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Here's a look at documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate
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Energy and Commerce Members Introduce Bills to Reform Clean Air Act Permitting
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
Energy and Commerce Members Introduce Bills to Reform Clean Air Act Permitting
Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, applauded the introduction of four bills that provide commonsense reforms to rein in outdated and overburdensome Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations that have stifled American manufacturing and growth without delivering promised environmental protections.
The Air ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Energy and Commerce Members Introduce Bills to Reform Clean Air Act Permitting Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, applauded the introduction of four bills that provide commonsense reforms to rein in outdated and overburdensome Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations that have stifled American manufacturing and growth without delivering promised environmental protections. The AirPermitting Improvements to Protect National Security Act, led by Chairman Gary Palmer (AL-06), the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act, led by Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act, led by Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), and the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act, led by Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08), address excessive regulatory red tape under the CAA that creates bottlenecks, delays investment, and slows our nation's ability to compete with China.
"Meaningful permitting reform cannot be accomplished without modernizing the Clean Air Act. Our Committee is working to end the suffocating regulatory state that the Biden-Harris Administration sought to entrench, ultimately halting manufacturing and driving investments overseas," said Chairman Guthrie. "These bills will cut through the red tape that has hurt American businesses and workers, while still ensuring strong air quality protections. If we want to win the AI race against China, deepen our global leadership in advanced manufacturing, and continue onshoring more investment, we will need to be able to build the needed infrastructure, facilities, and power generation--these bills will help us to achieve these goals. Thank you to Chairman Palmer, Chairman Joyce, Congressman Pfluger, and Congressman Evans for leading the introduction of these important bills."
"Manufacturing and critical mineral facilities that are essential to our economic stability and national security are currently being delayed due to permitting gridlock caused by burdensome regulations," said Chairman Palmer. "This amendment to the Clean Air Act is long overdue. It's time we remove unnecessary roadblocks so that we can adequately support domestic production while also ensuring we are protecting future generations' environment and quality of life."
"Simply stated, more efficient project approvals will create new Pennsylvania jobs," said Congressman Joyce, M.D. "I'm proud to introduce the RED Tape Act and offer a commonsense solution to eliminate redundant federal approvals that delay economic growth and job creation."
"American companies are being unfairly penalized for pollution originating outside the United States. We've seen how even the mention of a nonattainment designation, like when the Biden EPA threatened to redesignate the Permian Basin, can create significant uncertainty for businesses and communities," said Congressman Pfluger. "These designations delay permits and hurt economic growth, while failing to address the very problem they are trying to solve. My bill restores commonsense by preventing the EPA from punishing states for pollution they didn't cause - including foreign emissions, cross-state transport, wildfire smoke, and mobile-source emissions outside their control. I'm proud to lead this bill as another major step in modernizing and strengthening America's broken permitting system."
"A leading reason for the affordability crisis facing Coloradans is red tape around air quality permitting. When the economy is strangled under the weight of costly, poorly designed ozone attainment standards, jobs are lost, prices spike, and financial stress increases negative health outcomes," said Congressman Evans. "Clean air is important to everyone, but Colorado jobs should not be penalized for emissions outside of their control -- whether it's Canadian wildfires or Chinese pollution. My bill, the FIRE Act, is a common-sense solution that will drive down costs for working families in Colorado by clarifying that Clean Air Act benchmarks should not be used to punish jobs and hamstring the economy for things like prescribed burns or out-of-state wildfire smoke."
Background:
Air Permitting Improvements to Protect National Security Act
* The Clean Air Act requires pre-construction permits for major sources of emissions and pollution, but Section 173 of the Clean Air Act currently includes a provision allowing offset requirements to be waived for rocket engines or motors, which are essential for national security.
* This bill expands that authority to include advanced manufacturing facilities and critical minerals facilities, which are vital to strengthening America's supply chains and national defense.
* Under the bill, the President may determine that an advanced manufacturing facility or a critical minerals facility is exempt from offset emissions credit requirements. An advanced manufacturing or critical mineral facility may also receive an exemption to the offset requirements if it can show offsets are not readily available and that the facility is working to maximize emissions reductions.
* Importantly, these facilities would still be required to meet all other Clean Air Act permitting requirements, ensuring continued environmental protections.
Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act
* Under current law, the EPA conducts a second review and publicly comments on the environmental impacts of other federal agencies' projects and regulations, even where the EPA has participated in the initial environmental review. This has created redundancy and adds a costly, duplicative, and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
* Agencies that prepare environmental impact statements already have the expertise to evaluate their own projects. Adding a full and secondary review creates duplication and delays in the system.
* The RED Tape Act would eliminate the EPA's burdensome requirement to provide duplicative feedback on other agencies' environmental impact statements under NEPA.
Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act
* States across the country are being unfairly penalized for pollution that originates beyond U.S. borders, including from natural events like the Canadian wildfires. Under current law, states can adjust their air quality plans if foreign emissions affect their ability to meet federal air standards.
* However, recent EPA guidance has limited permissible adjustments only to human-caused emissions, creating unnecessary hurdles for states and industries already working to comply with the Clean Air Act.
* The FENCES Act clarifies that all foreign emissions, whether natural or human-caused, are excluded when determining whether a state meets national air quality standards or when reviewing new facility permits. The bill also allows states to account for foreign emissions earlier in the process, rather than waiting until all other requirements are complete.
Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act
* The FIRE Act ensures that states are not punished for smoke and emissions they cannot control, while still maintaining strong environmental protections. It provides clarity and predictability for air quality planning, reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens on manufacturers and communities, and rewards proactive wildfire mitigation that protects public health and improves future air quality.
* The legislation updates Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act to clarify how emissions from wildfires, prescribed burns, and other exceptional events are treated in federal air quality reviews. It strengthens states' coordination with the EPA to ensure timely, transparent exceptional-event determinations.
