Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5541, the Tribal Power Act. This legislation was introduced by my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Representatives O'Halleran and Mullin, and it does strengthen the Department of Energy's Tribal Energy Program, which is really important to do. This bill went through regular order in the committee and passed out of the full committee by a voice vote. H.R. 5541 updates and reauthorizes programs at the Department of Energy to provide funding and technical assistance to Tribal Governments and organizations so that they can carry out projects that would expand access to energy and provide jobs and economic development on Indian lands. {time} 1315 American Indian and Alaska Native communities continue to struggle with energy affordability and access in many cases. Households on some Tribal lands also have higher rates of unemployment and lower incomes, meaning it may not be feasible to increase electricity rates to energize homes that are not currently connected to the electric grid. As a result, communities often rely on relatively expensive diesel microgrids and generators to power homes and businesses. H.R. 5541 would help improve energy security and affordability on Indian lands by reauthorizing important government programs, and it would remove some barriers to providing access to electric service and recommends ways to improve energy education, planning, and management. Mr.…”