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Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.”  “Thank you to our distinguished witnesses who are here today to discuss the current state of an agency we all want to be there for us if we’ve been defrauded or deceived.  “The FTC’s core mission is to be at the forefront of protecting Americans, making it critical that they earn and keep the public’s trust and respect.”  DECADES OF BIPARTISANSHIP AND FOCUS   “I have been clear from the start of this Congress about my concern that the current FTC is heading in the wrong direction.  “Prior to the Biden-Harris administration, the FTC always worked to build consensus and champion bipartisanship.  “Certainly, there were differences of opinion—not every decision ended in a five to zero vote.  “However, at that time, commissioners and staff embraced a culture where they could freely exchange ideas and feel heard.  “Those open and honest discussions allowed the FTC to act in the American people’s best interest and garner the public’s trust.  “Disappointingly, this 40-year tradition and culture has been lost.  “The FTC has long acted as a ‘cop-on-the beat,’ not as a sector specific regulator in the way the Food and Drug Administration is, for instance.  “Unfortunately, the Commission has assumed more power and become a heavy-handed economy-wide regulator.  “This change in direction has led to many contentious and expensive court battles.  “I worry that the time spent in courtrooms—defending departures from past practices—is undermining the FTC’s core mission and overall success.  “I’m not alone in this view. The Supreme Court has concluded in unanimous decisions that the FTC’s historically commonly used tools have been expanded to become controversial and exceed their statutory authority.”  FTC NORMS AND PRACTICES   “Most notably, we have seen a breakdown in norms and practices that were considered commonplace in previous Democratic and Republican administrations.  “By removing ‘without unduly burdening legitimate business activity’ from its mission statement, the Commission has sent a clear message that it wants to be feared, instead of being a good-faith regulator.  “Job creators across the country now live in fear of receiving a letter out of blue threatening them on behavior they may not even be engaged in.  “Additionally, FTC Commissioners' rights have steadily eroded and access to important FTC business has been more shielded than ever.  “The Commission must take simple steps to start correcting course.  “For example, a cost benefit analysis should be done for all rules, 6B reports, and enforcement actions and commissioners and staff should have direct access to the economists working on it.”  DANGEROURS BRIAN DRAIN   “I’m hopeful that with a full set of commissioners, such access to the Econ Bureau and its specialists will again be the norm.  “Sadly, many career staff have chosen to leave or retire due to the decline of the agency's culture and disregard for its true mission.  “Respected surveys have shown employee morale and confidence in senior Commission leadership has steeply declined.  “Prior to Chair Khan’s appointment to the FTC, 87 percent of surveyed FTC employees agreed that senior agency officials maintained high standards of honesty and integrity.  “That number quickly dropped to 53 percent after just one year, then down to 47 percent a year later.  “It is also alarming that full time positions that Congress authorized for the FTC’s fraud prevention mission have been re-tasked to other areas.  “This is wrong and a clear attempt to bypass Congress and utilize the EU to impose more influence over U.S. companies since the Biden-Harris administration couldn’t find consensus here at home.  “Congress needs to reassert its Article I authority and act to stop this ongoing erosion of norms and longstanding Commission practices and restore the once strong processes of the FTC.  “While we have proposed legislation in the past, some of it has quickly become dated. I look forward to hearing from the experts here today on what Congress can do to put the FTC back on track and set the Commission up for success. “I know we share these goals, and I hope we can work together to achieve them.” 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.”    CURRENT FTC IS BREAKING HISTORIC NORMS “A couple months ago, our subcommittee welcomed the five Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine the current state of the agency.  “The specific focus of that hearing being to examine how Chair Khan is using the budget that Congress has afforded the Commission to carry out its mission. “During that hearing, I spoke about the bipartisan concern of Chair Khan’s priorities, intended or not, which have torn down the historic norms, practices, and reputation of the FTC as a consumer protection agency. “The precedent now being set matters—and we should discuss what this means for the future of the FTC’s trust with both consumers and business.”  DETERIORATING FTC CULTURE “Over the last few years, we’ve seen staff morale plummet. Despite being an independent agency, career staff no longer have the independence they used to have, particularly in educating consumers about avoiding scams. “Staff hours and resources that could have been spent protecting seniors in my state and others from scams were shifted to press releases and expansive rulemakings and competition issues.   