Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, opened the committee's first full markup session of 2026 by reflecting on the previous year's legislative activity. In 2025, the House passed 62 bills from the Energy and Commerce Committee, with 17 becoming law. The committee also held over 60 hearings and markups, dedicating more than 80 hours to reviewing legislation.
Guthrie outlined the agenda for the current session, which includes consideration of 11 bills. These measures address permitting reform under the Clean Air Act, support for American energy production, and improvements in public safety communications.
He noted that it has been 35 years since significant updates were made to the Clean Air Act. According to Guthrie, outdated provisions are causing permitting delays that need to be resolved.
"When it comes to the Clean Air Act, we are considering a range of bills that would ensure that states and local communities are not penalized for air emissions that come from outside of the U.S.; modernize the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards; reduce permitting gridlock; and facilitate state implementation of Clean Air Act permitting," Guthrie said.
He warned about economic risks associated with current regulations: "Unfortunately, the current program threatens nearly $200 billion in economic activity and puts over a million jobs at risk."
Additional proposals include measures to prevent states from being penalized for wildfire mitigation activities such as prescribed burns and brush clearing. Other legislative items aim to streamline New Source Review permitting processes and provide alternative pathways for critical mineral manufacturing facilities to meet requirements. The committee will also look at eliminating duplicative reviews in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments.
To help ensure reliable power supplies across the country, lawmakers will review legislation extending hydropower licensing. The committee will also consider bipartisan bills designed to improve emergency alert systems—one example is Lulu’s Law, which would allow emergency alerts during shark attacks.
"I appreciate all of the work our sponsors have done to advance these bills and bring them to this markup," Guthrie concluded.
