Electric Supply Chain Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise today to oppose H.R. 3638, which places an unnecessary burden on an already understaffed Department of Energy and does nothing of substance to support and secure America's electric supply chain.

The Electric Supply Chain Act must be examined in the broader context of this administration's reckless workforce reductions and funding cuts at the Department of Energy and surging electric prices across the Nation. Already, as a result of DOGE buyouts or early retirements, the slashing of our workforce has forced over 3,500 Department of Energy staff out of office.

In fact, the key offices responsible for implementing this very bill have lost a significant portion of their staff. The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains has lost about two-thirds of its staff and was eliminated from the Department of Energy's organizational chart altogether. The Loan Programs Office has similarly lost a significant number of staff and was further gutted under the Republicans' big, ugly bill.

The effects of these cuts have far-reaching implications on the Department of Energy's ability to perform and meet expectations. Across the country, businesses and community partners are waiting to hear from the Department of Energy about critical contracts and access to funding. Congressional offices inquiring on their behalf are still waiting for answers.

My office has heard that in some cases the Department of Energy can't even determine who is responsible for certain projects because too many experienced staff have been pushed out of office. With the Department of Energy already struggling to meet its current obligations, how can we pretend that it is business as usual and justify piling on additional duties when there is no one to perform them?

Unfortunately, this bill represents much of the same failed energy policy that we have seen this year from our Republican colleagues. It adds busywork to the Department of Energy's already overfilled plate in the name of shoring up America's electric supply chain while doing nothing to address the active harm done to that very same supply chain by Republican attacks on clean energy, the cancellation--authorized by the big, ugly bill--of grants and programs that invest in American energy and tariff policies that make it difficult to complete some projects.

If Republicans were serious about supporting and protecting our energy supply chain, they would not have canceled $8 billion worth of grants to over 300 energy projects across the country.

They would not have decimated the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit, which sought to encourage more domestic manufacturing and production of clean energy components.

Instead, my colleagues across the aisle should have invested more in developing domestic sources of clean energy, invested more in domestic manufacturing, and invested more in producing and refining rare earth minerals, either domestically or with our close allies.

What we have before us today is an empty messaging bill with unfunded mandates for busywork that will not provide the clarity and direction that we need to support and protect America's clean energy supply chain.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and refocus on efforts that will actually strengthen our energy supply chain and reduce energy costs for our families.

I implore the Members of Congress to stand up for the Federal workforce that has been traumatized and decimated this year, while we continue to put bills forward that put more work on the backs of those that are left and ignore the fact that there is not a sufficient workforce to do any of the work that we have in these bills that keep coming to the floor. It is lunacy, and we need to get back to reality.

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