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Original text here: https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/energy-and-commerce-members-introduce-bills-to-reform-clean-air-act-permitting
E&C Democrats Demand Answers on FDA's COVID Vaccine Memo
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
E&C Democrats Demand Answers on FDA's COVID Vaccine Memo
Democratic Committee Leaders Seek Documentation and Transparency as Trump Administration Seeks to Limit Vaccine Access via Email Without Providing Evidence
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Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * E&C Democrats Demand Answers on FDA's COVID Vaccine Memo Democratic Committee Leaders Seek Documentation and Transparency as Trump Administration Seeks to Limit Vaccine Access via Email Without Providing Evidence * Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke(D-NY) wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary today voicing serious concerns with the Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Dr. Vinay Prasad unilaterally ordering new guidelines for vaccine development in an email to career scientists. Prasad's memo was littered with disinformation and failed to provide evidence for its shocking claims.
"There is no credible scientific basis for Dr. Prasad's claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to children's deaths, which you yourself parroted the following day in an interview. The 'findings' Dr. Prasad references in the letter were not published in a peer reviewed journal or otherwise made public," Pallone, DeGette, and Clarke pressed in their letter to Makary. "It is appalling that your leadership would circulate misleading statements that are known to be scientifically overstated and yet they demand they be treated as truth."
In the memo, Prasad writes children died "after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination" - an unsupported accusation that is not grounded in meaningful scientific analysis. In fact, Dr. Prasad concedes as much by writing that the relation of these deaths to vaccination is only "possible."
As the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) meetings continue today with changes to the childhood vaccine schedule that were demanded by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Pallone, DeGette, and Clarke also made clear that no scientific basis exists to make life-threatening changes to vaccine access for Americans.
"FDA has yet to provide meaningful data to prove these changes are necessary. It is clear that these changes will certainly make it more difficult to get approval of vaccines through the process that experts say has 'helped provide children and adults with timely access to safe and effective vaccines, saving many lives,'" Pallone, DeGette, and Clarke continued in their letter.
The Democratic Committee leaders demanded the following information on FDA's practices by December 19:
* Data upon which FDA drew the conclusion that "at least 10 children have died after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination";
* FDA's weighing of the COVID-19 vaccine's proven effectiveness in preventing illness, hospitalization, long COVID, or death in children against its claims of COVID-19 vaccine related deaths;
* FDA's source of legal authority in unilaterally releasing its "path forward" for vaccine regulation via email;
* Data supporting FDA's determination that the existing regulatory requirements are insufficient to show safety and efficacy of vaccines; and
* Names and titles of all HHS personnel who were involved in proposing such policy changes.
"Dr. Prasad's memo represents a dangerous trend in the agency's politicization of science under your leadership. His email makes clear that Dr. Prasad has aligned himself with an extreme, anti-vaccine, partisan agenda that puts the lives of the American people at risk," Pallone, DeGette, and Clarke concluded.
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December 5, 2025
To: Martin Makary, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Food and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993
Dear Commissioner Makary:
We write to express our continued concern over the growing role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in undermining our nation's vaccine infrastructure--limiting access to safe and effective vaccines that protect patients. In the agency's latest attack, Dr. Vinay Prasad, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, sent an email to career scientists and other civil servants containing inaccuracies, misinformation, and unsupported claims regarding the agency's regulation of vaccines, and asserting an unproven link between COVID-19 vaccines and pediatric deaths. Dr. Prasad's factually unsupported statements continue a troubling trend under your leadership--of the agency making policy announcements with zero transparency regarding its decision-making process, zero public access to the "evidence" it is relying on, and zero opportunity for the public to provide input. Twelve former Commissioners from both Democratic and Republican administrations wrote regarding their concern that FDA is upending core policies of vaccine development in a way that undermines the public interest.1
Dr. Prasad's has offered no credible scientific basis for his claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to children's deaths, which you yourself parroted the day after his memo became public in an interview.2 The "findings" Dr. Prasad references in the letter were not published in a peer reviewed journal or otherwise made public. Its first sentence, stating that children died "after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination," implies causality between receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and pediatric deaths--an unsupported assertion that is not grounded in meaningful scientific analysis. In fact, Dr. Prasad concedes as much in the next sentence, by saying the relation of these deaths to vaccination is only "possible." It is appalling that your leadership would circulate misleading statements which are known to be scientifically overstated and yet they demand they be treated as truth.
FDA has also made the deeply irresponsible decision to withhold the data that supposedly supports these latest claims. Dr. Prasad claims these statements are a "profound revelation," but has yet to provide evidence to substantiate his claims. He also claimed "many more deaths may be unreported," but provided no epidemiologic evidence from experts to suggest there was underreporting for pediatric deaths. He also ignored these vaccines were evaluated at previous FDA advisory committee and ACIP meetings, during which scientific experts examined the benefit-risk profile and determined these vaccines met the threshold to be administered. Meanwhile, you and Dr. Prasad have treated the fact that 183 children died of COVID-19 in the United States from 2020 to 2022 as, in effect, irrelevant.3
Further, Dr. Prasad used reports from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to make his claims. However, the VAERS database allows anyone to submit entries, which is why the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) disclaims that it may "contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable" on the database's website.4 Though this publicly-sourced data is helpful in identifying early safety signals for new vaccines, Dr. Prasad is now reevaluating old data instead of examining new safety reports or data, which would provide updated signals for any such side effects.5 As experts note, reports of such cases are often complex and require careful scrutiny to determine true cause of death.6 They also note it would not be surprising if these blunt claims, which do not appear to be coupled with required medical verification, are debatable.7
The email also proposes several new changes for oversight and approval of vaccines, such as stricter requirements for authorizing vaccines for use by pregnant women, unspecified revisions to seasonal flu vaccine approval, requiring studies for co-administration of vaccines (which is already standard practice), and requiring large, randomized studies of pneumonia vaccines to prove reduction of disease rather than show the creation of antibodies. FDA has yet to provide meaningful data to prove these changes are necessary. It is clear that these changes will certainly make it more difficult to get approval of vaccines through the process which experts say has "helped provide children and adults with timely access to safe and effective vaccines, saving many lives."8 As experts have also noted, establishing FDA regulations via internal agency email is legally questionable, eliminates the opportunity for public comment, and creates regulatory uncertainty for the companies looking to bring potentially beneficial products to market.9
While this email is vague regarding what the changes in policy will be, it is crystal clear that you and Dr. Prasad have preconceived notions of supposed harms that justify policies to limit American's access to these safe and proven vaccines. Experts have already said the standards you and Dr. Prasad appear to be setting are "impossible," and in many cases "unethical," to meet.10 Others have noted your actions amount to an unprecedented "science by press release" and an undercutting of scientifically supported methods. 11 This could also chill development of new vaccines.12
Dr. Prasad's memo represents a dangerous trend in the agency's politicization of science under your leadership. His email makes clear that Dr. Prasad has aligned himself with an extreme, anti-vaccine, partisan agenda that puts the lives of the American at risk. Meanwhile, claiming you alone found the deaths in children disregards the work of FDA civil servants who have continually monitored the safety of the vaccines and examined the issues that you are now manipulating to retrofit an anti-vaccine agenda. Indeed, individuals inside FDA have indicated that Dr. Prasad's analysis is "a huge exaggeration."13
In our July 29, 2025, letter to you, to which you have still not responded, we requested information and an explanation regarding announcements in FDA's vaccine approval policy. We noted those announcements are happening outside of the usual agency practices and without transparency to Congress or the public. Your recent actions are continuing this trend of poor leadership, lack of transparency, and policymaking unsupported by evidence. This is far from the professionalism and scientific rigor we expect our federal health agencies to abide by and it represents an obstruction of legitimate congressional oversight.
