Foxx Opening Remarks on Unleashing American Energy, Protecting Livestock, and Preventing Migrant Crime
As prepared for delivery:
Good afternoon, the Committee will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.
Today, the Rules Committee is convening to consider six separate measures: H.R. 845, H.R. 1366, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632, H.R. 4371, and H.R. 4776.
H.R. 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, would require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue regulations removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Legal activism on the part of progressive judges has bound the hands of states and prevented them from enacting their own rules and regulations related to managing their grey wolf populations
As a result, our nation’s agriculture community has become even more vulnerable to these predators.
This legislation restores decision making authority to those who best understand the local needs of farmers and ranchers.
H.R. 1366, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, would provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites and would establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund that would conduct abandoned hardrock mine reclamation.
Mineral production remains essential to supporting America’s standing within the global energy marketplace as well as strengthening our competitive edge against our adversaries.
This bipartisan piece of legislation will help dissolve bureaucratic roadblocks, unleash even more economic prosperity, and meet the overwhelming demand for more mineral production right here at home.
To make sizable progress on building out our nation’s mineral supply chain, it’s imperative that we pass this legislation.
H.R. 3616, the Reliable Power Act, would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review regulations that may affect the reliable operation of the bulk-power system.
As has been said many times before, the demand for electricity is rising in America – we know this to be true, and we cannot afford to put off addressing this important issue.
This legislation acts as a safeguard against overbearing federal regulations that threaten the strength and reliability of America’s power system.
The previous administration smothered our nation’s electric grid with red tape to the detriment of all Americans – that damage must be undone.
H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act of 2025, would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to require electricity-generating facilities to continue operating under certain conditions to ensure reliable service on the bulk power system.
The bill amends section 207 of the Federal Power Act to clarify the process by which a state Commission or transmission organization can file a complaint with FERC to furnish adequate service if interstate service of a public utility is found to be inadequate or insufficient.
This is yet another positive piece of legislation that not only works to ensure the reliability of electricity for Americans across the nation, but it also places an important focus on maintaining grid reliability within the states.
H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act, would amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to enhance efforts to combat the trafficking of children.
Three and a half years ago, in July of 2022, Kayla Hamilton, a young woman who this legislation is named in honor of, was murdered by an illegal alien from El Salvador who was allowed to enter the U.S. under the Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program.
Instances of violent crime committed by UACs released to sponsors, such as in Kayla Hamilton’s case, are part of a larger, disturbing pattern that must be confronted.
This legislation is designed to prevent tragedies like Kayla’s murder by requiring HHS to request UACs’ criminal records from their home countries.
Further, it requires UACs with convictions for certain serious crimes to be placed in a secure facility, imposes stronger background checks and criminal history requirements for sponsors and adult members of their household, and closes a loophole in current law that allows illegal aliens to serve as UAC sponsors.
Finally, we turn to H.R. 4776, the SPEED Act, that would amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to clarify ambiguous provisions and facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely environmental review process.
Republicans and Democrats should agree that America’s permitting process remains a fundamental roadblock in ensuring that every American has access to reliable, affordable, and low-emissions energy.
This bipartisan legislation, at its core, is about good stewardship of the environment – and eliminating the bureaucratic constraints that push America further away from economic and environmental prosperity.
We have a very good slate of bills here today, and I look forward to the discussions we’ll have.
With that, I now yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. McGovern, for any comments he wishes to make.
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