidents are severe, and there have already been 15 confirmed
billion-dollar weather and climate disasters this year.
Let's look at reality. Tell the American citizens who lost
businesses, homes, and loved ones from hurricanes, wildfires, and other
natural disasters that there are no costs from climate change. Are you
kidding?
We have to adapt to a new reality and help our people, not turn our
backs on them. We must maintain American leadership also in the clean
energy field because otherwise we cede it to China and to other places,
and we are weakened by that as a country. We have to embrace the future
reality.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this harmful
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, this is not about looking backwards. It is about
looking forward. That is the whole point. We are going to talk about,
oh, we are going to have 400 million people or 450 million people,
great. Fine. We should grow as a country. By the way, we should have
more kids. That is a different conversation and a different debate.
Let's grow as a country. Fantastic.
Do you know what you need? Power.
Do you know what building we are sitting in right now?
One powered by natural gas.
Do you know what most of the hospitals and places in Texas that are
functioning right now in the great State of Texas are powered by?
Natural gas.
Do you know what we could be powered more by?
Nuclear.
Do you know why we are not?
Crazy ideas mostly from radical, progressive Democrats who don't want
to deal with the fact that we could actually safely have nuclear power.
The fact is, instead, we want to litter our continent with wind farms
and solar farms which are inefficient and unreliable, demonstrably and
proven to be so. That is the truth.
The fact here is we just want to have reliable power.
Even if you accept this trope that somehow we are having
significantly more storms----
Ms. KAPTUR. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. ROY. I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.
Ms. KAPTUR. Texas has a lot of wind farms and so forth.
Are you saying none of them are any good?
Mr. ROY. Reclaiming my time. Yes, we do. Yes, Texas has significantly
more wind and solar than a lot of other places in the world because we
embrace the all-of-the-above approach, and, no, I don't believe that is
a good thing. No, I don't believe that one-third of our grid in Texas
should be wind and solar.
Do you want to know why Texas is now more wind and solar?
Yes, we started it. But guess what?
The Feds are subsidizing the hell out of it. They are making it so it
is not cost-effective to be able to go build more natural gas and coal,
and that is destroying our country. The Federal Government is making it
where Texas and other States cannot have reliable power. That is the
truth. You are causing taxes on the American people, making our grid
unreliable, and this trope about storms is garbage.
The fact is over the last century, many, many more lives have been
saved because of the availability of reliable power than there were a
century ago when, for example, a hurricane demolished Galveston long
before there was any kind of fossil fuel issues.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 56 Offered by Mr. Roy

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 56
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 30, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $1,960,000,000)''.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Roy) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, my amendment fully defunds the Department of
Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EERE.
I offered this amendment because we cannot, in my view, continue to
fund the destruction of United States energy to satisfy the climate
agenda that I have been describing over the last 15 minutes.
I do want to say, with all due respect, I believe that the
Appropriations Committee did a good job in trying to pare this back,
and they limited the funding of this particular office knowing that it
deserves to be reduced.
I just want to take it a step further. I think when our country is
$35 trillion in debt, I think when our country is bleeding $2 trillion
a year, I think that our country needs to pinch every penny we can. I
think we should pinch those pennies in offices that are designed,
frankly, to undermine the very productivity and economic growth we need
to drive ourselves out of the debt that this incompetent Congress and
incompetent government created for the American people.
The fiscal year 2024 minibus, that is last year's spending bill, gave
this office $3.5 billion. Again, I want to applaud the Appropriations
Committee for reducing that down to about $2 billion, $1.96. I would
like to strike it to zero. That is what this amendment would do.
This office's mission is to ``equitably''--that is already a big
strike. Just start with equitably.
This office's mission is to equitably transition America to net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. It funds
wind and solar which are actively destroying the power grids which I
just described a minute ago, undermining the ability to have reliable
energy, despite the Department of Energy claiming they would lead to
``enhanced reliability.'' They don't.
On EVs, it funds zero-emissions vehicles which I already described
are significantly beneficial to the wealthy. Today, only the wealthy
can afford them. Fifty percent of them are saying they don't even want
them. They are piling up on dealerships' lots. We have the government
now saying that you have to have two-thirds of the fleet being
available by 2032. We shouldn't be funding an office to advance the
thing that is already being advanced by a Congress that is messing up
the ability of the American people to live.
Third, it is woke. It actively promotes divisive concepts like
``energy equity and environmental justice,'' whatever the hell that
means, which allocates taxpayer dollars based on immutable
characteristics.
This is, again, your glorious government at work, picking winners and
losers, dividing us up by race, making up all kinds of policies in the
name of wokeism while destroying our economy in the name of pursuing
their climate activist agenda.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I share some of my colleague's concern
about excess spending in EERE. EERE received over $16 billion from the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, of which there are billions in
unobligated balances remaining. These reasons are exactly why, and my
colleague from Texas alluded to this in his amendment, we reduced EERE
spending by $1.5 billion below fiscal year 2024.
In fact, the House bill has reduced funding for EERE below the fiscal
2016 level. However, respectfully, my colleague's amendment goes too
far in my view by eliminating funding for EERE.