To enable some transparency into your dangerous actions and rhetoric, please provide responses to the questions below by December 19, 2025.
1. Dr. Prasad claimed "at least 10 children have died after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination," without providing the data to support this. He stated the findings are based on "detailed analysis of deaths voluntarily reported to the VAERS system" between 2021 and 2024.
a. Please provide the deidentified data upon which you are drawing your conclusions, including:
i. Ages and gender of the children at time of vaccine administration and at time of death;
ii. Any underlying health conditions of the children;
iii. Vaccine and dosage the children received and dates they were received;
iv. Date of death; and
v. Whether COVID-19 or another cause is listed as a cause of death on the corresponding death certificate.
b. For each of these 10 cases, please explain how FDA's reviewers confirmed the accuracy of information reported in VAERS. If there were any internal discrepancies in the VAERS reports, how did FDA resolve them?
2. Dr. Prasad's email references a small meeting with OVRR and OBPV stakeholders at which Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg presented slides on COVID-19 vaccine related deaths. Please produce those slides.
3. Please describe how FDA weighed the COVID-19 vaccine's proven effectiveness in preventing illness, hospitalization, long COVID, or death in children against its claims of COVID-19 vaccine related deaths. Specifically: a. A 2024 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report suggested that during a 2022 survey, 1.3 percent of children who had previously been infected with COVID-19 reported experiencing long-COVID symptoms at the time of the survey. Did FDA's analysis look at COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness at preventing long-COVID in children?
b. An April 8, 2022, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report looked at data from 40 health care systems to evaluate cardiac complications after COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination. After evaluating this data, the authors concluded the risk for cardiac complications was significantly higher after COVID-19 infections than after COVID-19 vaccinations for males and females in all age groups.14 Did FDA's analysis look at the risk of long-term health complications from COVID-19 infection in children relative to the risk of side effects from the vaccine?
4. Despite decades of data showing vaccines are safe and effective in reducing morbidity and mortality for many infectious diseases, Dr. Prasad's email announced a change in FDA's requirements for determining the safety and efficacy of vaccines for approval. Please provide data supporting your determination that the existing requirements are insufficient to prove safety and efficacy of vaccines.
5. What legal authority is the agency relying on to unilaterally release its "path forward" for vaccine regulation via email? Please provide the exact statutory and regulatory citations and explain how those authorities permit FDA to forego formal rulemaking, public comment, and processes outline in statute.
a. Will you convene a Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting for any proposed changes to the standards for vaccine policy to enable a transparent discussion among scientific experts?
b. Will you convene a VRBPAC meeting for any other proposed changes to the standards for vaccine approval? Specifically, will you provide transparency and participation by experts in any decision making surrounding aluminum in vaccines?
6. In Dr. Prasad's email, he made several claims about the risk of COVID-19 vaccines compared to the risk of COVID-19 on young, healthy boys and men. He claims a "widely discussed, peer reviewed paper in 2022" found that COVID-19 boosters were harmful to young men. However, he did not provide citations or even the name of the paper, though used it to substantiate a claim that FDA's vaccine policy has "harmed more than [it] saved."
a. Please produce the referenced paper.
b. What criteria has FDA analyzed to support the claim that vaccines may have "harmed more children than we saved?"
7. What data and adverse event reports support your statements and possible label changes regarding the safety of COVID-19, influenza, or pneumococcal vaccines for pregnant women? Please provide this data.
8. Provide the names and titles of all HHS personnel who were involved in proposing the policy changes outlined in the November 28, 2025, staff email.
If you have any questions about this request, please contact the Committee Democratic staff at (202) 225-2927.
Sincerely,
Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member
Diana DeGette, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Health
Yvette Clarke, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
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1 Robert Califf et al., A Threat to Evidence-Based Vaccine Policy and Public Health Security at the FDA, New England Journal of Medicine (Dec. 3, 2025).
2 NPR, FDA to Raise Hurdles for Vaccines, Faulting COVID Shots for 10 Kids' Deaths, (Nov. 29, 2025).
3 Heather K. Dykstra et al., Characteristics of Children Ages 1-17 Who Died of COVID-19 in 2020-2022 in the United States, Pediatrics (Nov. 2024).
4 Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, VAERS Data (https://vaers.hhs.gov/data.html) (accessed Dec. 3. 2025).
