Providing for Consideration of H.R. Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 756 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 756
Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4394) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The amendment printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived.
Sec. 2. (a) No further amendment to H.R. 4394, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution, and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of this resolution.
(b) Each further amendment printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules 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 this resolution, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.
(c) All points of order against further amendments printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules or against amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution are waived.
Sec. 3. It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or her designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of further amendments printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of this resolution, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.
Sec. 4. During consideration of H.R. 4394 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.
Sec. 5. At the conclusion of consideration of H.R. 4394 for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill, as amended, to the House with such further amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit.
Sec. 6. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 4364) making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The amendment printed in part C of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 7. House Resolution 699 is laid on the table.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.
House Resolution 756 provides for consideration of H.R. 4394, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024, under a structured rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit.
The rule makes in order 60 amendments. Further, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4364, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2024, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.
Madam Speaker, since President Biden took office, gas prices are up 60 percent; natural gas prices are up 25 percent; coal prices are up 70 percent; and electricity prices are up 24 percent.
This should raise alarms on the other side of the aisle. I don't mean pulling fire alarms. This should get the attention of the other side.
H.R. 4364 restores American energy dominance. It invests in our national security and delivers fiscal responsibility for the American taxpayer.
As a Navy veteran, I am proud to support H.R. 4394, which provides $32.51 billion in Defense spending. That is an increase of more than $1 billion over FY23 enacted levels.
This legislation continues efforts to modernize the Nation's nuclear weapon stockpile, supports Columbia-class submarine reactor development and helps counter our adversaries.
Additionally, H.R. 4394 prioritizes energy security and economic competitiveness by investing $200 million in critical mineral production and supporting domestic uranium enrichment capabilities.
Finally, this legislation rescinds $5.58 billion of absolutely reckless spending that was wasted by the previous majority. It terminates Biden's waters of the United States rule and it cuts the dangerous, radical, and extreme Green New Deal programs.
Madam Speaker, additionally, H.R. 4364 ensures that Members of Congress can address the needs of their constituents while prioritizing deficit reduction.
H.R. 4364 reduces spending by 4.5 percent, provides Capitol police officers with an increase of $46 million over last year, and protects House networks by banning the purchase of telecommunications equipment made in China.
As we work to pass single-subject appropriations bills, I am proud to support the underlying legislation which upholds the House Republicans' commitment to the American people.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I have to share a story about Secretary Granholm because you just can't make up this stuff. NPR reported this story, which makes it even more rich.
Secretary Granholm took a 4-day EV propaganda road trip on the taxpayers' dime that turned into an absolute nightmare for the Secretary. At a stop in Georgia, there was only one available EV charging station for the Secretary's motorcade. What did she do? Well, they had the Department of Energy advance team--who were traveling in gas-powered vehicles, I might add--they had that advance team go in and reserve a spot while others waited in long lines, battling the summer heat.
Rightfully, a family that was traveling with a baby actually called the police on Secretary Granholm and her advance team.
Earlier this year, Granholm stated, ``We can all learn from what China is doing,'' regarding climate policies. Let's just talk about what China is doing because that is about as laughable as the story about her failed propaganda trip.
China emits 30 percent of the world's global emissions. They emit more than the developed world combined. They emit more than the United States, the EU, and Japan combined. By far, they are the largest polluter in the world.
My friends across the aisle will say nothing to criticize China, by the way.
China's coal-fired power plants generate more than 23 percent of all forms of U.S. energy combined, and they are allowed to increase their emissions through 2030 under the laughable Paris climate accord. We could all laugh at this if it wasn't for the devastating effects that Democrats' climate policy has on the working class in America and for our competitive edge on our number one adversary on the world stage, and that is China.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me be clear about something. You can't be anti-China and pro-EV. You can't be anti-China and pro-Green New Deal. These things are completely incompatible.
Let me explain. Throughout the Biden Presidency, his administration has been dead set on advancing the foolish, reckless, and extreme Green New Deal agenda. This path forward has propped up our adversaries such as China, which we now rely on for critical minerals to build the expensive EVs that liberals like to parade around in in their affluent suburban neighborhoods. Biden's officials openly acknowledge that fact.
