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House Science, Space, and Technology U.S. House of Representatives
Follow its sittingsSpeaker 2
As compared with the current 16 gigawatts worldwide, the possibilities are remarkable, and the opportunity undeniable. The United States is facing twin crises of affordability and climate change. The proliferation of carbon-free geothermal energy could be employed to ameliorate this situation instead of blindly exacerbating it, which seems to be the approach of the current administration. Wanna thank representatives Harrigan and Salinas for their collaborative efforts on this important bill. The last bill, of course, is the Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act, sponsored by representatives Bonamici and Begich.
Hydropower is one of the oldest forms of renewable energy. In addition to providing carbon-free electricity, it plays a critical role in providing low-cost energy, maintaining grid reliability, and supporting energy storage. However, much of the nation's hydropower infrastructure is aging, and emerging technologies such as marine energy and pumped storage remain underdeveloped despite their significant potential to strengthen energy reliance and reliability. The bill provides updated guidance for DOE's research, development, demonstration, and commercialization programs in hydropower, marine energy, and pump storage technologies. I wanna thank the sponsors for their leadership on this bill.
And with that, Mister Chairman, I thank you and yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yield back. Other members are invited to submit opening statements to the record. I would like to now take a point of privilege, and take just a moment to recognize the passing of our former member of this committee, mister Bill Posey from Florida who represented the Space Coast of Florida for many years. He served on this committee for all those years as well. He was a dear friend.
He was a mentor to me. His wife, Katie, and my wife were very best of friends. And as a matter of fact, they lived right across the hall from us for the first four or five terms that I have served here in the house. And so you can imagine we were always borrowing from each other, from milk or whatever. And I'll always cherish the time that we spent with him, not only here in DC, but down in his district as well.
He had a wonderful district. Everything he represented there was what we're all about in this committee. He will be deeply missed, and our prayers are with him and Katie and his two daughters and the rest of his family. So we just wanna just express our sense of loss in this good man who sat right here for many years. So now we'll go on.
Speaker 2
Mister chairman, if I may just say thank you for bringing that to our attention and to the committee. Democrats join you in mourning his loss and thanking his family for allowing him to serve and be away from them for these many years as a very productive member of our committee. And with that, we yield back.
Speaker 1
Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much. Okay. Consideration of HR 8748. Pursuant to notice, I now call up H.R. 8748, the Service Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026.
Will the clerk report the bill?
Speaker 1
Without objection, the bill is considered read and open for amendment at any point. Does any member wish to be recognized to speak? Mister Fong, you are now recognized, a gentleman from California.
Speaker 4
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of my bill HR 8748, the Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026. I want to thank Representative Sykes for her partnership. America's transportation system is entering a new era. From emerging vehicle technologies to growing infrastructure demands, the challenges we face are evolving rapidly, and Congress must ensure our policies evolve with them.
If we want safer roads, stronger supply chains, and infrastructure built to last, we must invest in innovation, research, and better data-driven decision making. This bipartisan legislation keeps the Department of Transportation focused on the future by reauthorizing critical research and development programs and improving coordination across the department's research, technology, and data initiatives. It strengthens partnerships with universities, researchers, and innovators to help develop smarter transportation solutions for the challenges ahead. The bill also addresses emerging safety concerns, including studying the impacts of new vehicle lighting technologies, while advancing research into stronger, more durable road and rail materials that can better withstand the demands of the modern economy. America has always led the world by building, innovating, and investing in the future.
This bill helps ensure our transportation system remains safe, resilient, and globally competitive for generations to come. I urge my colleagues to support this common sense forward looking legislation, and I yield back.
Speaker 5
Thank you, Chairman Babin, and ranking member for holding today's markup. I am pleased to be the democratic co-lead for HR 8748, the Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026. And I would also like to thank my co-lead representative Fang for his partnership on this legislation. Everyday Americans across the nation depend on transportation infrastructure to get to school and work, essential goods and services, and to connect with our friends and family. Whether we live in rural, suburban, or urban communities, whether we depend on a car or public transportation, we can all relate to the woes of outdated and aging transportation infrastructure.