5 NBC, FDA Claims Covid Shots Killed 10 Children and Vows New Vaccine Rules (Nov. 29, 2025).
6 The New York Times, F.D.A. Seeks More Oversight of Vaccine Trials and Approvals (Nov. 28, 2025).
7 The Guardian, Experts Say Strict New FDA Protocol for Vaccine Approval is 'Dangerous and Irresponsible' (Nov. 29, 2025).
8 See note 1.
9 Liz Szabo, FDA Official Proposes 'Impossible' Standards for Vaccine Testing That Could Curtail Access to Immunizations, University of Minnesota (Dec. 1, 2025).
10 Id.
11 See note 3.
12 The Washington Post, Blaming Some Child Deaths on Covid Shots, FDA Vows Stricter Vaccine Rules (Nov. 28, 2025).
13 Zachary Brennan and Max Bayer, Prasad's claim of 10 Covid vaccine deaths may be an overcount, FDA sources say, Endpoints News (Dec. 4, 2025).
14 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cardiac Complications After SARS-CoV-2 Infection and mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination -- PCORnet, United States, January 2021-January 2022 (April 8, 2022).
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Original text here: https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/ec-democrats-demand-answers-fdas-covid-vaccine-memo
E&C Democratic Leaders Demand FERC Protect Families From Skyrocketing Energy Bills as Data Centers Strain Power Grid
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
E&C Democratic Leaders Demand FERC Protect Families from Skyrocketing Energy Bills as Data Centers Strain Power Grid
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL) wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today demanding that it prioritize affordability for American families while developing a framework for how the power ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * E&C Democratic Leaders Demand FERC Protect Families from Skyrocketing Energy Bills as Data Centers Strain Power Grid Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL) wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today demanding that it prioritize affordability for American families while developing a framework for how the powergrid manages data centers amid the increasing strain they are putting on our nation's grid.
"We write to urge you to prioritize holding American families harmless from the costs imposed upon the nation's grid by large loads, including data centers, as you consider the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANOPR) submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the Department of Energy (DOE)," the Democratic Committee leaders wrote to FERC Chairman Laura Swett. "The affordability of electricity in America is under threat. Residential retail electricity prices have risen 13 percent since the start of the year, tripling the rate of general inflation. And power demand from data centers is set to increase dramatically, potentially further jeopardizing consumer bills."
Pallone and Castor pointed to reports that indicate residential power bills are already subsidizing data center buildouts, putting strain on Americans' pocketbooks at a time they are already struggling to make ends meet as the cost-of-living skyrockets.
"Data centers and the artificial intelligence tools they power may prove to be incredible economic assets, but they must pay their fair share. They cannot be built out on the backs of the power bills of American families across the country," Pallone and Castor wrote.
Energy Subcommittee Democrats asked that FERC follow these five principles when dealing with large data center loads:
* Ensure that the cost of grid facilities and upgrades for large load customers be fully paid by those customers.
* Require that grid operators offer load flexibility for large load applicants to serve increased demand without building new infrastructure.
* Protect open and non-discriminatory access to the grid for electric generators, no matter the fuel they use or what type of customer they are supposed to serve.
* Provide clarity on jurisdictional boundaries between federal and state regulation.
* Maintain agency independence to ensure all outcomes are reasonable and just and decided without influence or pressure from DOE or the White House.
"If a final action can meet the criteria outlined above, then FERC will have granted American families a measure of protection from the costs imposed by data centers. If the Commission falls short, then American families will pay the price," Pallone and Castor concluded in their letter.
If FERC proceeds with this rulemaking, the two Committee leaders insisted that it publish a notice of proposed rulemaking and allow a comment period so that stakeholders have an opportunity to push FERC towards an outcome that protects hardworking families.
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December 5, 2025
To: The Honorable Laura V. Swett, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426
RE: Interconnection of Large Loads to the Interstate Transmission System, Docket No. RM26-4
Dear Chairman Swett:
We write to urge you to prioritize holding American families harmless from the costs imposed upon the nation's grid by large loads, including data centers, as you consider the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANOPR) submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the Department of Energy (DOE).1
The affordability of electricity in America is under threat. Residential retail electricity prices have risen 13 percent since the start of the year, tripling the rate of general inflation.2 And power demand from data centers is set to increase dramatically, potentially further jeopardizing consumer bills. Data centers could represent anywhere between 7 to 12 percent of American electricity demand by 2028, and one aggregate of utility forecasts showed an expected increase in peak demand of 120 gigawatts (GW) by 2029, or nearly 15 percent.3 Concerningly, studies have indicated that residential power bills are already subsidizing data center buildouts. 4 Recent reporting regarding the intense secrecy surrounding data center development also raises concerns about whether regulators have enough information about data center loads to ensure an equitable allocation of costs.5 Data centers and the artificial intelligence tools they power may prove to be incredible economic assets, but they must pay their fair share. They cannot be built out on the backs of the power bills of American families across the country.