[[Page H4781]]

I am actually a supporter of EERE. The work that they do advances
research and development on renewable technologies, advanced
manufacturing, and battery improvement. That includes essential work on
critical minerals that will help lay the groundwork for technologies
that will reduce our reliance on foreign supplies.
I think that is an issue we all can support.
I support strategic reductions to EERE, but I am not in favor of
eliminating the account and walking away from its ongoing work.
Mr. Chair, for those reasons I must oppose my colleague's amendment,
I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. ROY. I respect the gentleman from Tennessee, and I appreciate the
cuts as I already stipulated. I am glad to see it reduced by $1.5
billion. I still say that is $2 billion too many. I don't even know
where we are getting the $2 billion. I won't engage the gentleman on
that, but nobody on this floor can tell me where we are getting the $2
billion.
Mr. Chair, do you know what we are really doing? We are borrowing
money from China. Believe it or not, in the appropriations bill this
last go-round, we actually subsidized China. We borrow from China, we
pay interest, and then we turn around and we subsidize China. That is
what the geniuses of the congressional body do for the American people
while we rack up $35 trillion in debt.
Let's move off of the fanciful, radical climate agenda that is
destroying American entrepreneurial capability and abilities and
driving down prosperity, and let's move straight on to debt.
What in the hell are we going to cut if you can't cut this?
Who on this floor is going to stand up and talk about Social Security
and Medicare and everything else?
No. Everybody is going to preen and posture about it. Meanwhile, we
are destroying the greatest country in the history of the world by
putting a tax on the American people in the form of what? Inflation.
We are killing our own country while we spend money. Mr. Chair, $2
billion more is going to go to have this office advancing more of the
very radical agenda destroying our ability to produce wealth and drive
ourselves out of the debt. We are going to borrow $2 billion more so
that we can advance energy, equity, and environmental justice and try
to drive toward ``zero-emissions vehicles'' that I already described
only the wealthy are driving that cost $17,000 more than the internal
combustion engine, and we are going to drive up the price of a used
internal combustion engine so that a plumber in 2030 is going to
collapse. That is what is going to happen.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume
to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The bill
already cuts 43 percent in this account for energy efficiency and
renewable energy. I don't really understand the gentleman from Texas, a
lot of the things that he throws out there.
If you look at where agriculture is going in my part of the country,
where it is going is John Deere is on track to make a 100 percent
ethanol-powered tractor.
If I had said that to the gentleman 25 years ago, he would say: Well,
I can't think about that. That can't happen.
Guess what? It is happening.
For the eight counties I represent, the rural parts of those
counties, one-half of soybeans and corn go into making that fuel. We
are very proud of it. We are very proud of it. It is renewable energy.
In terms of solar, you say: Why do you need this?
When solar first got started in my area by individual entrepreneurs--
okay, inventors--the Federal Government, the Department of Energy
didn't even know about what they were doing. They took their technology
to the Department of Energy. Now they laud what the people were doing.
Guess what their problem was. It was getting financing and getting
help to bring their technology forward because they weren't a big
company, and they didn't have any of those angel investors like Texas
has.
Out where I live, the people have made it forward by their own
creativity and hard work.
We flew the first biofuel F-16 out of our National Guard base in
Ohio. It didn't come out of Texas. It didn't come out of Tucson, it
came out of our area because of the creativity our people.
Where this Department comes in and where this program comes in is for
the Americans who are out there today who are inventing something new
and need a little bit of help in order to get it across the finish
line. I want to help them, and I am looking toward advances in
biofuels, in hydrogen, and hydrogen fuel cells. Yes, in solar. I am not
against solar. Wind energy, you have more of that. We have quite a bit
in Ohio now, too. Geothermal, thermal heat recovery, advanced
manufacturing efficiencies, we are seeing those every day.
Weatherization and building materials, I can't get into all of that in
the brief time I have.
It is a revolution, and it is exciting. It is exciting to be a part
of America's future.
Our dominance in the solar industry, if we can get there, could
result in an up to $1.3 trillion market and 500,000 jobs. We are up to
about 200,000 jobs right now in that field, and we need more people to
specialize in the electricity of solar.
We can choose to give up American leadership in these technologies by
cutting further innovations, or we can embrace the future of the global
energy economy, and that is what I want to do.
Therefore, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' against
this harmful amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I will just add this. Every time I get my gas can
out and I have to use the stupid spout that spills all over the place
because it has been regulated by the Federal Government--we messed up
an actual gas can--and then I have to stick the gas in with ethanol
into it that goes into the engine that then clogs up the frigging fuel
pump that I then have to replace because of all that garbage, I would
just tell you that none of that stuff is there if it is not subsidized.
That is the truth.
The American people are tired of the Federal Government subsidizing
less than optimal energy, and that is what we are doing. Without those
subsidies, they die.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.

