Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the illustrious gentleman from New Jersey for yielding some time today.

I rise in opposition to H.R. 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act.

While Americans across the Nation are struggling to pay for gas, groceries, housing, and healthcare, my colleagues across the aisle believe the most pressing matter for the American people is phasing out clean energy standards for new and renovated Federal buildings. These standards, which were passed with overwhelming bipartisan support during the Bush administration, are not what is creating the affordability crisis. In fact, in 2024, the Energy Department determined that section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act, the very section that this bill would eliminate, reduces infrastructure costs and saves taxpayer dollars.

My colleagues across the aisle don't care about energy efficiency standards, and they don't care about my constituents, who are currently paying $4 a gallon for gas, as we speak, and I am from Ohio, not California. If they actually did care about my constituents or the American public, they would shift their focus toward the real reason that costs are going up: Trump's tariffs and Trump's war in Iran.

Since the Strait of Hormuz closed, gas prices for Americans are up more than 30 percent. Democrats in Congress have tried to conduct oversight on this war, but Republicans have blocked us every step of the way. Now is not the time to burden taxpayers, including increasing death and injury to our brave servicemen and -women and burdening our taxpayers with higher infrastructure costs because of Trump's war.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would prevent the bill from taking effect until the Secretary publishes a certification that the war in Iran has not increased energy and gas prices in the United States. Although, even if he were to do that, it would show us that the war in Iran is increasing gas prices in the United States, so I am pretty confident that you would not have accepted it either way.

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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