Ensuring that the buildout of a 21st century grid is fundamentally fair will take many stakeholders: Congress, the federal government, and state regulators. But we appreciate the need for expeditious FERC action in this case, which could help prevent a "race to the bottom" where data center developers would be incentivized to build in jurisdictions with the weakest regulations, and not in the best places to minimize the costs they impose upon the grid. To that end, we ask that FERC keep the following five principles in mind as it considers its options pursuant to the ANOPR and individual tariff filings dealing with large data center loads that may arise before the Commission:
1. FERC should aim to ensure that grid facilities and upgrades are only developed for loads that are certain to be built and ensure that those large load customers fully bear the cost of their interconnection facilities and network upgrades. FERC should also demand transparency mechanisms so it and other appropriate regulators can verify that these conditions are being met. As the ANOPR notes, in Order 2023, FERC implemented a number of reforms to its generator interconnection procedures, in part to drive down the number of speculative generation interconnection requests, and decrease the time it took for "real" generation interconnection requests to be studied.6 We strongly support introducing a parallel version of some of these reforms, such as establishing a "first-ready, first served" process, imposing large study deposits, increasing financial commitments from load interconnection customers, and increasing financial penalties for withdrawn requests. Additionally, given the significant impacts that large data center loads can have on local grids, FERC should consider requiring large loads to sign take-or-pay commitments with transmission providers, with the largest customers being subject to the most stringent requirements. We also strongly support the ANOPR's proposal that large load facilities should be responsible for all of the network upgrades assigned to them through the interconnection study process, but do not support offsetting those costs via a crediting mechanism.7 Furthermore, FERC should require sufficient transparency from grid operators so it can determine which specific large load facilities are responsible for specific grid upgrade needs. Finally, we support the ANOPR's proposal that load interconnection customers who are not transmission owners be given the opportunity to build interconnection facilities, rather than needing the construction of the connecting facility to be handled by a utility.8
2. FERC should require transmission providers to offer non-firm, curtailable service in exchange for a large load interconnection applicant being given an expedited pathway to connect to the grid. Research this year has indicated that allowing large loads to take flexible service and taking a "connect and manage" type approach to interested customers could allow the grid to serve a substantial amount of demand without needing to construct new transmission or generation facilities.9 We support the ANOPR's proposal on this matter.10 We also encourage FERC to investigate other sources of load flexibility, such as increasing access to market-based demand response programs.
3. FERC must protect open and non-discriminatory access to the power grid and not undermine the reforms made to generator interconnection queues in Order 2023. Order 2023 instituted several vital changes to reforming our generator interconnection queues to get more power online quickly to serve the entire grid. Seeing these reforms implemented properly is vital to fixing our nation's long-term issues in connecting power to the grid as quickly as possible. While FERC has allowed deviations from accepted interconnection processes, it has held deviations from approved tariffs to a strict standard and has required them to be narrow, one-time interventions.11 FERC must not allow transmission providers to discriminate between generators based on resource type or if a generator is supporting a data center.
4. FERC should provide clarity on jurisdictional boundaries between federal and state regulation of these issues. FERC has recently recognized that this boundary is complex, but in any proceeding under this docket, it should aim to provide clarity so state regulators can act quickly to keep residential ratepayers protected under their own powers.12 That said, if FERC asserts jurisdiction but declines to institute strong protections, such as requiring transmission providers to collect large security deposits from data center interconnection applicants or increasing other financial commitments from such applicants, it must not preempt states from imposing their own protections under their retail regulatory authorities.
5. FERC must protect its independence throughout this proceeding and ensure that any outcome is just and reasonable, and not unduly discriminatory or preferential. While DOE has authority under section 403 of the Department of Energy Organization Act to submit a proposal to FERC, the Commission has "exclusive jurisdiction with respect to any proposal made..." At the end of the day, FERC, not DOE or the White House, has the ultimate responsibility to ensure that its rules and the rates it approves meet the requirements of the Federal Power Act.13 Individual commissioners signing off on any final action must have complete confidence that they have met their statutory burden without undue influence or pressure.
Finally, if FERC decides to proceed further with this rulemaking, we urge FERC to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) with a fully detailed rule and allow stakeholders a chance to comment and offer substantive feedback on that NOPR before any final action. While it is important for FERC to act expeditiously given the speed at which data centers are connecting to the grid, it is imperative that the Commission get any final action right. If FERC feels that it needs more time to ensure that its final action is robust and meets its statutory obligations under the Federal Power Act, it should feel comfortable requesting an extension from DOE, as it has before.14
If a final action can meet the criteria outlined above, then FERC will have granted American families a measure of protection from the costs imposed by data centers. If the Commission falls short, then American families will pay the price. We appreciate your consideration of our comments and stand ready to work with you to ensure American electricity is reliable and affordable.
Sincerely,
Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member
Kathy Castor, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy
cc: The Honorable David Rosner, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Honorable Lindsay S. See, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Honorable Judy W. Chang, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Honorable David A. LaCerte, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
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1 Letter from Chris Wright, Secretary, Department of Energy, to David Rosner, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Oct. 23, 2025).
2 U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly (Nov. 25, 2025).
3 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (Dec. 2024) (LBNL-2001637); GridStrategies, Strategic Industries Surging (Apr. 2025).
4 Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program, Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepayers Are Paying for Big Tech's Power (Mar. 5, 2025); Union of Concerned Scientists, Connection Costs: Loophole Costs Customers Over $4 Billion to Connect Data Centers to Power Grid (Sept. 29, 2025).
5 How NDAs Keep AI Data Center Details Hidden from Americans, NBC News (Oct. 28, 2025).
6 See note 1 at P. 11.
7 See note 1 at P. 25.
8 See note 1 at P. 26.
9 Duke University Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Rethinking Load Growth: Assessing the Potential for Integration of Large Flexible Loads in US Power Systems (Feb. 2025).
10 See note 1 at P.24.
11 PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., 190 FERC
61,084 (February 11, 2025).
12 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc., 193 FERC
61,070 (October 27, 2025).
13 Pub. L. No. 95-91 Sec.403(b).
14 Letter from Kevin J. McIntyre, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to Rick Perry, Secretary, Department of Energy (Dec. 7, 2017).
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Original text here: https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/ec-democratic-leaders-demand-ferc-protect-families-skyrocketing-energy-bills
Congressman Jason Smith Highlights Southeast Missouri Resident's Heartbreaking Story, Pledges to Hold Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, issued the following news release:* * *
Congressman Jason Smith Highlights Southeast Missouri Resident's Heartbreaking Story, Pledges to Hold Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable
Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, held an Oversight subcommittee hearing on organ procurement organizations (OPOs) this week and called Heather Knuckles from Southeast Missouri to share her heartbreaking story that shows why these organizations are in desperate need of reform. During the hearing, Heather spoke ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman Jason Smith Highlights Southeast Missouri Resident's Heartbreaking Story, Pledges to Hold Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, held an Oversight subcommittee hearing on organ procurement organizations (OPOs) this week and called Heather Knuckles from Southeast Missouri to share her heartbreaking story that shows why these organizations are in desperate need of reform. During the hearing, Heather spokeabout how she watched her mother die shortly after receiving a liver that was infected with cancer while a former OPO employee pulled back the curtain on an instance where an OPO tried to procure organs from a patient who regained consciousness.