{time} 1515

Amendment No. 60 Offered by Ms. Tenney

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 60
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to pay Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm a salary
that exceeds $1.

[[Page H4782]]

Proterra stock while her boss, President Biden, repeatedly promoted the
company. Her husband owned Ford stock while she personally promoted the
company's work with official resources. She cashed in on millions of
dollars after these illegal transactions and a failure to disclose
obvious conflicts were revealed.
Most critically, she lied under oath to Congress, claiming that she
did not own any individual stocks when, in fact, she did. Anyone
disputing these charges should consult the following articles: Reuters,
``U.S. Energy Secretary Granholm violated ethics law, watchdog says'';
CNN, ``Biden touts electric car company potentially worth millions for
his Energy Secretary''; Washington Free Beacon, ``Energy [Secretary's]
husband held stock in Ford as admin approved billions in electric
vehicle subsidies''; and FOX News, ``Biden Energy Secretary Granholm
admits false testimony about owning stocks.''
Secretary Granholm has also promoted the Biden administration's
disastrous energy policies that are crippling our country and
preventing us from maximizing our energy independence and the all-of-
the-above strategy.
Energy security is national security, and Secretary Granholm is
directly jeopardizing our national security and violating our laws
under the Hatch Act.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in defunding
Secretary Granholm's salary by voting for this amendment, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, this amendment raises serious
constitutional issues and may amount to an unconstitutional bill of
attainder.
This is not the way to handle policy disputes with Secretary
Granholm, who is a very highly qualified, dedicated public servant.
I have never actually heard this. These are serious charges, and this
amendment prioritizes legislative theater over the American people and
has no chance of becoming law.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this harmful
amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I heard the assertions made by my colleague.
As I indicated, I cited actual news sources. The Secretary actually
testified before Congress, and it was determined that she lied under
oath.
Violating the Hatch Act is a crime under Federal statutes. It is time
that Ms. Granholm either resign or we should reduce her salary. We have
the right under Congress with our power of the purse to reduce her
salary, and that is exactly what we are doing here under the Holman
rule.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding
me time.
Mr. Chair, I respectfully rise to oppose the amendment. While I
completely understand some of the frustrations my colleagues may
experience with some of the dealings with the executive branch, I don't
believe reducing salaries to $1 is likely to solve the problem. I think
it may create a more challenging environment.
Mr. Chair, I respectfully ask for a ``no'' vote.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Garbarino). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).
The amendment was rejected.