During an Appropriations subcommittee hearing earlier this year, the Interior Secretary admitted that the Biden administration's Green New Deal policies actually make our Nation more reliant on China. She admitted it at the hearing.
Do you know what? She is right.
China accounts for 63 percent of the world's rare earth mining, 85 percent of rare earth processing, and 92 percent of rare earth magnet production. This plays a massive role in producing 70 percent of the global EV battery supply.
While Democrats cheer on these foreign green efforts, China is busy emitting more greenhouse gas than the U.S. and all other developed nations combined.
It has never been more clear. When President Biden and Democrats push for their green agenda, what they are really doing is empowering the Chinese Communist Party, and they are doing it at the expense of the American worker.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
It is quite the intellectual yoga exercise to somehow say that Republicans are encouraging Russian gas. It is the exact opposite.
Let's think about it. Do you know why there are Russian oil tankers in the harbor in Boston? It is because far-left radical activists, namely the entire Democratic Party, have decided to cancel a pipeline that should have been running from Philadelphia into New England called the Constitution Pipeline that would have brought clean natural gas from Pennsylvania into New England so the residents there have cheap, abundant natural gas and are not forced to buy dirty petroleum from Russian.
Again, the intellectual gymnastics and yoga are quite amazing.
Let's talk about some other far-left, radical policies of my friends across the aisle and how it has made us more dependent on Russia and more dependent on China.
For one, they have a new list of regulations on coal-fired power plants, making it harder for us to burn our clean coal here in the United States and forcing coal producers to ship coal to places like China, where they don't use scrubbers, by the way. Liberals across the aisle ended the Keystone XL pipeline, coincidentally killing tens of thousands of union jobs that they purport to support. They also canceled Federal oil and gas leasing on Federal land.
I ask you, which policies make us more dependent on Russia, ours or the radical left's?
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), my good friend and fellow member of the Rules Committee.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Talking more about the Democratic fascination with helping China, let's go back to 2022. In 2022, gas prices hit an all-time record high. Instead of reversing the failed policies of the Biden administration that actually led to gas prices increasing at that rate, instead of doing that, Biden sold 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to temporarily lower gas prices in a cheap political gimmick.
What did this do? This drained our emergency energy supply to its lowest level since the 1980s, the lowest level since I was born.
Who benefited the most from this? Well, it wasn't the American worker. It was China. According to the Department of Energy, China's state refining company bought 2 million barrels of Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil in 2022.
Instead of powering China's economy, House Republicans are passing legislation this week that actually lowers energy costs, that ends radical Green New Deal programs, and restores our energy independence.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, it is clear, President Biden's energy policies benefit our foreign adversaries, not the American worker.
The Biden administration has made our vehicle market heavily dependent on communist China. The administration has also cut deals with Iran. I might remind everybody that Iran is a state sponsor of terror. In fact, the Biden administration released $6 billion in oil revenue that will fund terrorist operations against the United States and our number one ally in the Middle East, Israel.
Recently, the President drained our strategic oil reserve to the lowest levels. To what end? To fuel China's economy.
Earlier this year, FERC Commissioner Mark Christie predicted in a Senate hearing that our energy grid is: ``. . . heading for a very catastrophic situation. . . . ''
Why is this? It is because of the far left's rush to foolish green policies. This is the wrong path to go down.
This is why I am proud to support the underlying legislation which restores the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. It also helps our national security mission, increases funding for our ports and inland waterways, like the locks and dams that run through my district, and it invests in our Nation's security.
After the previous majority spent $3 trillion outside of the appropriations process, this legislation actually reins in billions of dollars to reduce our out-of-control national debt.
Under House Republicans, we have passed legislation to lower energy costs for the American family, reformed our permitting process, allowed the Mountain Valley pipeline to finish construction, and preserved vehicle choice in the marketplace. This legislation before us keeps up that commitment to the American people.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.
The material previously referred to by Ms. Scanlon is as follows: An Amendment to H. Res. 756 Offered By Ms. Scanlon of Pennsylvania
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 8. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. The resolution shall be considered as read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question except one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees.
Sec. 9. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H. Res. 178.
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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
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