RELIABLE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACT

On 2026-04-22, Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) delivered a floor speech titled "RELIABLE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACT" in the House. The speech addressed the economy and also covered climate policy, the environment. It referenced legislation including HR4690, HRES1189.

RELIABLE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 71 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3057-H3061] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RELIABLE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACT 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. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1189, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, printed in the bill, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 4690 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act''. SEC. 2. REVISED FEDERAL BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) In General.--Section 305(a)(3)(D)(i) of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6834(a)(3)(D)(i)) is amended-- (1) by striking subclauses (I) and (II); and (2) in subclause (III), by inserting after the third sentence the following: ``The certification system and level may not prohibit a building from obtaining a certification as a green building or high-performance green building solely based on direct or indirect consumption of fossil fuels.''. (b) Standards.-- (1) Repeal of certain standards.--Subpart B of part 435, and subpart B of part 433, of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall have no force or effect. (2) Transition.--Until such time as the Secretary of Energy issues new or revised regulations pursuant to subsection (d) relating to the revised Federal building energy efficiency performance standards under section 305(a)(3)(D) of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6834(a)(3)(D)) to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a)(1) of this section, such section 305(a)(3)(D) shall be implemented as though the requirements of subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) of such section 305(a)(3)(D) (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act) had never taken effect. (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 436(h) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17092(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(3) Prohibition.--The system identified under paragraph (1) may not prohibit a building from obtaining a certification as a green building or high-performance green building solely based on direct or indirect consumption of fossil fuels.''. (d) Revision of Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall issue such new or revised regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the amendments made by this Act. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees. The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie). General Leave Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and insert extraneous material on H.R. 4690. [[Page H3058]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky? There was no objection. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 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. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1350 Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot going on in America today. President Trump is waging a reckless war in Iran, and prices are soaring for the American people. Thanks to Republican policies, drivers are paying about 35 percent more for gas than they were when the war started, and diesel prices are up 47 percent. Residential natural gas prices have increased by 13 percent since Trump took office, and inflation tripled last month. With everything that is going on, House Republicans should be focusing their efforts on helping Americans with the affordability crisis. Rising energy costs impact all aspects of life--keeping a house cool, driving to work, the price of groceries--and Americans need help. Trump and Republicans promised they would lower costs on day one, but Americans are over $5,000 poorer today--per person, that is--because of their actions, because of Trump's actions. However, rather than pursuing policies that help everyday Americans and provide them with much-needed relief, Republicans are focusing their efforts on saving the oil and gas industry once again. This bill, H.R. 4690, the so-called Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act, repeals the phaseout of fossil fuel for onsite generation at new and renovated Federal buildings. The phaseouts were a bipartisan effort signed into law in 2007 by then-President George W. Bush. What was bipartisan in 2007, I would say, is now viewed as extreme by today's Republicans. At a time when energy prices are soaring, Republicans are focused on ensuring that taxpayer dollars continue to go to their fossil fuel friends. The phaseouts repealed by this bill are projected to save about $3 million per year for Federal buildings constructed beginning in 2025, and these savings will be lost if this bill becomes law, wasting taxpayer dollars to the benefit of Republicans' fossil fuel friends. The Federal Government is the largest consumer of energy in the Nation. With this type of purchasing power, we have the ability to support emerging and efficient American technologies that drive down energy consumption. The Federal Government should be a leader in this space but, instead, Republicans want to ensure that we are stuck in the past. We have already come to the House floor eight times during this Republican Congress to repeal energy efficiency and electrification measures that are saving American families money on their power bills. With this bill, it will now be nine bills wasting taxpayer money. Republicans have repeatedly prioritized their anticlean energy and antiefficiency agenda at the expense of Americans over and over again. Their policies are driving up energy costs on the American people, but they simply don't care. They are wasting time on the House floor, ignoring real problems, and continuing to reward their Big Oil and Gas friends. At a time when everyone is feeling the squeeze of rising energy prices, it is just crazy to pretend that this bill actually helps anyone other than Big Oil and Gas. I urge my colleagues to vote against the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), the sponsor of the bill and a valuable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act, a commonsense measure that pushes back on the failed Green New Deal and puts reliability, affordability, and common sense back in the driver's seat. My bill repeals section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which would eliminate the use of onsite, fossil fuel- generated electricity for Federal buildings by 2030. Without repeal, section 433 would put the United States on a dangerous path of dependence on intermittent energy resources, like wind and solar, supported by battery storage, and dependent on supply chains for critical minerals that often run through China. Under past Democratic administrations, Washington has aligned itself with the most extreme elements of the environmental movement, advancing impractical regulations that hurt hardworking Americans and sidelining the reliable, affordable systems that they depend on every single day. Mr. Speaker, we have all seen where this leads. My home State of New York has embraced this same approach, pursuing policies t

Referenced legislation: HRES1189, HRES1189, HR4690