Amendment No. 61 Offered by Ms. Tenney

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 61
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to carry out Executive Order 14019 (863 Fed. Reg.
13623; relating to promoting access to voting), except for
sections 7, 8, and 10 of such Order.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentlewoman
from New York (Ms. Tenney) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer my amendment No. 61
to the Energy-Water Development appropriations bill to prohibit funding
for President Biden's Executive Order No. 14019, titled: ``Executive
Order on Promoting Access to Voting.''
This executive order requires Federal agencies to use their power,
influence, resources, and Federal funding to enter into agreements with
nongovernmental agencies and organizations to conduct voter
registration and other mobilization activities.
Mr. Chairman, this executive order is nothing more than a blatant
attempt to transform the Federal Government into a partisan get-out-
the-vote machine for Democrats.
The Department of Energy should be nonpartisan, and Federal agencies
should not be using taxpayer funds to actively engage in get-out-the-
vote operations that have nothing to do with the agencies' core
missions, not to mention the obvious mission creep and Hatch Act
violations this activity would trigger.
Mr. Chair, President Biden should not be using American taxpayer
dollars to weaponize the Federal Government to manipulate and steer our
election in a partisan manner. As the cofounder and chair of the
Election Integrity Caucus, it is my privilege to introduce this
amendment to restore transparency and confidence in our democratic
process while keeping partisan Federal bureaucrats and the swamp from
deliberately tipping the balance at the ballot box.
I stand firmly behind the concept of one citizen, one vote, as
enshrined in our Constitution. However, I do not support this blatantly
partisan mobilization of the Federal Government for political purposes.
No citizen should have their vote diluted by Federal bureaucrats.
While our energy infrastructure and independence are at risk, and so
many communities in our districts do not have safe, clean drinking
water, the funds in this bill should be spent for the purpose they are
appropriated, not implementing a partisan get-out-the-vote initiative.
Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment,
which will preserve election integrity and stop the Biden
administration from transforming the people's government into a get-
out-the-vote machine for partisan Democrats. Let's make voting great
again.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, the gentlewoman's amendment
is another example of the majority proposing language that is not
germane to an energy bill. It is yet an additional illustration of how
Republicans are not interested in bills that can gain bipartisan
support and become law.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this harmful
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, unfortunately, my colleague is not correct on
this. The Biden administration put out Executive Order No. 14019 and
tasked all Federal agencies, including all the agencies that are
included in this appropriations bill, to get involved with third
parties in order to get out the vote, moving away from providing the
core missions we described that each of these agencies under their
appropriated designations are required to perform under law.
They are not allowed to get engaged in political processes, a direct
violation of the Hatch Act. That is why this bill is germane, and that
is why I urge all of my colleagues to actually support this bill.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

[[Page H4783]]

The amendment was agreed to.

