Brett Guthrie

Not analysed yet

A requested analysis is usually ready within half an hour; come back to this page or reload it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, sponsored by my colleague and friend from Colorado, Congressman Evans. This bill encourages States to protect our neighbors and small businesses from footing the bill for infrastructure investments needed for the AI race, while protecting existing State authorities. The evidence is clear: When States have the proper processes in place to protect households, interconnecting large-load data centers have positive benefits for the communities in which they reside. Data center growth can be a catalyst for investment in an aging grid, strengthening the tax base to fund essential public services and anchor tenants for utilities that lower rates for everyone else. Electricity demand is growing at a pace not seen since World War II, and communities are rightly concerned about what this might mean for their daily lives. As this industry continues to develop, I want to be absolutely clear that we need it to develop here at home and not in China. H.R. 9340 takes action on behalf of our constituents so we may keep costs low while ensuring the U.S. leads in the next-generation economy. If we cede the race for AI dominance to China, then China will set the standards for future technology. This bill strikes the right balance of providing a modest but important level of accountability as we continue to support this vital industry. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado again for his tireless bipartisan leadership on this issue. He is bringing together both sides of the aisle on a critical issue. I would say, we were home, working in our districts in August. We listened to our constituents, and we are here today based on what we heard, taking action here in Washington, D.C. That is how our system is supposed to work. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.