The hearing comes amidst a months-long Committee investigation led by Congressman Smith into questionable practices by tax-exempt OPOs that has revealed troubling clinical practices, misuse of taxpayer dollars, and questionable financial practices. In addition to life-threatening failures, investigations have unveiled instances of waste, fraud, and abuse by OPOs across the country. Worse, the Committee's investigation found that 18 of the 21 most profitable OPOs fall in the lowest-performing tiers, as established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The hearing took place one day before the deadline the Committee set for another OPO, the New Jersey Sharing Network, to produce key documents and schedule transcribed interviews.
Missouri Woman: My Mother Received a Cancer-Ridden Liver That Shortened Her Life
Heather Knuckles from Southeast Missouri shared the tragic story of her mother's kidney and liver transplant. Because of a mistake during donor screening, her mother received a liver with advanced cancer and a kidney with a cyst. Her mother's quick decline and eventual passing three months later was a source of tragedy for her family. Sadly, other families have experienced similar tragedies during the organ donation process that put the patient's life in danger.
Heather Knuckles, daughter of organ recipient: "On October 30, 2022, my mother underwent the liver and kidney transplant at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis with organs procured by Mid-America Transplant...On November 3, transplant surgeons informed us that the donor liver contained high-grade metastatic cancer that was not reported on the donor records from UNOS [United Network for Organ Sharing], but was discovered by the transplant hospital...Our dreams were shattered. Fear and sadness washed over my mother's face. She was re-listed for transplant. Surgeons decided to not replace the donor kidney, even though its condition was questionable due to a large cyst at the time of transplant. My mother underwent a second liver transplant on November 8, 2022. She was extremely fragile. Afterwards, she hallucinated for days and suffered delirium. Occasionally, her wrists were restrained for safety. This was heartbreaking. By late November, she was transferred to the St. Louis Rehab Institute, and she remained unable to walk and was jaundiced...
"The transplant surgeon informed my father and I that based on the appearance of a CT scan and fluid testing the liver was cancerous. This confirmed the doctor's earlier suspicion that the cancer was transplanted from the first liver...Following the passing of my mother, we suffered nearly three years as this horrific ordeal was ignored."
Former OPO Employee Calls for Congress to Build Public Trust in Organ Procurement System
Recent misdeeds by OPOs have damaged public trust in a vital system that thousands of families rely on each year. As a result, organ donors are removing their names from donation lists, potentially denying Americans the organs they desperately need. A former OPO employee highlighted the need for Congress to improve transparency, accountability, and informed consent for donors as means to restore public trust.
Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee: "What sort of reforms would further improve OPOs so folks are willing to donate and participate freely in the system?"
Nyckolleta Martin, former Kentucky OPO employee: "...I think this has to start from regaining public trust, and the only way to do that is to have transparency and accountability, and for Congress to continue working with other legislative bodies and law enforcement specifically to make sure that these people are held accountability for what they've done, so that it doesn't happen in the future. Then, we can show the public that we see the problems, and we're working on them. The public should have more informed consent. They should truly understand what they're signing up for when they sign up to be an organ donor, because organ donation is so important, and we need it so badly. Thousands of people are dying, but also thousands of people are taking their name off the organ donation registry, so we have to fix that."
Expert: Reports Show Some OPOs Have Wrongfully Interfered with Determination of Death
Federal investigations have uncovered evidence of certain OPOs interfering with the determination of death for organ donors, even though hospitals hold that responsibility. An incorrect determination contributes to the wrongful recovery of organs, as shown in a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) report.
Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-01): "In the hierarchy of a decision if someone has passed away...it is the hospital that makes that decision, correct?"
Jennifer Erickson, organ donation policy expert: "It is the hospital that declares death. One of the things that has come out through the HRSA's detailed report about Network for Hope and KODA [Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates] in Kentucky is that often OPO staff get involved in that decision-making process in ways that they should not."
Former OPO Employee: Stories of Organ Harvesting on People Who Have Regained Consciousness Indicates National Pattern
Some of the most shocking stories from OPOs are attempts at organ recovery even when potential donors regain consciousness. The Committee's investigation into the New Jersey Sharing Network revealed an instance of the OPO proceeding with organ recovery from a patient who reanimated during the recovery process. A former OPO employee from Kentucky shared a similar story of her former employer proceeding with the organ recovery process even though the patient met the OPO's own criteria for showing signs of life.
Nyckolleta Martin, former Kentucky OPO employee: "In 2021, T.J. Hoover was brought to the hospital in cardiac arrest...T.J. had remained unresponsive for several days, regaining consciousness during his cardiac catheterization. Immediately upon waking, he was paralyzed and sedated. Hospital staff described the situation as inhumane and akin to human euthanasia. The cardiologist present advised T.J. should have never been given a grave prognosis with no meaningful recovery, given his reflexes present. Despite being alert to these concerns, the OPO staff returned T.J. to the ICU without performing the required neurological exam that should have been repeated. Even more alarming, and to the best of my knowledge, the family was never informed that T.J. had regained consciousness and had shown meaningful emotion and purposeful movement. Under my former employer's own protocol at that time, the case should have been halted immediately once neurological function improved. The failure to do so represents a profound breach of medical standards and ethical responsibility...
"This experience resonated when I read this committee's letter to the New Jersey Sharing Network. The parallels between those whistleblower allegations and my own are unmistakable patterns of concerning organ recovery practices, document destruction, and retaliation against those reporting legitimate concerns, highlighting systemic failures that demand urgent accountability and reform."
