Foxx Opening Remarks on H.R. 6387, H.R. 6398, H.R. 6409, H. Res. 1156, and H.R. 8035

As prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon, the Committee will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.

Today, the Rules Committee is convening to consider five measures: H.R. 6387, H.R. 6398, H.R. 6409, H. Res. 1156, and H.R. 8035.

H.R. 6387, 6398, and 6409, three measures from the Energy and Commerce Committee, pertain to mitigating regulatory burdens - that stem directly from the Clean Air Act - that fall upon the shoulders of the states.

Inevitably, some will leap to their feet and allege that Republicans are gutting supposed environmental safeguards and that we don't care if the world burns.

We don't need a crystal ball or some sort of tarot card reading to predict this - it's the same line that's used ad nauseum with no deference whatsoever to facts or evidence.
Let's be clear about the facts and the context surrounding them.

The Clean Air Act was signed into law more than 50 years ago. Since this time, we've found better ways to prevent wildfires.

We've made unmatched progress against emissions. And we live in an age when foreign pollution has contributed to nonattainment designations in at least 85 counties.

The air quality of some communities is suffering due to no fault of their own. We shouldn't be using the Clean Air Act as a punitive machine against our localities.

Perhaps most important is the fact that related Supreme Court case law has changed and intersecting statutes have been rewritten.

We need to reconcile these elements of the Clean Air Act with these facts, and our colleagues across the aisle are more than welcome to join us in enacting meaningful reforms.

H. Res. 1156 would express the House's support for tax policies that support working families across our nation as well as a recognition of the positive impacts that the Working Families Tax Cuts have delivered for hardworking families.

And what are some of those positive impacts?

• Increasing access to health savings accounts for millions of Americans.
• The permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit.
• A permanent increase in the standard deduction.
• No tax on tips, and no tax on overtime.
• The expansion of educational freedom and choice through 529 accounts for families.

The list goes on and on - the facts and evidence as to why the Working Families Tax Cuts are a boon for the American people are as clear as day. There's no debate about it.

Finally, we'll turn to H.R. 8035, which reauthorizes Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act until October 20^th of 2027. As President Trump and others have said, FISA remains extremely important to our national security, especially given the current global events.

A short extension -- 18 months -- will ensure the Trump Administration has the tools necessary to protect our homeland, preserves the recently enacted reforms critical to safeguarding Americans' constitutional rights, and will allow Congress to continue to evaluate any future changes that may be necessary to the program.

With that, I look forward to the discussions that will take place here today, and I yield to the Ranking Member for any comments he wishes to make.

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