Electric Supply Chain Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, energy security is national security. As the 119th Congress works to protect and strengthen America's energy backbone, we have a responsibility to ensure our decisions are informed, transparent, and grounded in vigorous oversight.

The American people expect us to safeguard the systems that power their homes, businesses, and daily lives.

My amendment is straightforward and common sense. It directs the Secretary of Energy to identify any vulnerabilities to our domestic energy grid that may arise from noncitizens' access to U.S. facilities that generate or transmit electricity. That is it. It creates no prohibition, no hiring restrictions, and no burdens on industry. It simply asks for information, information Congress needs to do its job.

The numbers alone underscore the importance of this issue. According to the report, the Department of Energy's 2024 Energy Employment by State report, my great State of Arizona employs more than 135,000 energy workers, including 25,000 in power generation and another 25,000 in transmission. Comparably, in Texas, 1 million Americans work in the energy sector. These are enormous workforces operating critical infrastructure that keeps our country moving.

Under Article I, Section 8, Congress has clear constitutional authority under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate and interregional commerce. Electricity, the last time I looked, doesn't stop at State lines.

Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 3062, the Proposing Cross- Border Energy Infrastructure Act, to streamline energy transmission across our international borders.

As we take steps to expand and modernize our energy systems, we must ensure our oversight keeps pace. By requiring the Secretary of Energy to periodically review access to critical facilities and notify Congress if any of these vulnerabilities are found, my amendment enhances that oversight. If risks exist, we address them. If they don't, the Department of Energy can focus its efforts on more pressing threats from our adversaries like China and Russia.

Mr. Chair, this is responsible governance. It strengthens transparency, fortifies national security, and ensures Congress remains fully informed about potential threats to the grid.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I think the gentleman is suffering from power phobia, but this is a report. That is all it is, a report. I think the old wives' tale actually says it best: ``An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'' This is a report. It has nothing to do with immigration or immigration-like actions. It is a simple report. If you do your oversight right, you better be following these reports. You better be finding where those little glitches may be, and this is one of those aspects.

Mr. Chair, I ask that everyone vote for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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