Meanwhile, our constituents continue to be defrauded on a daily basis. “It just sends the wrong message when for decades, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, career experts were able to work with their economist counterparts to assess the cost and benefit of a proposal. “Instead, sadly that once commonplace approach was upended and powers consolidated under the Chair’s general counsel office. “This kind of approach isolates the commissioners from their value and expertise within the agency and further ups the ante on partisanship, rather than faithfully executing the law. “The whole process gets corrupted this way, as too often left out of FTC proposals is important economic analysis and thorough stakeholder collaboration and—of course—what impact may be had on the backbone of our economy otherwise known as legitimate businesses. “This shift of actively seeking civil penalties and sending warning letters to have the judicial standing to seek them is inappropriate and predatory and must be abandoned. “The FTC should seek to encourage compliance of their policies, not bank on enforcement. “We cannot allow this FTC to continue to ruin its prior reputation as the premier consumer protection agency for the country.” RETURNING FTC TO THEIR MISSION “Their task to protect consumers from fraud and scams is too important to dedicate resources on legal theories and gotcha schemes. “My words may be harsh, and I may be upsetting some of my colleagues, but every day my constituents are plagued by scams: examples such as bad actors stealing seniors’ hard-earned money by pretending to be a loved one in search of help or claiming they’re a government agency warning of impending legal trouble that only a 500-dollar gift card could solve. “And in this economy, according to reports, Florida ranked third in most scams reported by residents: 1,393 per 100,000 residents. “This hearing serves to take a fresh eye to older reform proposals, to start thinking about new ones, and get the FTC back to its tried-and-true approaches and its essential consumer protection role. “Americans every day are getting ripped off. “I know each of us want the FTC to have the tools they need to go after these bad actors, and we must be responsible when legislating to prevent history from repeating itself from when much earlier iterations of the FTC tried to enact expansive rulemakings. “Let’s use this discussion today to learn what we can be doing to reform the FTC and turn it back into an agency each of us, on both sides of the aisle, would be willing to go to bat for.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Full Committee markup of 16 bills.    “We’re continuing this Committee’s mission to make life better for the American people—and future generations—by taking action on legislation from across several of our subcommittees.”  REPEALING HARMFUL MANDATES “We will consider three Congressional Review Act resolutions to rein in harmful regulations that are shutting down affordable, reliable energy and driving up costs for the American people.   “Energy is foundational to everything, and America needs more energy—not less. Rep. Balderson’s resolution is critical to achieving that by repealing the EPA’s plan to shutter American power plants and slash baseload energy. “Additionally, Rep. Allen’s resolution will overturn the administration’s harmful PM2.5 standard, which poses a major threat to America’s economic future by making it nearly impossible to build and manufacture goods in the U.S. “This will crush good-paying jobs, devastate communities, and further cede America’s economic leadership to countries like China. “We should be making it easier—not harder—to expand manufacturing in the U.S. “And lastly, Rep. Fulcher’s resolution will halt the EPA’s proposed rule for heavy-duty vehicle emission standards—a rule that will not only drive up costs across the board, but also threaten the security of our supply chains. “I thank the sponsors for their leadership on these bills.” IMPROVING AMERICANS’ HEALTH AND WELL-BEING “Today, we will also continue to build on our efforts throughout this Congress to improve the health of the American people and foster medical innovation and research in a bipartisan manner. “We will consider legislation led by Rep. Carter to extend telehealth flexibilities for seniors in Medicare in a fiscally responsible manner. “Additionally, we’ll advance bipartisan legislation to help speed up the process for getting treatments to children with cancer and other rare diseases. We’ve worked hard for a bill that will get broad, bipartisan support today. “We will move forward on legislation to enhance access to care for seniors and those with disabilities, including a bill to expand the Medicaid buy-in program for working seniors with disabilities, which will include a provision to pilot new tools for states to provide better home and community-based services to people with disabilities. “Yet another bill we will consider will ensure access to care for active-duty military families who risk losing access to key services when they travel to serve our country. “Finally, we will move forward legislation that will provide more information for those with disabilities and their families. “I want to thank all of the Members who worked hard to get these bills one step closer to becoming law.” PROTECTING KIDS ONLINE “Next, we will join together in a bipartisan way on behalf of the millions of parents, grandparents, and kids across the country to say enough is enough. “The Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Act , COPPA, provides important updates to a law that was first passed more than 26 years ago and addresses the realities and threats facing kids and teens online in the modern internet ecosystem. “I’d like to thank Reps. Walberg and Castor, and Senators Markey and Cassidy, for all of their hard work in championing this legislation. “We will also consider the Kids Online Safety Act , which will provide both kids and parents the tools they need to better protect against serious online threats to children’s health and emotional