Even while we invest in repairing current infrastructure, we must also research the development and research to innovate on the technologies and systems that will make transportation safer, more equitable, more efficient, and more sustainable well into the future. We must do so in partnership with state governments, universities, labor unions, the private sector, and the many other non-federal stakeholders in our transportation system. The Surface Transportation Research and Development Act authorizes the Department of Transportation, surface transportation research, development, and demonstration programs through fiscal year 2031. The legislation supports long-term high-risk renovation across many modes of surface transportation infrastructure innovation. It ensures funding is available to all tiers of the University Transportation Centers program and other critical transportation and innovation programs.
It addresses coordination and privacy challenges with data collection and statistical analysis conducted across the Department of Transportation, and it ensures we are tackling emerging opportunities and challenges in transportation, including the promotion of reclaimed pavement and headlight brightness. This legislation also takes important steps to advance safety across our transportation system, including one that is especially important to me and the people of Ohio, and that is rail safety. It has been over three years since the tragic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and Congress has yet to pass a single reform or a piece of legislation to address the concern stemming from this derailment. Although that might change this week, fingers crossed at least in the transportation committee. HR 8748 will take a small step forward by reauthorizing the rail cooperative research program, which conducts applied research on problems important to freight, inner city, and commuter rail operators.
The bill directly directs the research program to tackle the challenges related to freight rail safety and transportation of hazardous materials to prevent the next East Palestine tragedy before it happens. And from the many people who I have met on the ground in East Palestine, one of their primary concerns was making sure that their tragic issues were not in vain and that we were doing what we could to prevent this from ever happening in another American city. So I'm very grateful to be able to help deliver on that promise. While research is important, I'm proud to be a co-sponsor of this legislation. I call on my colleagues to continue to support passing broader rail safety reform, corporate accountability, and legislation to protect labor and public interest representation in safety decision-making.
I have introduced the bipartisan legislation to address these issues and more, including the Reducing Accident and Locomotive Act, also known as the RAIL Act, and welcome anyone who would like to join us in moving it forward. We are also considering the Surface Transportation and Transportation Infrastructure Committee, and I was pleased to see several provisions on rail safety included. And I look forward to strengthening these in the transportation and infrastructure markup tomorrow. With respect to what we can achieve here on the science committee, I thank representative Fogg and chairman and ranking member for working with me to ensure rail safety is included in this bill where we are considering today. These and other investments in transportation research, development, and demonstration in this legislation are necessary to support a safe, resilient, equitable, and sustainable transportation future.
As a member of both the science, base and technology and transportation infrastructure committees, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both committees to advance the priorities outlined for this bill for transportation innovation. And finally, I'd like to thank my colleagues from both sides for your very thoughtful amendments that we will consider today that will only improve the underlying bill and the goals and purpose of this legislation. Thank you again, and I hope that everyone is willing to support the amendments and the bill. And I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentlewoman yields back. If there is no further discussion on the underlying bill, we will proceed with amendments in the order listed on the roster. The first amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Oberknolty of California. The clerk shall report Oberknolty amendment 066.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I recognize Representative Obernoti of California for five minutes to explain his amendment.
Speaker 6
Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. We all know that electric vehicle technology is evolving extremely rapidly, but unfortunately, our safety protocols have not kept pace with this evolution. This poses a unique challenge to our first responders who are used to dealing with traditional combustion-engine vehicles. For EVs, batteries are often damaged in accidents, which exposes the passengers and emergency personnel to hazardous chemicals, electric shocks, and battery fires. These fires are not only unusually hot, but they also can spontaneously reignite hours after they are extinguished.
And I think every first responder has experienced that. EVs bring new opportunities from green transit to lowering emissions, but they also present new dangers for first responders to tackle. As more Americans transition to EVs, it is essential that we give firefighters and other emergency personnel the tools they need to keep people out of harm's way. This amendment does just that. It takes the first steps for helping emergency responders prepare for EV fires by directing the secretary of transportation to establish the electric vehicle fire response working group to review and establish guidance and best practices for responding to electric vehicle fires.
