00:00The gentleman from California, Mr. Levins, recognized for general remarks on the bill.
00:06Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank the ranking member, and I thank all the staff who worked
00:11so hard on this bill. I appreciate the time and effort that's gone into this.
00:16Regretfully, I can't support the bill as written. I want to begin by saying something I think we
00:20all agree on, that our job here, in large part, is to make life more affordable and more secure
00:26for the people we represent, certainly what guides every budget decision that I make,
00:33and that's where I do have serious concerns about this bill. I think we would all agree
00:37families are already feeling squeezed between rising energy bills, water bills, and housing costs.
00:43They need relief, not more pressure, but this bill would shift more of the burden onto working
00:49Americans rather than helping to ease it. As has been said, it cuts over $660 million from clean water
00:56and drinking water programs, funds that cities and towns rely on to replace lead pipes,
01:02to modernize old systems, and to protect water supplies. Here's what's important. When that funding
01:07disappears, local governments don't just absorb that cost. They raise rates. They raise rates,
01:15and that hits families and small businesses and rural communities especially hard. The bill also
01:21blocks common sense fuel efficiency standards. And whatever you drive, I think everybody wants more
01:27miles per gallon. Rolling back efficiency certainly doesn't lower gas prices. It makes people fill up
01:34more often and spend more at the pump. And of course, it cuts the Environmental Protection Agency by over
01:4120%. That shrinks our ability to respond to real problems. PFAS contamination, hazardous waste sites,
01:49air and water pollution. These aren't abstract issues. They're showing up in our districts and they impact
01:55real people. Now, let's not forget why the EPA was created. And I quote,
02:00restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. It has become a
02:07common cause of all the people of this country. Clean air, clean water, open spaces. These should
02:13once again be the birthright of every American. President Richard Nixon, January 22nd, 1970, in his
02:21State of the Union. I'd like to think that we would all respect the words of President Nixon as the EPA was
02:27being created. Now, let me speak directly about energy. So I understand and respect the important
02:32role that oil and gas play in our economy, including in my home state of California. These
02:37are industries that employ hundreds of thousands of people and help fuel our nation. But this bill goes
02:43beyond support for fossil fuels. It actively makes it harder to build the clean energy projects that are
02:49now the cheapest forms of new electricity in the United States. Wind and solar, as I've said before, are
02:55cost competitive. They're increasingly reliable and they're creating jobs in every corner of the
03:00country. So why underfund the very offices that help permit those projects? Why limit consumer choice
03:06and slow the expansion of the most affordable power sources on the market? This doesn't have to be an
03:13either or conversation. We can support our existing industries while also investing in the technologies
03:19that will keep energy affordable, secure, and competitive in the years and decades ahead. And if we
03:24don't, China and other countries will continue to dramatically outpace us in clean energy
03:30manufacturing and deployment, undermining our economic leadership and energy independence in the long
03:35run. I'm also concerned about what this bill means for our public lands. The National Park Service is
03:41already stretched thin with staff shortages and billions in deferred maintenance. Cutting their funding
03:47even further means campgrounds closed, restrooms shut down, and fewer rangers on the ground. That affects
03:53families, veterans, outdoor businesses, and the local economy that relies on tourism and recreation
03:59in so many parts of the country. At the end of the day, I just don't believe this bill reflects the
04:04values that we share. Affordability, fairness, competition, and responsible stewardship. We can and
04:11should work together to reduce costs for families, to modernize our infrastructure, and to ensure we have
04:17a balanced energy strategy that keeps us strong and globally competitive in the decades ahead. So I hope
04:23we can make the improvements necessary to get there, and I hope we can do it together. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I'll yield back.
04:29Pew работ, Tn ataram.
04:31Tn, Nathan, and I'll yield back.
04:33,
04:37lardage'r W
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