Ryan Mackenzie

“I want the House to pass this bill. New data centers need huge amounts of power, which makes fixing and growing our electric grid very expensive. Regular families, seniors, and small businesses should not have to pay higher electric bills for that work. The companies that need all that extra power should pay for it instead.”

“Madam Speaker, communities throughout the Nation are seeing unprecedented growth in electricity demand, driven in large part by data centers and other energy-intensive facilities. That growing demand is already having a direct impact on communities like those that I represent in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, where, after 4 years of severe inflation under President Biden, residents are being put in a position where they could end up footing the energy bill for new data centers. The rapid growth of these facilities requires unprecedented new investments in our electric grid. While the grid capacity will catch up eventually, the short-term costs of those investments must not be passed on to families, seniors, and small businesses, many of whom don’t want data centers in their communities in the first place. That is why I am proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, because large energy consumers who create the demand for new energy infrastructure should pay their fair share of the cost. We can maintain local control of development activities while also protecting existing ratepayers, and that is exactly what this legislation does. I thank Representative Evans for his partnership on this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 9340.”

“I am honoring Dan Schantz, a longtime Pennsylvania farmer and greenhouse owner who died. I send my condolences to his family.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dan Schantz, a longtime Lehigh Valley farmer and leader in Pennsylvania agriculture. For decades, Dan built one of the region’s most recognizable greenhouse businesses, serving generations of families across the Lehigh Valley with the quality and dedication that became synonymous with the Schantz name. On behalf of the people of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Dan Schantz. We honor his lasting contributions to our agricultural community, and may his legacy and memory be everlasting.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It permanently allows the Department of Labor to stop paying doctors and healthcare providers who are convicted of fraud under the federal workers' compensation program. This protects taxpayers and ensures money goes to injured federal workers.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8823, the Putting Patients First By Strengthening Provider Accountability in FECA Act, which I am leading alongside my colleague, Representative Omar. H.R. 8823 amends the FECA program, or the Federal Employees Compensation Act, to codify the Department of Labor’s ability to suspend payments to medical care providers who have been convicted of fraud with respect to this program. Each year, the FECA program provides benefits to hundreds of thousands of injured Federal workers. This is their system, and they deserve for it to operate efficiently, reliably, and effectively. That requires us to establish commonsense protections against bad actors who would abuse FECA and rip off the Federal workers in the process. Throughout this year, we have heard numerous concerning reports of providers targeting Federal programs with fraudulent schemes, and FECA is no exception. As chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I held a hearing in which we heard from those who testified about fraud costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, money that could have gone toward providing quality care to Federal workers who were injured. This is unacceptable. Every dollar that goes to a fraudulent provider is one less dollar going toward providing high-quality medical care to an injured Federal worker. That is why when a provider is convicted of fraud, the Department of Labor should have clear authority to shut down the flow of taxpayer dollars that was going into their pockets. Currently, DOL has the authority to suspend payments to medical providers who are convicted of fraudulent activity. This authority has not been codified and could be rescinded at any time. When it comes to protecting taxpayers and injured workers, our laws must be clear: No dollars should go to fraudulent providers now or at any point in the future. That is why H.R. 8823 gives DOL the permanent authority to block bad actors from hijacking the system that Federal workers rely on. H.R. 8823 does not aim to restrict access to medical care for our injured Federal employees. Instead, this bill helps ensure that care is only delivered by providers who meet clear standards of professional and ethical conduct. It is time that we give taxpayers and Federal workers the commonsense, bipartisan protections that they deserve. That is why I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.”

“I want Congress to pass this bill. It tests out separate airport security lines for families with children 12 and younger. Traveling with young kids is stressful and slows down lines. This test will make security easier for parents and faster for everyone else, without lowering safety rules.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8897, the Improving Travel for American Families Act, which I am leading alongside my colleague, Representative Foushee. Americans everywhere understand that there are better, easier, and more efficient ways to manage safety screenings at our airports. That was made clear when this legislation was reported unanimously by the Committee on Homeland Security by a vote of 30-0. We are bringing both sides together to give families the more convenient air travel experience that they deserve. As the father of two young children, I know firsthand that family travel can be challenging. Parents often have to navigate crowded airports while juggling strollers, diaper bags, car seats, and more, all while taking their families through the large crowds and navigating long lines. Every parent is aware that the most stressful part of this process can be the TSA screening point. Families with an array of bags and bulky items pack into the same lanes as business travelers with a small carry-on. The resulting problems can create stress for parents and frustration for everyone else. That is why H.R. 8897 allows the TSA to establish a pilot program that builds on its existing Families on the Fly initiative, which identifies ways to make the security screening process easier for adults traveling with children 12 years of age and under. Through this initiative, the TSA is establishing dedicated lines reserved for families, giving them more space, time, and flexibility at security checkpoints. Because of this program, parents are able to move through screening more smoothly, children have a less stressful experience, and security lines operate more efficiently for everyone in the airport. Importantly, this legislation does not change TSA’s screening requirements or security standards. It simply allows the agency to test practical, family friendly improvements while maintaining the same level of security that travelers expect. This is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will help modernize travel experience for American families while improving efficiency at our Nation’s airports. Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Foushee for her partnership in this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 8897.”