well-being. “I’d like to thank Subcommittee Chair Bilirakis and Reps. Kathy Castor, Erin Houchin, and Kim Schrier for their leadership on this legislation. “These bills are two important pieces to begin ushering in a new era on the internet, one that is defined by accountability and safety. “Lastly, we will be considering the A.M. Radio for Every Vehicle Act , led by Subcommittee Chair Bilirakis and Full Committee Ranking Member Pallone. “This legislation will preserve this key resource that millions of Americans rely on for critical information, especially during public emergencies. “I did want to mention one bill that we will not be considering today, the REPAIR Act led by Dr. Dunn. I want to recognize the hard work that he, his staff, and numerous stakeholders have done since the bill was considered in the IDC subcommittee last October. “While we aren’t marking it up today, a lot of progress has been made, and I would encourage members and stakeholders to keep working together to find a path forward on this important piece of legislation. “In the nearly 230-year history of this Committee, we have established a rich tradition of taking on the hard problems and delivering solutions for the American people. “Today we will continue to build on that record of success. “I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting all of the legislation being considered today.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) today announced a Full Committee Markup of 16 bills.  “The Energy and Commerce Committee is continuing its work to deliver solutions and make life better for the American people. At this week’s markup, we will consider more than a dozen bills, including legislation to repeal harmful regulations that are jeopardizing America’s economic and energy security, extend telehealth services for seniors, and continue to incentivize important innovation for pediatric rare diseases,” said Chair Rodgers. “We will also consider legislation to provide the most significant protections and safeguards to date for children online. The Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act are historic pieces of legislation that finally answer the call of parents across the country who are desperately looking for Congress to act to shield our children from the threats they are facing online. I look forward to taking the next steps in getting these critical pieces of legislation signed into law and ushering in a new era on the internet.”  WHAT: A Full Committee Markup of 16 bills.  DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 2024  TIME: 10:00 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building Legislation to be considered:   H.R. 670 , Think Differently Database Act (Reps. Molinaro and Sherrill)  H.R. 8107 , Ensuring Access to Medicaid Buy-in Programs Act of 2024 (Reps. Ciscomani and Gluesenkamp Perez)  H.R. 8108 , To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to add a Medicaid State plan requirement with respect to the determination of residency of certain individuals serving in the Armed Forces (Reps. Kiggans and Kaptur)  H.R. 3433 , Give Kids a Chance Act of 2024 (Reps. McCaul and Eshoo)  H.R. 7188 , Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act (Reps. Moolenaar and Dingell)  H.R. 7623 , Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 (Reps. Carter, Blunt Rochester, Steube, Sewell, Miller-Meeks, Dingell, Van Drew, and Morelle)  H.R. 3227 , Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act (Reps. Estes and Connolly)  H.R. 9067 , Building America’s Health Care Workforce Act (Rep. Guthrie) H.R. 7155 , United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act of 2024 (Reps. Harshbarger, Vargas, Weber, Peters, Harris, Levin, and Allen)  H.J. Res. 139 , Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relating to "Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting” (Reps. Fischbach and Pence)  H.R. 7890 , Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (Reps. Walberg, Bucshon, Carter, Dunn, Eshoo, Castor, Moulton, and Auchincloss)  H.R. 7891 , Kids Online Safety Act (Reps. Bilirakis, Bucshon, Castor, Houchin, and Schrier)  H.R. 8449 , AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (Reps. Bilirakis and Pallone)  H.J.Res. 163 , Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule” (Rep. Balderson)  H.J.Res. 133 , Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles-Phase 3" (Rep. Fulcher)  H.J.Res. 117 , Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter" (Rep. Allen) This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Alex Khlopin at Alex.Khlopin@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov and Kate Roberts at Kate.Arey@mail.house.gov .

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) today announced a hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.” “The Federal Trade Commission has a long, bipartisan history of protecting consumers, without unduly burdening legitimate business activity. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen the Commission take a different approach when it comes to its historical norms. Such a shift raises questions on its preparation for rulemakings, its retention of staff, and the long-term impact on its effectiveness in sustaining court challenges” said Chairs Rodgers and Bilirakis. “We look forward to a conversation with experts on how the FTC’s departure from its traditional standards is affecting Americans in their daily lives, consumer safety, and American businesses across the country.” Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing titled “Federal Trade Commission Practices: A Discussion on Past Versus Present.” WHAT: Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing to discuss the change in norms and practices of the Federal Trade Commission. DATE: Thursday, September 19, 2024 TIME: 10:30 AM ET LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Alex Khlopin at Alex.Khlopin@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Kate Roberts at kate.arey@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) press for information regarding antisemitic harassment and intimidation at UCSF and its associated medical centers under UCSF Health. The investigation comes as part of Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) House-wide  effort  to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses.  KEY EXCERPTS:   “As a recipient of federal funding—both through various U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for health care services provided at UCSF Health medical centers—UCSF has an obligation to comply with federal law and to prevent and appropriately respond to discrimination and harassment.”  [...]  “The reports of antisemitic harassment and intimidation at UCSF and its associated medical centers coupled with the inadequate response by UCSF leadership is concerning to the Committee. Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe environment for all students, faculty, staff, and patients is a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as Chancellor of UCSF and UCSF Health." [...]  “Failing to comply with basic safety protections for members of the UCSF and UCSF Health communities or failure to respond appropriately to and prevent harassment and discrimination, no matter the cause, may be grounds to withhold federal funds from the university and its associated medical centers. Congress has an obligation to ensure compliance with Title VI. If Congress determines an institution of higher education is in violation, we may consider rescinding research and development funds previously appropriated. Similarly, if Congress determines a medical facility is in violation, we may consider rescinding the right to participate in federal health care programs.”  BACKGROUND :  An encampment in front of UCSF’s medical center has caused significant disruption to campus and health care operations, as well as great distress for members of the community, including health care professionals and patients.  Many Jewish health care professionals working at UCSF Health have also expressed concerns regarding their safety—including concerns of their private information being made public.  This fear is well founded, as there have been numerous antisemitic public statements by faculty, staff, and students at UCSF and/or UCSF Health, such as assertions that patients should fear Jewish doctors, false claims that Israel trains U.S. police to brutalize people of color, or statements that Israelis in the U.S., including students at U.S. universities and medical schools, who have served with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) should be tried for war crimes.  Hundreds of complaints of antisemitism and/or a hostile work environment have been made by employees and patients of UCSF and UCSF Health to the UCSF Office of Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD), with confidential sources reporting that most complainants receive a response that these actions and statements fall under free speech protections.  CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

Letter comes on the eve of athletes competing in the Paris Olympics and after WADA’s President refused to attend an Energy and Commerce Committee oversight hearing Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka, bipartisan House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders pressed for answers regarding WADA’s handling of positive doping cases within China’s national swimming team ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. The letter contains questions that bipartisan Committee Members would have asked during a recent Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing , which Mr. Banka was invited to attend but refused to appear. Witnesses that did testify at the hearing included: Michael Phelps, American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist   Allison Schmitt, American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist   Travis Tygart , Chief Executive Officer, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) KEY EXCERPTS:   “We write today to express our sincere disappointment at your refusal to accept our invitation to attend and provide testimony at our recent Subcommittee hearing. Members of Congress have important questions for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and are especially concerned about recent reports of your handling of dozens of cases of doping within the Chinese swimming team.  “WADA purports to maintain the integrity of sports by creating a fair and competitive sporting environment free from doping. As a U.S. taxpayer supported entity, WADA has a responsibility to the American people to ensure this integrity by enforcing international testing requirements. We believe WADA has fallen short of this important mission. ”  [...]   “ We are particularly concerned with the excessive deference being extended toward CHINADA—a state-funded operation with leadership deeply intertwined with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as current [Chinese Anti-Doping Agency] CHINADA director Li Zhiquan also serves as a Committee Secretary for the CCP. At a meeting in 2023, Zhiquan called on CHINADA employees to be 'loyal to the party' and to 'hold high the great banner of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.' Furthermore, WADA’s reported sponsorship arrangement with ANTA Sports—the Chinese athletic company sponsoring the Chinese Olympic Committee and China’s national swimming federation—could be perceived as a conflict of interest. Since WADA is expected to uphold and maintain international anti-doping standards, WADA’s apparent lack of skepticism and failure to enforce the rules against CHINADA is troubling. While we are aware that WADA has opened an investigation, we are concerned that international scrutiny was necessary to force due diligence that should be routine .”  [...]  “This incident unfortunately reinforces our concern that WADA appears to be reverting to its previous poor management practices.”  [...]  “With the Paris Summer Olympic Games Opening Ceremony just a day away , the Committee seeks to better understand the circumstances surrounding WADA’s decision not to appeal the decision to clear the twenty-three swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine.”   BACKGROUND :  In January 2021, 23 Chinese swimmers (“23 swimmers”) tested positive for trimetazidine, or TMZ, a banned substance improperly used to increase stamina and hasten recovery times.  Three months after the positive tests, CHINADA initiated an investigation into the source of the TMZ and by June 2021 claimed the athletes ingested the banned substance through food tainted in a hotel kitchen.  According to reporting, Chinese investigators “offered no explanation […] for how a prescription drug available only in pill form had contaminated an entire kitchen.”  In reliance on “external legal advice” and its science department, WADA determined that CHINADA’s claims were “plausible” and chose not to appeal the decision or further investigate the matter.  Three of these Chinese swimmers went on to win gold medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games in July of 2021.  China has selected 11 swimmers that tested positive for TMZ before the Tokyo Games to compete in the upcoming Paris Games.  In a strikingly similar case, Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater, also tested positive for the banned substance TMZ during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.  The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) issued a provisional suspension but was quickly cleared by RUSADA’s discipline board, since Valieva claimed she ingested the substance by mistake through a contaminated source.  Rather than simply accept RUSADA’s contamination explanation, WADA appealed the decision and ultimately, Valieva received a four-year ban from competition and was retroactively stripped of her gold medal. The letter was signed by Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ), Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL). CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Consumer Product Safety Commission Budget.”  “Good afternoon to everyone here and welcome to today’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Hearing for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I want to thank all five of the Commissioners for appearing before us today to discuss the important mission of ensuring people across the nation are protected against risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products. “In particular, I want to thank the Chair of the Commission, Alex Hoehn-Saric, for his work in promoting safety and protection in a fair and reasonable manner—I know you are particularly familiar with this Subcommittee as well, with your background as a Chief Counsel. “I also thank the employees at the Commission who work closely with Customs and Border Protection at ports across the country, inspecting millions of consumer products for hazardous, unsafe, or counterfeit goods.” PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM DANGEROUS PRODUCTS “This work is important in ensuring public safety, and in recent years with bad actors in China continuing to flood our nation’s borders, has become extraordinarily difficult. “These consumer safety issues have consistently been a bipartisan effort for the Congress since the enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Act in 1972, and the statute has long been explicitly clear in the way that it requires the Commission to operate and work side-by-side with industry stakeholders. “The existing law’s model has proven very successful in protecting the public against harms, while still allowing for new innovations to thrive in the marketplace. “The law mandates the Commission to defer to voluntary product safety standards when applicable and has a clear due process requirement for ensuring corrective actions are taken when problems arise. “Many of these voluntary standards are created and revised on a regular basis, in close conjunction with the American Society for Testing and Materials International, and I appreciate the tireless efforts that many in the industry do to ensure their products work effectively and safely for millions of consumers every day.” CPSC IMPOSING A RUSH-TO-GREEN AGENDA “However, I know not everyone shares the same view that this model works the way it was designed to, and I have significant concerns about the 'government-knows-best' mentality that is rampant across the Biden-Harris Administration. “When we started this Congress last year, we read reports that Commissioner Trumka had discussed the idea of a universal ban on gas stoves in this country. “The American people have made it clear to us: this type of government overreach is unacceptable. “We know those in the rush-to-green movement would like to ban all gas-powered appliances in our homes. “I’m grateful that our Committee acted quickly to denounce these ideas and moved forward with Rep. Armstrong’s bill the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act and Rep. Lesko’s companion bill in the Energy Subcommittee to prohibit this type of regulatory approach. “I’m worried that these types of 'regulate first' mandates will kill the ingenuity of