Taxpayers Are on the Hook for Botched Organ Procurements
The Ways and Means Committee has highlighted instances of OPOs overbilling Medicare for costs that do not qualify for reimbursement such as executive compensation, lobbying, meals, and entertainment. Medicare reimbursements to OPOs, including those with documented issues or whistleblower complaints, means taxpayers indirectly pay for unethical or life-threatening behavior.
Rep. Aaron Bean (FL-04): "Who pays? Who is the payer when it comes to organ transplants?"
Jennifer Erickson, organ donation policy expert: "The largest single payer is Medicare, so the taxpayer."
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Original text here: https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/12/05/congressman-jason-smith-highlights-southeast-missouri-residents-heartbreaking-story-pledges-to-hold-organ-procurement-organizations-accountable/
Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone Announce Member Day Hearing
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone Announce Member Day Hearing
Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced a Member Day hearing.
"The Energy and Commerce Committee leads on issues central to the lives of all Americans," said Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone Announce Member Day Hearing Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced a Member Day hearing. "The Energy and Commerce Committee leads on issues central to the lives of all Americans," said Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone."We welcome all Members to testify before the Committee on the priorities within our jurisdiction that matter most to their constituents. We look forward to their participation, and we welcome ideas from across the House for discussion."
WHAT: Full Committee Member Day hearing to allow all Members of the House of Representatives an opportunity to testify before the Committee.
DATE: Friday, December 12, 2025
TIME: 9:00 AM ET
LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The markup 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 Annabelle Huffman with the Committee staff at Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Matt VanHyfte at Matt.Vanhyfte@mail.house.gov.
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Original text here: https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chairman-guthrie-and-ranking-member-pallone-announce-member-day-hearing
Chairman Arrington Highlights Strong Economic Momentum and Calls for Health Care Cost Reform on The Faulkner Focus
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
Chairman Arrington Highlights Strong Economic Momentum and Calls for Health Care Cost Reform on The Faulkner Focus
Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) joined Harris Faulkner on Fox News' The Faulkner Focus to discuss the nation's economic progress and the urgent need for health care cost reform.
On Republicans delivering affordability for Americans:
We're not just promoting affordability, like the Unaffordable Care ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Chairman Arrington Highlights Strong Economic Momentum and Calls for Health Care Cost Reform on The Faulkner Focus Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) joined Harris Faulkner on Fox News' The Faulkner Focus to discuss the nation's economic progress and the urgent need for health care cost reform. On Republicans delivering affordability for Americans: We're not just promoting affordability, like the Unaffordable CareAct or promoting reducing inflation, like the quote "Inflation Reduction Act." We're actually doing something about it. We said if past was prologue, we would see the economy growing, we'd see wages go up, we'd see business investments, and we're seeing all of the above.
Mortgage rates are down now, on average, about $200 in the mortgage payment for our hardworking families. Interest rates in the long term and in the short term are coming down; inflation is stable; historically low unemployment. But the big ticket here is that wages are outpacing inflation, so people are putting more money in their pocket. That didn't happen for the last four years.
So, there's greater confidence, greater hope. And wait until next year -- $350 billion in refund checks on account of the tax cuts, and you'll have less withholdings in the next tax year, so people will again have more take-home income.
On health care cost reform:
Let me start with: stop throwing taxpayer -- hard-earned taxpayer -- good money after bad by extending a layer of COVID-era, fraud-ridden subsidies that have not worked, wasted a bunch of money -- by the way, the GAO -- Government Accountability Office -- in their recent bombshell report said tens of thousands of Social Security numbers of dead people have been used to draw down these subsidies that are not going to the people -- not dead people or alive people. They're going to insurance companies.
You've got, according to CBO, nonpartisan, 6 million-plus people who are ineligible on that program. Not to mention, the way it was structured by Democrats is it's paying taxpayer subsidies for people making half a million dollars or more. That program should die a very unnatural death.
On rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse:
Look at what's happening with Tim Walz in Minnesota. Soaking the system, and building these terrible mouse traps that made health care unaffordable for every American, while it's leaking like a sieve with waste and fraud. And that was the federal government, by the way -- upwards of $500 billion a year in fraud.
What did Republicans do? Root out waste, fraud, and abuse by a trillion dollars. The Democrats fought us every step of the way in the Big Beautiful Bill, and now they're proposing that this thing -- this Obamacare expansion -- is somehow going to save money and make health care affordable. Baloney. Baloney.
Let's do the things that we know will actually make life better and make health care more affordable.
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Original text here: https://budget.house.gov/press-release/chairman-arrington-highlights-strong-economic-momentum-and-calls-for-health-care-cost-reform-on-the-faulkner-focus
Chair Steil, Subcommittee Chair Lee Demand Answers From Maryland Board of Elections After Illegal Alien Found on State Voter Rolls
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
Chair Steil, Subcommittee Chair Lee Demand Answers from Maryland Board of Elections After Illegal Alien Found on State Voter Rolls
Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) and Subcommittee on Elections Chair Laurel Lee (FL-15) sent a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections requesting information after reporting confirmed an illegal alien had successfully registered to vote in Maryland.
Excerpts from ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Chair Steil, Subcommittee Chair Lee Demand Answers from Maryland Board of Elections After Illegal Alien Found on State Voter Rolls Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) and Subcommittee on Elections Chair Laurel Lee (FL-15) sent a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections requesting information after reporting confirmed an illegal alien had successfully registered to vote in Maryland. Excerpts fromthe letter read:
"Records released by the Maryland State Board of Elections confirm that a noncitizen has successfully registered to vote in Maryland on at least two occasions. The situation prompts ongoing concerns that states are not verifying the citizenship of registrants."
"Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa public school district, was arrested in September 2025, for 'being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.' Mr. Roberts repeatedly claimed U.S. citizenship and remained a registered voter in Maryland for years, despite leaving the state over a decade ago."
"The American Accountability Foundation filed a public records request for Mr. Roberts's voter registration application. The original release of the documents contained heavy, intentional redactions, including Mr. Roberts's answer to the citizenship question."