This multidisciplinary working group will be comprised of experts directly involved in roadside EV fire response, including towing and recovery, professionals who are frequently directed to clear EVs from active roadways following fires or crashes, fire service and emergency response personnel, including both career and volunteer responders, research, training, and standards organizations with expertise in EV fire risks and responses, federal safety agencies, and manufacturers of electric vehicles and EV batteries. The effort will represent a coordinated expert-driven federal effort to improve roadside EV fire response, strengthen responder safety, and ensure that best practices keep pace with rapidly changing vehicle technologies amid increased EV adoption. As many of my colleagues know on this dais, there is a lack of standard safety protocol for first responders when extinguishing electric vehicle fires, which creates unnecessary risk of injury and long-term health effects. Today, data and guidance on this topic is fragmented and inconsistent, with best practices very widely varying across jurisdictions, and lessons learned from incidents often not systematically shared between jurisdictions. Tow and recovery operators, as well as first responders, face heightened risks without consistent nationally informed guidance to ensure safe operations of the impacted vehicles.
Congress can close these gaps by creating a central forum for collaboration, information sharing, and continuous improvement, without imposing mandates or new requirements on manufacturers, states, and local responders. My amendment and the electric vehicle fire response working group will bring together the experts who are on the front lines, from tow and recovery operators to first responders, to develop clear, consistent guidance that will keep them safe. By improving coordination and sharing best practices, we can better protect those who respond to these dangerous incidents, while ensuring our infrastructure adapts to these new emerging technologies. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Speaker 2
Mister chairman? Yep. I wanna thank mister Olvanodi for this is a good amendment. Electric vehicles have a lot of great benefits, but the roadside incidents involving vehicle fires are, as he's noted, very dangerous. And this amendment would establish a working group to support tracking those incidents, and establish best practices and guidance.
And this would really improve our understanding of the current state of roadside EV fires and enable us to more efficiently communicate about best practices to keep our emergency responders and the public safe. So we support this amendment. I encourage the committee to do so, and I yield back.
Speaker 1
Dental woman yields back. Is there any further discussion on the amendment? Okay. If there is no further discussion on the amendment, the question is on adoption of Obernoti amendment 066. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. All opposed, say no. The opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Riley of New York. The clerk shall report Riley amendment of five five.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I recognize Representative Riley of New York for five minutes to explain his amendment.
Speaker 7
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. So NAFTA was a disaster across Upstate New York, and letting China into the WTO was one of the dumbest things that politicians ever did. And we saw it across my district as I was growing up. We had plants closed down, jobs shipped overseas where the labor was cheaper and the profits were higher.
And when you hollow out an industrial base like that just to make a buck, it's no wonder that you start to fall behind adversaries like China when it comes to our manufacturing capacity. So when I came to Congress, I said I'd work with anyone from any party to bring good manufacturing jobs home, which we need to do for national security and also to rebuild the middle class in this country. And that's what we're working to do in Upstate New York. I was proud to work with some of my colleagues here across the aisle to restore funding for the manufacturing extension partnership, which provides support to small and mid-sized manufacturers. I worked across the aisle on the MATCH Act to stop exporting advanced semiconductors to China.
Recently worked with my colleagues across the aisle to secure $5,000,000 in defense funding for Menlo's advanced power distribution systems for naval platforms, hoping we can bring some good manufacturing jobs to Tompkins County. And earlier this month, I joined my neighbors at VAE at the Huron campus in Endicott to cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art factory that is gonna employ over 130 people in good paying jobs, making the most high-tech and cutting edge electric propulsion systems for transit and aviation. But to do this work well, we need a pipeline of trained workers. As transit agencies adopt electric propulsion systems, vehicle electrification, predictive maintenance technologies, and advanced cybersecurity tools, we need technicians and operators trained to maintain and operate these next generation fleets. BAE is already doing this with Binghamton University and BOCES, creating technical pipelines to prepare students for good jobs that need to be filled.
