April 2nd, 2023

WEEKLY SCIPT

Friends,


Thank you for taking time to read my weekly update. Below you'll learn more about what I'm doing in Washington to support Iowans in the first district.

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Weekly Roundup

We had another busy week in Washington! A few highlights include hosting over 100 constituent meetings, chairing my first Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee hearing, passing H.R.1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, and questioning Secretary Becerra at an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing.

HR 1 Will Deliver Lower Emissions, Lower Costs, and More Energy Independence

Op-ed co-authored by Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and John Curtis (UT-03), published in the Washington Examiner.


People have made it clear that they want affordable, reliable, and clean energy. For too long, Washington’s energy policy has been distorting free markets to pick winners and losers, while spending trillions of taxpayer dollars in an effort to reduce emissions.

 

As the leaders of the Conservative Climate Caucus, we are fully committed to leaving this Earth better than we found it. However, just because we care about this Earth doesn’t mean we must endorse policies that hurt our economy while letting foreign polluters, particularly China, off the hook.

 

As Republicans, we support policies that can lower energy costs for people, help our nation become energy independent, and lower global carbon emissions. This is why H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, is so important. It helps us accomplish all three.

 

Put bluntly, we can’t spend our way out of permitting delays. Department of Transportation and Department of the Interior projects alone have approval processes ranging from five years to 15 years. As members of Congress, we have the privilege of meeting many of the brightest minds running the largest energy companies in the world, and without fail, they say the same thing: A clean energy future is impossible without permitting reform.

 

These opinions aren’t just limited to energy CEOs, though. According to a recent poll from Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum, 80% of people support policies that expedite government review of infrastructure projects. This is why permitting and regulatory reform are at the heart of H.R. 1, allowing us to get energy to the public and the world more quickly. As fiscal conservatives, we also take pride in the fact that responsible permitting reform has the opportunity to lower emissions while also costing zero taxpayer dollars.

 

H.R. 1 didn’t just fall out of thin air. House Republicans committed to unleashing American clean energy, which is why Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) created the Energy Climate and Conservation Task Force in the 117th Congress to build consensus around an energy road map. Heavily influenced by the task force’s report, H.R. 1 includes all kinds of resources, from our natural gas, which is produced cleaner than anywhere else in the world, to the critical minerals we need for renewables, energy storage, and future technologies.

 

America has vast natural resources, and opening domestic mining and manufacturing can begin to replace a critical minerals supply chain dominated by China. We cannot build a clean energy future that is reliant on minerals produced by countries with human rights violations and without any regard for environmental standards.

 

H.R. 1 is not just about advancing American energy. It is also critical to lift communities at home and abroad out of energy poverty. We cannot leave the developing world in the dark, and H.R. 1 can help provide them with access to cleaner, more affordable energy.

 

This legislation is an opportunity for the United States to reemerge as a global leader and power the world with our clean resources, all while creating more jobs at home. It’s past time for the U.S. to rise to the occasion and provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy to the world. If we can set the standard, other nations are sure to follow.

 

H.R. 1 is the result of the hard work of various congressional committees, the Energy Climate and Conservation Task Force, and input from countless members of Congress. As such, we should all support H.R. 1 and send this critical bill to the president's desk. It's time to prioritize American energy and unleash the full potential of our energy resources. H.R. 1 can make it happen.

Iowans in DC

It is always great to meet with Iowans while they are in Washington! It truly is my favorite part of serving in Congress. Speaking to residents of the First District allows me to stay informed of what is going on in their communities and what I can do to help.

I had a great meeting with the Iowa Pork Producers to discuss priorities for the upcoming Farm Bill. In working together with our farmers and producers in Iowa, we can ensure the Farm Bill will have the protections they need to continue their operations.

I also met with the Greater Iowa Apartment Association in Washington. We had a productive conversation about major challenges facing renters in today’s economic climate.

I had a great time stopping by the Iowa State Society event! It was nice to see so many familiar faces in Washington.

Bill Signings

It was an honor to join Speaker McCarthy as he signed two important pieces of legislation—the Waters of the U.S. Congressional Review Act and a bill to end the national public health emergency.

Legislative Roundup

This week, I was joined by my colleagues in the Iowa congressional delegation, U.S. Representatives Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Zach Nunn (IA-03), and Randy Feenstra (IA-04), as well as U.S. Representatives Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Darin LaHood (IL-16), and Angie Craig (MN-02) in introducing the Next Generation Fuels Act, legislation to phase in higher gasoline octane levels through the greater use of ethanol. By increasing the amount of ethanol that can be utilized in the fuel supply, prices at the pump will decrease for consumers. Text of the bill may be found HERE.


I also voted in favor of the following legislation:


H. Con. Res. 15“Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition”


H.R. 1154“To combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs



H.R. 1107“To direct the Secretary of State to take certain actions with respect to the labeling of the People's Republic of China as a developing country” 


H.R. 1189“To require the development of a strategy to eliminate the availability to foreign adversaries of goods and technologies capable of supporting undersea cables” 

Committee News

Click HERE to watch my full line of questioning during the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing titled "Lowering Unaffordable Costs: Examining Transparency and Competition in Health Care"


HERE you can watch my questioning of witnesses during the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Hearing Titled "The Consequences of School Closures: Intended and Unintended"


HERE you can watch my questioning of witnesses during the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Hearing on the government response to the East Palestine Train Derailment.


Floor Speeches

This week, I spoke on the House floor in favor of H.R. 1, The Lower Energy Costs Act.

Sincerely,
Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks
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