"The subsequent release of Mr. Roberts's application still redacts crucial information such as the source of his voter registration application. These recurring redactions suggest that Maryland is either concealing an accidental voter registration of an illegal alien or withholding information about its failure to verify citizenship."
"Based on this information, the Committee is concerned about the integrity and accuracy of Maryland's citizenship verification processes, and therefore the state's voter rolls."
Read the Fox News article on the investigation here (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-state-election-board-under-fire-after-ice-arrested-superintendent-surfaces-voter-rolls).
Background:
The Committee on House Administration has broad oversight of federal elections.
Oversight of federal elections is critical to inform potential legislative reforms and safeguard the integrity of federal elections.
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December 4, 2025
To: Jared DeMarinis, State Administrator, Maryland State Board of Elections, 151 West Street, Suite 200, Annapolis, MD 21401
Dear Administrator DeMarinis:
The Committee on House Administration (Committee) has broad oversight of federal elections.1 Records released by the Maryland State Board of Elections confirm that a noncitizen has successfully registered to vote in Maryland on at least two occasions.2 The situation prompts ongoing concerns that states are not verifying the citizenship of registrants. Oversight of federal elections is critical to inform potential legislative reforms and safeguard the integrity of federal elections. The Committee is therefore seeking information from the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of the Des Moines, Iowa public school district, was arrested in September 2025, for "being an illegal alien in possession of firearms."3 Mr. Roberts repeatedly claimed U.S. citizenship and remained a registered voter in Maryland for years, despite leaving the state over a decade ago.4 The American Accountability Foundation filed a public records request for Mr. Roberts's voter registration application.5 The original release of the documents contained heavy, intentional redactions, including Mr. Roberts's answer to the citizenship question.6 The subsequent release of Mr. Roberts's application still redacts crucial information such as the source of his voter registration application.7 These recurring redactions suggest that Maryland is either concealing an accidental voter registration of an illegal alien or withholding information about its failure to verify citizenship. While both possibilities are concerning, Mr. Roberts's partially unredacted form substantiates the latter.8
Based on this information, the Committee is concerned about the integrity and accuracy of Maryland's citizenship verification processes, and therefore the state's voter rolls. To assist the Committee's oversight of this matter, please provide the following information as soon as possible, but no later than December 18, 2025:
1. What registration method did Mr. Roberts use to register to vote in Maryland?
2. Is Mr. Roberts still a registered voter in Maryland?
3. Has Mr. Roberts ever voted in Maryland? If yes, what election(s) did he participate in?
4. Was Mr. Roberts ever mailed an absentee ballot? If yes, for which election(s)?
5. What was the basis for Prince George's County Board of Election's redaction of the citizenship question when Mr. Roberts's voter registration documents were released?
6. Why did Prince George's County redact the source of Mr. Roberts's unlawful voter registration application?
7. How do the State and County Boards of Election verify citizenship when registering voters?
8. Is the state of Maryland using the USCIS SAVE database to assist with citizenship verification?
9. How does the State Board of Elections fulfill their obligations under 52 U.S.C. Sec.20507 to conduct a general program to remove ineligible voters from the rolls?
10. Has the State Board of Elections conducted a formal review or investigation of this case? If yes, what are the findings and have any new policies to verify citizenship been proposed or implemented?
If you have any questions, please contact the Committee at 202- 225-8281. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Bryan Steil, Chairman, Committee on House Administration
Laurel Lee, Chair, Subcommittee on Elections, Committee on House Administration
cc: The Honorable Joseph Morelle, Ranking Member
The Honorable Wes Moore, Governor
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1 Rules of the House of Representatives, Rule X (K) Committee on House Administration.
2 See Stephen Dinan, Documents show Ian Roberts claimed citizenship on voting applications, The Washington Times (Dec. 1, 2025).
3 United States Dep't of Justice, Press Release, Former Des Moines Superintendent Arrested on Federal Firearms Charge (Oct. 2, 2025)
4 See Maryland Freedom Caucus, Press Release, Maryland Freedom Caucus to Introduce Citizenship-Verification Reforms After New Revelations in Ian Roberts Case (Dec. 2, 2025).
5 Emma Colton, Heavily redacted voting records for school superintendent nabbed by ICE spark outrage, Fox News (Nov. 23, 2025) (The released documents "included blacking out Roberts' sex, whether he checked the citizenship box, his date of birth and other information.").
6 Id.
7 Elaine Mallon, Maryland board releases voter records of ex-Iowa superintendent under legal pressure, The National News Desk (Dec. 3, 2025).
8 Stephen Dinan, Documents show Ian Roberts claimed citizenship on voting applications, The Washington Times (Dec. 1, 2025).
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Original text here: https://cha.house.gov/press-releases?ID=041991FE-7F5B-461E-A4DD-25652D19359B
Boyle Statement on September PCE Inflation Data
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025:* * *
Boyle Statement on September PCE Inflation Data
Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement after the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported an annual personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index of 2.8 percent for September 2025:
"Donald Trump keeps calling the cost-of-living crisis a 'con,' but the real con was his promise to 'lower prices ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 5, 2025: * * * Boyle Statement on September PCE Inflation Data Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the following statement after the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported an annual personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index of 2.8 percent for September 2025: "Donald Trump keeps calling the cost-of-living crisis a 'con,' but the real con was his promise to 'lower priceson day one.' Because of his reckless economic policies, prices are still rising, the job market is weakening, and working-class families are falling further behind.
It's about to get worse: Republicans' Big Ugly Law and their refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits will drive health care costs higher for nearly every American.
As this cost-of-living crisis worsens under this Administration's watch, I demand that Russell Vought appear before the House Budget Committee and explain why they keep making life harder for working-class families."
Earlier this week, Boyle led all Budget Committee Democrats in demanding
that Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought testify before the Committee before the end of the year. Otherwise, it would mark the first time in 50 years that an OMB director has declined to appear before the House Budget Committee.
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Original text here: https://democrats-budget.house.gov/news/press-releases/boyle-statement-september-pce-inflation-data-0