And my amendment supports those efforts by directing the Federal Transit Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen America's transit workforce and prepare workers for the technologies shaping the future of transit. FTA will look at how we can better leverage existing workforce development resources, including university transportation centers and public-private training partnerships, to build that talent pipeline. And this amendment is especially important for smaller and rural transit systems so they can successfully deploy and maintain advanced transit technologies as well. So I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment so we can strengthen America's transit workforce. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Speaker 1
Thank you. The gentleman yields back. Is there further discussion on this amendment? If there is no further discussion on the amendment, the question is on adoption of Riley amendment 055. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Sykes of Ohio. The clerk shall report Sykes Amendment 116.
Speaker 1
Thank you. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I recognize Representative Sykes of Ohio for five minutes to explain her amendment.
Speaker 5
Thank you, Mr. Chair. You may have heard the phrase that Ohio is the heart of it all, and our highway system highlights this perfectly. We are within a day's drive of 60% of the United States and Canadian populations. In 2022 alone, vehicles traveled more than 110,000 miles through Ohio, making us seventh in the nation for miles traveled and number one in the Midwest. Whether it's coming home, coming to visit, enjoying a drive through our state, I am committed to ensuring that our roadways are safe for every single person.
And while we take great pride in these distinguished, these distinguished statistics, excuse me, there's also a dark side. Tragically, Ohio ranks among the top 10 states for the number of calls made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Nationally, roadway vehicles are the most common form of transportation for trafficking victims. Many states, including Ohio, recognize the importance of combating trafficking on our roadways, but there is still a lot we don't know about human trafficking, and much more to be done. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act directed the Department of Transportation to convene experts and conduct a study every three years on human trafficking.
One of the recommendations from the report is for the Transportation Research Board to increase research on human trafficking, including the impact on underrepresented and understudied industries, and how we can better leverage and harmonize existing data collection. My amendment will codify this recommendation, directing the Department of Transportation to expand the scope and scale of human trafficking research, identify gaps in existing human trafficking research, and identify ways in which we can streamline the data collection process. Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified over 200,000 victims nationwide, and there are likely many more. Understanding how traffickers are moving their victims is essential to preventing and stopping human trafficking. As a representative from the great state of Ohio, I wanna be a part of this solution, and I am glad that this amendment will help add a piece to the puzzle.
I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this amendment, so we can create a safer transportation system for all. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentleman yields back. Any further discussion on this amendment? Hearing none, the question is on adoption of Sykes' amendment 116. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Webster of Florida. The clerk shall report Webster amendment 037.
Speaker 1
Thank you. Without objection, the amendment is considered read. I recognize Representative Webster of Florida for five minutes to explain the amendment.
Speaker 8
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, the amendment directs the Department of Transportation to study and develop a strategy to modernize digital infrastructure used in transportation planning, engineering, and regulatory reform. By promoting interoperable vendor neutral digital systems, agencies can reduce delays in projects, reviews, and improve coordination. It will also assure congressional oversight of the digital infrastructure and modernization efforts. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back.
Speaker 1
Thank you very much. Gentlemen, yield back. Any further discussion on the amendment?
Speaker 2
I just like to thank mister Weber for this amendment. I think the creation of a study to analyze and improve the digital infrastructure is warranted. And I am confident that we'll also include cybersecurity analysis, which is a large risk to our infrastructure. So I support the amendment and urge the committee to do so, and yield back.
Speaker 1
If there's no further, gentlemen yield back. No further discussion on this amendment. The question is on the adoption of Webster amendment o three seven. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Whitesides of California. Clerk shall report Whitesides amendment of five two.
Speaker 1
Added objection. The amendment is considered as red. I recognize Representative Whitesides of California for five minutes to explain the amendment.
Speaker 9
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. And ranking member Lofgren. I also wanna thank the bill's sponsors, representatives Fong and Sykes, for working to ensure our surface transportation research keeps pace with modern innovation. As someone whose career is focused on translating advanced engineering into real-world applications, I know innovation cannot stop at the laboratory door.
