Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1189, I call up the bill (H.R. 4690) to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to repeal certain Federal building energy efficiency performance standards, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. 4690.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act.

Today's debate serves as a reminder that policy decisions carry long- lasting implications. We are here today to reverse current law, which requires the Federal Government to phase out fossil fuels in new and renovated buildings by 2030.

This one-size-fits-all electrification mandate for new and renovated Federal buildings jeopardizes the reliability and security of our Nation's critical Federal infrastructure.

Winter Storm Fern's impact across the U.S. in January made it clear: reliable and affordable fossil fuels provide consistent power, and wind and solar do not.

While coal and natural gas significantly increased their output to meet demand during Winter Storm Fern, burning trash in New England produced more electricity than wind and solar combined.

The Federal Government and the United States military require uninterrupted, reliable electricity. Anything less compromises our national security.

This issue is timelier than ever. While the deadlines in section 433 to wind down the use of fossil fuels have not been enforced thus far, future administrations could weaponize the law to favor special interests who stand to gain billions in taxpayer funds to retrofit Federal infrastructure.

The legislation before us today to repeal section 433 brings Federal building policy back to reality, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on H.R. 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will point out that, in 2007, there was a vote in the House of Representatives to make sure that every Federal building built in 2030 is going to have only green energy and not have any type of fossil fuel energy whatsoever.

In 2007, that was when they didn't realize that we had the oil. They knew it was there. They didn't know how to get the oil and gas in the Permian Basin. They didn't know about the shale revolution.

They keep disparaging the people who produce cheap energy, but I will tell you that, in 2007, the United States and the European Union had the same-sized economy. Europe went down the path of tripling their energy prices that come from fossil fuels, which can't be made up for by wind and solar.

We saw what happened with Winter Storm Fern, when New England made more energy out of burning garbage than it did out of wind and solar. Someone told me that I can't just pick the worst day of the year and say that wind and solar hurt that. Well, the worst day of the year or the coldest day of the year is the day that you need the most energy.

All I am saying is that having affordable, dispatchable, sustainable energy is important to America. Remember what I said, that 25 years ago, or not quite 25 years ago, in 2007, Europe and the United States had the same-sized economy. We are now twice as big.

Look at it from the inverse. What if we had made the same decisions they made? What if our economy today were half the size that it was? Could you imagine the affordability crisis that the American people would be in if we had followed those policies? Could you imagine what unemployment would be if we had half the economy that we have today?

It is reasonable to make that assumption if we were the same size as Europe--we are twice as big as they are--and if we hadn't grown like we have grown over the past several years.

Just the practicality of this--we know it can't be done by 2030. Probably in 2007, 2030 looked like the year it could be done. It can't be done by 2030.

Mr. Speaker, I think 435 of us here would look at it and say that it can't be done, so it shouldn't be on the books. Why put laws on the books that you can't comply with? That is what this is about.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 4690, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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