[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[House]
[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.

  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 offer a critical amendment 
pausing wasteful, unnecessary spending on the Savannah River Plutonium 
Processing Facility.
  I offer 12 different, brief reasons why I offer this amendment.
  The first is that it is unnecessary for deterrence. While we 
recognize the need to preserve a safe, secure, and effective nuclear 
deterrent, the current modernization plans are not required to maintain 
a capable deterrent against a nuclear attack on the United States or 
its allies for the foreseeable future.
  The premise of modernizing the Savannah River Plutonium Processing 
Facility is to meet a requirement to produce 80 pits per year, a number 
not grounded in need. America already has more than 4,000 plutonium 
pits, and we lack scientific data to determine whether or when they 
need to be replaced without additional plutonium aging studies.
  The estimated cost of the Savannah River facility has skyrocketed 
from $3.6 billion to nearly $25 billion since the start of the project. 
It will likely continue to increase as the program is not scheduled to 
be completed until 2035, and according to an August GAO report, could 
be delayed even further until 2038.
  Continuing to fund this project without addressing its financial 
inefficiencies diverts crucial resources from other vital defense and 
domestic programs.
  The project faces numerous technical and operational challenges, 
which have resulted in delays and increased costs. A July 2024 GAO 
report found, yet again, that the National Nuclear Security 
Administration lacks a comprehensive schedule or cost estimate that 
meets GAO best practices and has not identified all the activities or 
milestones to achieve an 80-pit-per-year production capability, 
recommendations that have remained opened and unaddressed.
  Similar projects in the past faced similar issues, often resulting in 
cancellation after significant investments. Learning from these 
precedents, we should reconsider the current project's viability.
  The project's history of delays and technical issues suggests a 
pattern that is unlikely to be resolved without substantial additional 
costs and time.
  Robust oversight and accountability mechanisms are essential for 
managing such high-stakes projects. Unfortunately, this project has 
demonstrated a lack of effective oversight. The Under Secretary for 
Nuclear Security testified that Congress will not be able to meet the 
80-pit production by 2030, highlighting the program's mismanagement.

[[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 CO2 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.

  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. Chair, I rise today to offer my amendment No. 60 to 
reduce the salary of Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to $1.
  Since taking office in January 2021, Secretary Granholm has violated 
the Hatch Act multiple times. She owned

[[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)''.

  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. 
64.
  This amendment would increase funding at the Department of Energy

[[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.

                          ____________________