The underlying bill correctly updates our transit systems, but we must continuously fuel the pipeline with next-generation ideas. My amendment explicitly tasks the Department of Transportation with carrying out long-term exploratory advanced research. The goal is simple, to develop transformational high-horizon solutions that improve the lifespan, efficiency, and safety of our nation's transit corridors. This amendment mandates that the department award these funds through open, competitive grants and cooperative agreements. It brings the best minds to the table by opening these opportunities directly to universities and nonprofit research organizations.
In the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita, our aerospace and engineering talent is unmatched. The same advanced modeling, material science, and computer simulations used to build cutting-edge aircraft are exactly what we need to design the ultra durable transit systems of tomorrow. This amendment strengthens federal labs like the Turner Fairbank Center, while opening a competitive pipeline for our local researchers, innovators, and universities to secure federal dollars and solve complex national infrastructure challenges. Crucially, this amendment instructs the Department of Transportation to collaborate directly with the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We cannot afford to have federal agencies working in isolated vacuum chambers.
We must leverage our premier national research hubs together. This is a common-sense addition prioritizing long-term safety, rigorous scientific competition, and regional economic potential. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yields back. Is there any further discussion on the amendment? Hearing none, the question is on the objection of white side's amendment of five two. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is an amendment offered by Representative Whitesides of California. Clerk shall report Whitesides amendment of five three.
Speaker 1
Thank you. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read, and I recognize Representative Whitesides of California for five minutes to explain his amendment.
Speaker 9
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer a common-sense amendment to tackle an escalating crisis hitting our national infrastructure, the devastating impact of wildfires. Under current law, the Department of Transportation studies how our roads handle extreme events and weather. But, remarkably, wildfires aren't on the list. Fire isn't just bad weather.
It behaves differently, destroys infrastructure differently, and demands unique engineering solutions. We can't protect our communities if federal research treats wildfires like a secondary afterthought. This amendment fixes that blind spot. It explicitly adds wildfire as a distinct category within the DOT's highway R and D program. By naming this threat directly, we open the door for the DOT to invest in next-generation lifesaving technologies.
We're talking about developing fireproof coatings so intense heat doesn't warp and collapse our bridges, and embedding tough heat-resistant sensors right into the asphalt to beam live danger alerts straight to first responders. This isn't theoretical for my constituents in California's 27th District. We know this threat firsthand. Just last year in January 2025, devastating fires upended lives and compromised our local transit safety. And as many people know, there are fires right now in Southern California that are threatening our communities.
Across California, wildfires routinely shut down critical mountain corridors, stranding families and blocking first responders. With this amendment, we can build the predictive AI needed to dynamically route traffic away from fast moving blazes and deploy autonomous drone fleets to safely scan bridges for structural integrity minutes after a fire passes. Proactive tech-driven engineering research isn't a luxury. It's a matter of basic public safety. We have to build our roads to survive in the modern environment.
I urge a yes vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yields back. Any further discussion on this amendment? Hearing none, the question is on adoption of White Side's amendment of five three. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Salinas of Oregon. The clerk shall report Salinas amendment 093.
Speaker 1
The end objection. The amendment is considered red. I now recognize Representative Salinas of Oregon for five minutes to explain our amendment.
Speaker 10
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment would establish a task force to address the issue of six PD in our ecosystem. This is an essential chemical used in tires to ensure their durability and safety. However, as tires wear down, six ppd can run off into waterways where it is toxic for fish. In particular, it's deadly to coho salmon, and harms our fishing industry.
This is a critical issue in the Pacific Northwest, where our tribes, our fisheries, and our recreation industry rely on salmon for their subsistence and livelihoods. Unfortunately, there is no practical and safe alternative to six PPD at this time. This amendment, adopted from representative Strickland's six PPD task force act, would bring the relevant stakeholders together to identify short-term solutions to mitigate the impact of six PPD and long-term solutions to develop and adopt a safer alternative in the future. I wanna thank Congresswoman Strickland for bringing together tire manufacturers, environmental advocates, and state and tribal partners to develop this legislation. This amendment would just help move this work forward, creating a formal task force to coordinate efforts on six PPD research and mitigation.