the American spirit and the strongest marketplace in the globe—unfortunately that’s what the Biden-Harris Administration has become known for.” RETURNING THE CPSC TO ITS MISSION “I hope that the CPSC will not fall into this thinking any longer and instead work with Congress on ways we can ensure the American people stay safe through consensus measures. “In fact, this Committee has proven on a regular basis this year that it can deliver bipartisan wins in protecting consumers, including House passage of the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act , Rep. Trahan’s Youth Poisoning Protection Act , and Rep. Balderson’s Awning Safety Act . “In each of these bills, we’ve come to agreement to put appropriate guardrails in place to protect lives and prevent unreasonable risk of death and injury from the everyday products American consumers use. “In closing I appreciate the important work of the Commission, but similarly to my comments at our FTC hearing earlier this month, I implore the Chair to ensure that you do not erode the public’s trust and instead work with us to protect consumers. “I look forward to conducting this important oversight and to hearing each of the Commissioners’ testimonies.” 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 Consumer Product Safety Commission Budget.”  “The last time CPSC appeared before this Committee was in 2019, so this hearing is long overdue.  “I want to welcome back Chairman Hoehn-Saric, who is an alum of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the best Committee on Capitol Hill.  “I also want to welcome back Commissioner Feldman—who is the only member to testify last time commissioners were in front of this committee, and I want to thank all of the other Commission members, along with the dedicated career staff, for their service and hard work to carry out the agency’s mission.”  TAKING ACTION TO PROTECT AMERICANS   “The Energy and Commerce Committee has been leading the way this Congress to advance bipartisan solutions to protect the American people.  “One of our top priorities for this Congress has been addressing the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party.  “We have advanced policies that protect the American people from questionable products coming from China ranging from defective and unsafe products to those developed using forced labor or as a result of disturbing human rights abuses.  “Now that CPSC is at full capacity with all of its commissioners, it’s critical that the agency works to implement the important bipartisan legislation we’ve moved through this committee, especially efforts like the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, STURDY Act, and Reese’s Law, which have had the strong backing of Ranking Member Schakowsky, someone with a long track record on these issues.  “We’ve also advanced bipartisan legislation to protect Americans from hazardous products ranging from home awnings to faulty lithium-ion batteries to dangerous chemicals available online. “I look forward to working together to get those pieces of legislation signed into law as soon as possible and to continue to work in a bipartisan way to protect the American people.” KEY EFFORTS UNDERWAY AT CPSC “The CPSC has also been hard at work.  “I was pleased to see the agency prioritize the hiring of a Chief Technology Officer and Chief Data Officer to modernize the agency’s capabilities.   “I hope this leads to better efficiency and protection of the agency’s data than what we have seen in the past.    “These roles should also help the agency use their resources effectively and oversee the increased use of AI and machine learning to efficiently and accurately target hazardous products entering the country.   “I am also glad that the children’s product defect team has been reinstated, though it is still unclear to me why it was discontinued in the first place.  “Certainly, the most important action the Commission can take is to help strengthen protections for children.”  MORE WORK TO BE DONE   “While there have been many successes this Congress here at the Committee and at the Commission, there are still many areas where the CPSC needs to improve its operations, especially as we consider the agency’s budget.  “Under the leadership of the previous two acting Chairs, the Commission fell into disrepair. “Since the last time we had you all here, CPSC experienced a massive a data breach of all confidential incident data held by the Commission, imposed a six-month COVID-19 pandemic closure of port inspections, shuttered CPSC lab testing in support of enforcement and the development of the STURDY rule, accumulated around 200 open inspector general recommendations and reports showing a culture of mismanagement of agency funds, and has started to stray from its core mission in pursuit of a more politicized agenda with initiatives like a rule to ban gas stoves in the name of consumer protection when it is clearly just a backdoor attempt to advance the current administration’s radical green agenda.  “More troubling still are the claims from your own inspector general that his independence was under attack.   “While many of the IG’s recommendations have been closed out related to these specific incidents, the Commissioners need to ensure a culture at the agency that respects the IG’s independence.  “The CPSC plays an important role in helping to protect the American people from dangerous products.   “The agency is at its best when it is fulfilling its core mission, through enhancing security at our ports, protecting our kids, and ensuring companies are in compliance with the law. “I look forward to discussing how to best ensure CPSC is adhering to its core mission and how we can continue to work together to keep the American people safe.”