Amendment No. 62 Offered by Mr. Van Drew

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 62
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations of the
Department of Energy.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in favor of my amendment No.
62. It would prohibit funds from being used for the Office of Clean
Energy Demonstrations within the Department of Energy. I know that
sounds like a wonderful title and Members think what could be wrong
with that. I am going to explain, Mr. Chairman, what is wrong with it.
This Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations is going to have an
equitable energy transition. Let's talk in real words about what that
means. It means that Americans who don't want this are going to be
forced to have this transition, and they are going to be forced into
spending their taxpayer dollars for it.
I will point out what Americans are tired of. They are tired of being
told what to do by politicians and those in certain positions of power.
I think we forget sometimes that Americans don't work for us. The
politicians, the Members of Congress, the Members of the Senate, and
the President of the United States work for them. So often, we forget
that.
What does this all mean, what this Department does, this group of
people who supposedly know so much? It means less reliable energy. It
means continued higher energy prices. It means less energy
independence.
Many of the technologies that this office uses and advocates for rely
on countries, particularly China, a country with a track record of
human rights violations, such as what goes on in Congo. Mr. Chair, I
want everybody to listen to this. That is where modern-day slavery is
in effect, forcing hundreds of thousands of Africans to work in
subhuman conditions in order to mine the cobalt needed for electric
vehicles.
How wrong is that? While we are driving around in our fancy electric
vehicles, mostly wealthier folks, these people are scratching the dirt,
trying to just survive, and we think that is a good thing. That is not
the American way.
It is also important to note, even if my colleagues do believe in it,
that America has these resources and is quite blessed with rare earth
minerals. This administration continues to prevent our ability to
actually mine them, so we depend on China more than ever.
Members couldn't make this stuff up. Members can't believe it, but it
is true. It forces us to purchase from China.
It is unfair, unethical, and, I would maintain, un-American to
continue forcing to pay this money, to continue forcing taxpayers to
subsidize it, to continue forcing Americans to have this shoved down
their throats when they don't want it.
We need to end the subsidization of clean energy in this form. Let
the marketplace take effect. Let's have the competition. Let's see if
nuclear is the best. Let's see if we can really build and supply more
solar panels in the United States of America but not rely on other
countries.
Eliminating offices like these is a step in the right direction. It
is the right thing to do for so many reasons. I have just outlined a
few of them.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, the Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations is responsible for managing more than $25 billion for
large-scale pilot programs and demonstrations across numerous energy
technologies. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer
funds, which is why the House bill includes no funding for the office
to conduct new demonstrations.
Instead, the only funds provided to the office in this bill are for
staff to provide project management oversight. My colleague's
amendment, respectfully, would prohibit funds for that oversight
function, preventing the office from ensuring programs are being
properly administered.
That would directly impact the success of important programs within
the office's jurisdiction, like the Advanced Reactor Demonstration
Program and the small modular reactor program. These programs, which
have strong bipartisan support, are essential to ensuring our Nation's
energy security and regaining U.S. leadership in nuclear energy.
We can't abandon our oversight responsibilities and risk the success
of programs like these. For these reasons, I must oppose the amendment,
and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 1530

Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I respect my colleague, Mr. Fleischmann,
tremendously. It is one of those few times we will have to agree to
disagree, but I think it is so important that we make a statement here.
There are some good things that office does, but they do so many
things that we don't agree with. This is the conundrum that we always
find ourselves in in Congress. In order to get a modicum of good things
done, we have to vote for the whole package and the whole thing moves
forward, and so many of those initiatives are not good, and that is the
problem here.
Let's do this right. I believe in nuclear. I believe solar can have a
role. I don't believe wind can do well, especially out in the ocean,
but the point is, let the marketplace of ideas be the ones that dictate
what we should do here. This office does so much that it shouldn't do,
yet we are told we have to vote for this because they do a few things
we agree with. I respectfully disagree.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment and say that
I can still recall in this country when the first Arab oil embargo
occurred in the late 1970s, and this country was shut down because we
were not energy independent inside our borders. When they chose to
close the spigot, unemployment in my area shot up to nearly 20 percent.
During this war in Ukraine that we are experiencing now, what does
Russia do? It tries to divert its oil shipments here and many other
places around the world in order to use that power to achieve its
political ends.
Energy is vital, and it can be used as a weapon. We have to be energy
independent inside these borders. The Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations was established in order to scale up emerging
technologies. We cannot just rely on the past. This is an agile
country. We have to build the future.
This office focuses on advanced nuclear, for example. It focuses on
carbon capture and energy improvements, both in rural or remote areas
as well as the reclaiming of former mine lands. We are looking at
smaller nuclear reactors in some of those places, industrial
demonstrations, working with the steel industry. They have made a
revolution in energy savings. It is exciting to see.
Their strategy includes energy storage demonstrations, regional clean
hydrogen hubs, which I hope someday to get in my area because I so
believe in hydrogen fuel cells, but we have to push the technology
further than it is and others yet to be invented, certainly in the
thermal energy recapture field.
Mr. Chair, we must continue to invest in an all-of-the-above strategy
to make this country energy independent in perpetuity. We cannot lose
our momentum, and, unfortunately, I believe

