Hearing of the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - Opening Statement of Rep. Rush, Hearing on End of Year Accomplishments

Hearing

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, delivered remarks highlighting the Subcomittee's end of year accomplishments alongside other Committee leaders.

Rush Remarks as Delivered:

I want to thank my Chairman, Mr. Pallone, and I want to thank the Vice Chair of the Committee.

As we stand here in this room -- the John Dingell Committee Room -- I just want to take a note and say that the work that we accomplished this year in some great sense was based on the work that preceded us by the Chairman John Dingell. This is a breastplate that I received from his office when he retired, and I'm proud to have this memento of his work that he did for the American people.

I am appalled, and I join with a chorus of others who demand that this midget-minded man called President Trump, that he apologizes to Debbie Dingell -- to the people of Michigan, to all of America -- for his demeaning and ill-advised comments trying to tear down the work of an American giant. He can't even reach the soles of John Dingell's feet, and his words certainly are empty as he tried to demean the work of one of the finest Americans and one of the finest members of Congress that this Congress has ever seen.

Today presents an opportunity for reflection as a year passes and focused discussion as we approach another. As the proud Chairman of this Committee's Subcommittee on Energy, I appreciate the opportunity to call attention to its recent contributions.

This year alone we have:

-Enhanced public safety and security by seeking opportunities to modernize the electric grid as well as passing legislation out of Committee to expand pipeline safety;

-Made our country's energy infrastructure more effective by reinforcing energy efficiency in our buildings and homes;

-Prioritized diversity in the clean energy workforce by moving the Blue and Green Collar Jobs Development Act; and

-Contributed to the Committee's broader mission to create a clean energy economy to combat climate change.

And we are just getting started. In the coming months we will:

-Enact the Safer Pipelines Act into law, which will improve pipeline safety and reduce methane emissions;

-Hold the Trump Administration accountable through effective oversight, ensuring that the DOE finally updates and finalizes efficiency standards, the NRC does not rollback reactor oversight, and that the Natural Gas Act is serving the interests of the American people; and

-Further we will ensure that all legislation to enable our transition to a cleaner, greener, and more diverse economy benefits all Americans, especially low-income consumers.

I remain steadfast in continuing this work as we approach the second session of the 116th Congress, because the nation demands and deserves that commitment from us.

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