Cathy McMorris Rodgers - the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Cathy McMorris Rodgers - the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered her opening remarks at the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials hearing. The hearing was titled "The Fiscal Year 2025 Environmental Protection Agency Budget."
Rodgers stated, "Today we will discuss the President’s budget and priorities for the Environmental Protection Agency. This committee plays a critical role in ensuring U.S. energy and economic security and leadership." She continued by praising America's history of innovation and entrepreneurship while maintaining high environmental standards.
However, Rodgers expressed concern over what she sees as a radical agenda from the Biden administration and congressional Democrats. She claimed that their spending and regulatory policies put America on a dangerous path that threatens economic and energy security while enriching adversaries like China.
"Since President Biden took office, the EPA has been given $109 billion in additional funding and grown its workforce to over 15,000 employees," Rodgers noted. She pointed out that President Biden's budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 contains almost $11 billion in new funding requests for EPA—an increase of more than 8 percent from the current year.
She also criticized the administration's impact on electricity prices, which have risen 30 percent since Biden took office. Rodgers warned that continuing this trend could lead to higher prices and catastrophic blackouts.
Moreover, she accused the Biden administration of causing harm to Americans through auto waivers for California and other allied states, as well as federal mandates on car makers. According to her, these actions are taking away affordable transportation options from Americans.
Finally, Rodgers condemned what she sees as harmful regulatory practices by the Biden administration. She said that it has finalized 125 rules resulting in over one trillion dollars of new regulatory costs on American businesses—costs that will eventually fall on American citizens.
In conclusion, Rodgers called for a return to EPA's core mission without undermining the economic prosperity of the United States or driving up costs for Americans.
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