[[Page H4784]]

your amendment does exactly that, loses momentum. It helps to throttle
scientific innovation, which is what the Department of Energy has in
all of our 17 labs, everything that is being done. The average business
that is out there can't do some of what the Department of Energy can
help them do with a supercomputing capacity and with its ability to
deal with rare minerals and so forth.
The amendment may be well-intentioned in the offering, but I have to
oppose it, however, because I really think it drives America backward,
and that is not where we need to be at this moment in history.
Mr. Chair, I urge Members to vote against this amendment.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, just quickly to wrap it up, we are less
energy independent now than we were 4 years ago. I agree we should look
at nuclear, look at carbon capture, look at all these things, but don't
make us more dependent on other countries.
The wind turbines they want to build in our beautiful oceans are
going to make us more dependent on energy from foreign countries. What
we are forcing on the American public with the EVs, the electric
vehicles, will make us more dependent on China.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Jersey
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 63 Offered by Mr. Van Drew

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 63
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The salary of Jigar Shah, Director of the Loan
Programs Office, shall be reduced to $1.

The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1370, the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I rise today in favor of my amendment, No.
63, which would reduce the salary of Director Shah of the Department of
Energy's Loan Programs Office to $1.
Director Shah receives the allocation of grants and loans for clean
energy initiatives funded through both the Inflation Reduction Act and
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I voted for the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law, so it particularly disturbs me.
As this administration continues to prioritize dubious green
initiatives, American energy prices have gone up, not down, our
strategic reserves have been depleted, and reliable energy sources are
being overlooked in favor of less reliable energy sources.
Mr. Shah has played a critical role in that decline and he has hurt
America.
Beyond his advocacy for the Green New Deal, Mr. Shah's conflict of
interest and questionable business practices are deeply troubling.
Let me explain. Mr. Shah was the president of Generate Capital. He
provided a $100 million loan to Plug Power, a company that develops
hydrogen fuel cells.
Later, as director of the Loan Programs Office, Mr. Shah proceeded to
give Plug Power a $1.66 billion loan guarantee, but this came from the
Department of Energy, our tax dollars. Mr. Chair, it came from your tax
dollars and the tax dollars of Americans.
In 2023, Plug Power proceeded to report over $1.3 billion in losses.
This raises serious concerns about Mr. Shah's ability to conduct
proper risk assessment and the decisionmaking process that he has as
director, as well as concerns over his potential undue influence and
favoritism within the loan process for companies he has relationships
with.
Again, that is what Americans are tired of. They are tired of the
good old boy system. They are tired of money going to people that are
connected.
Mr. Shah also approved a $3 billion partial loan guarantee to a
company we have heard of: Sunnova. It is a solar company with a history
of questionable and aggressive sales tactics and some ethical issues,
including pressuring vulnerable customers into expensive, long-term
contracts that they didn't want or need.
It highlights another example of Mr. Shah's questionable financial
oversight ability, but it also breaches the public trust when such
companies receive billions upon billions of dollars that are taxpayer
dollars.
Mr. Shah has also admitted under oath--and I want everybody to listen
to this one; he said it under oath--he attended paid conferences where
he got paid where applicants to the Loan Programs Office were present,
and they paid to be there to hear Mr. Shah speak. We have got to wonder
about that one.
It raises serious pay-to-play concerns and is another example of his
potential conflict of interest playing a role where he allocates loans
as the director.
In light of these serious concerns, it is imperative that we take
decisive action to restore public trust in government. We work for the
public. They don't work for us. We have got to punish bad behavior, and
this administration does not.
By passing my amendment, which reduces his salary to $1, Congress
will send a clear message that ethical lapses are not tolerated, and
conflicts of interest are not tolerated and will not be accepted.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support it, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Norman). The gentlewoman from Ohio is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, this amendment raises serious constitutional
issues and may amount to an unconstitutional bill of attainder. This is
not the way to handle policy disputes with Jigar Shah, director of the
Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office. The amendment prioritizes
legislative theater again over the American people, and it has no
chance of becoming law.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this harmful
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I haven't seen any decision or anything that
says that it is unconstitutional. I do not agree. I urge people to vote
for my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Jersey
will be postponed.

