Dan Newhouse: “I thank Chairman Fleischmann for yielding to me today. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment as part of this…”

“I thank Chairman Fleischmann for yielding to me today. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment as part of this en bloc which addresses an important issue in my district as well as the State of Washington. The Bonneville Power Administration is required to carry out a Fish and Wildlife program to protect, mitigate, and enhance species affected by the development of and operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System. There has not been an inspector general report in over a decade regarding the effectiveness of the program, which has received significant resources and is supported by rate-paying customers in my district. I want to ensure transparency and that ratepayer dollars are being used effectively in carrying out the mandates explicitly established by Congress for this program. My amendment is simple. It highlights the need for a report from the Department of Energy Inspector General on the Bonneville Power Administration's Fish and Wildlife program to ensure it has fulfilled these mandates. In light of covert efforts to breach the Lower Snake River dams, which are a crucial source of power, irrigation, and transportation in the Pacific Northwest, it is essential that Congress continue to apply oversight and ensure that all entities involved in the operation of these dams meet their statutory requirements and provide clean, renewable power to our region. {time} 1145”