Amendment No. 64 Offered by Mr. Van Drew

The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 64
printed in part A of House Report 118-602.
Mr. Van Drew. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:

Page 30, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced
by $10,000,000)''.
Page 32, line 1, after the dollar amount , insert
``(increased by $10,000,000)''.

[[Page H4785]]

to enhance the security of existing electrical transformers from both
physical and cyber threats.
Few parts of our Nation's infrastructure are more critical to
everyday life and national security than our electrical grid, and it is
under an alarming increase in threats over the past several years, as
we all know.
In 2022 alone, a decade-high surge in attacks occurred with 101
incidents being reported in August alone. While some of these instances
amounted to petty vandalism, some of the threats were serious. They
were real. They were coordinated efforts to cause widespread power
outages to all of our American citizens.
One such effort in Moore County, North Carolina, left nearly 50,000
people without power after two Duke Energy substations were shot at.
In 2023, extremists plotted to attack multiple energy substations in
Maryland with the goal of literally destroying Baltimore.
In Michigan, this year alone, 14 different incidents of gunshot
damage to transformers, regulators, and other electrical equipment have
occurred.
These are clearly not isolated incidents, Mr. Chair, but rather a
concerning and growing trend across the United States of America.
Perpetrators of these attacks have been part of extremist groups,
including neo-Nazi groups, and have admitted to seeking to sow unrest
and disrupt our infrastructure system to destroy and create anarchy in
our country.
While States have begun to act on this issue, it is far past time our
Federal Government got involved, ensuring that these critical pieces of
infrastructure are secured from all types of threats.
This amendment seeks to build off existing efforts by increasing
funding to go toward advancing security measures, increasing our
efforts to better detect, deter, and to respond to these attacks.

{time} 1545

This is not just a matter of infrastructure improvement. It is an
investment in our Nation's security and the well-being of our citizens.
I don't even have to say this, but I will. Electricity is a modern
necessity of life. Mr. Chair, this is what the American people want us
to do. This is what our job is supposed to be, to make sure that we are
safe and secure.
This amendment is a vital step toward protecting it from threats,
both domestic and abroad, and I urge my colleagues to support this
amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5
minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.
I rise in reluctant opposition to this amendment. It transfers $10
million to the grid deployment account from the energy efficiency and
renewable energy account for the purposes to enhance the security of
existing electrical transformers from cyber threats and from physical
attacks from individuals.
While I very much support the intent behind this amendment to enhance
the security of existing electrical transformers from cyber threats and
physical attacks, I cannot support the source of the funds for the
amendment, the energy and efficiency and renewable energy accounts,
which have already been cut by 43 percent.
Further cutting these programs, even for noble purposes, is not in
our Nation's interest. We can choose to give up American leadership in
these technologies by cutting further innovation, or we can embrace the
future of the global energy economy on all levels.
I point out that the Department of Energy's work to support and
secure the transformer supply chain spans across the Office of
Electricity, Grid Deployment, and Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and
Emergency Response with other programs also contributing.
I hope the gentleman can continue to work toward his objective, but
we will oppose this particular amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentlewoman's remarks.
However, I respectfully disagree. We are moving from one account, which
is basically forcing people to accept something that they do not want
and have clearly said that does not help America.
I also respectfully will disagree with her that we are not showing
American leadership. Maybe it is Chinese leadership or foreign
countries leadership. We are not energy independent now. We were. We
can be unbelievably energy independent. We can export energy and not
only fossil fuels.
Americans lead. Americans are great. Americans have the ability to
ensure that our country is number one. There is nothing wrong with
American exceptionalism and being the best and doing the most.
This is part of it. We have to make sure that we do what really truly
helps the American public, which is to make sure that we are safe and
secure and not forcing them to accept something that is going to be
very expensive and cause us to rely on foreign countries more than we
ever have in our American history of entrepreneurship and
exceptionalism.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. VAN DREW. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Jersey
will be postponed.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Van
Drew) having assumed the chair, Mr. Norman, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 8997)
making appropriations for energy and water development and related
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other
purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

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