I'm deeply disappointed that there is no path forward for this common-sense amendment today. Mister chairman, I would appreciate an opportunity to work with you to find a path forward as this surface transportation package moves to the floor. And with that, I will withdraw the amendment, and I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yields back. The amendment is withdrawn. And as an avid salmon fisherman myself, I assure you that we will be glad to work with you. Okay? Alright.
The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Ross of North Carolina. The clerk shall report Ross amendment 075.
Speaker 1
Thank you. Without objection, the amendment is considered read. I recognize Representative Ross of North Carolina for five minutes to explain her amendment.
Speaker 11
Thank you, Chairman Babin and Ranking Member Lofgren, for holding this markup on all of these important bills. I'm pleased to offer this amendment a piece of representative Cohen and my bill, the Stop Underrides Act 2.0. An underride crash occurs when a car slides under a large truck during an accident. A car's safety features are useless in an underride crash because the passenger compartment slides under the truck's cab or trailer. Passengers in these crashes, if they survive, usually experience severe head and neck injuries.
Unfortunately, data on these crashes is spotty at best. Law enforcement officers and first responders often aren't trained to report underride crashes as such. And if we don't know how many of these crashes are occurring, it's even harder to begin to take steps to reduce and prevent them. It's clear that we need a fuller picture of how many Americans are killed or seriously injured in underride crashes. And this happened to the daughters of one of my constituents.
She brought this to my attention at a town hall. This amendment will require the Department of Transportation to study and report on the prevalence of underride crashes and the impacts they have on road users. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment and the underlying bill, and I yield back.
Speaker 1
The gentlelady yields back. Are there any other comments on this amendment? Hearing none, the question is on adoption of Ross amendment 075. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. This amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Fushi of North Carolina. Clerk shall report Fushi amendment 6 2.
Speaker 1
Thank you. Without objection, the amendment is considered read. I recognize Representative Fushi of North Carolina for five minutes to explain her amendment.
Speaker 12
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am proud to offer this amendment, which I worked on with my colleague, Congressman Max Miller. As the lead sponsors of the IMPACT Act and IMPACT Act 2.0, we have been focused on strengthening American manufacturing and advancing innovation in cement, concrete, asphalt, and other construction materials we rely on every day to build our roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure. In my home state of North Carolina and across the country, families and businesses depend on strong, affordable infrastructure built with materials that are reliable, cost-effective, and cleaner to produce. This amendment helps states test, validate, and use innovative building materials with greater confidence.
It supports the development of standard specifications and risk-sharing models so states can more easily purchase low-emissions construction materials. It also supports railroad testing and deployment, including lab evaluation, field-scale construction, and pilot-scale pavement testing using existing state facilities and test tracks. That matters because states, contractors, and producers need confidence that new materials will perform safely and cost-effectively before they are used at scale. These are practical steps to improve the affordability of building materials and infrastructure, strengthen our domestic supply chain, reduce emissions, and support good-paying jobs here at home. This bipartisan amendment gives states more tools to build stronger, cleaner, and more affordable infrastructure.
I thank Congressman Miller for his partnership on this effort. And, additionally, I thank Reps Fang and Sykes for their work on the underlying bill. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time, and I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.
Speaker 2
Thank you, mister. I wanna thank Miss Fushi for this very important amendment. Globally, cement facilities account for 8% of carbon dioxide emissions, about one third of all power plant emissions. And demand for cement is expected to increase by 12% by the middle of this century. This amendment is so important.
We already know that the technology exists to create concrete that actually absorbs CO2 and has compressive strength that exceeds traditional methods of concrete or cement. What we don't have is a building code structure that allows for that to proceed in an orderly way. This amendment will help. We also don't have a structure to allow that to proceed at scale. So this is a super important amendment, and I don't think it needs to be added in.
Think it's included in the broad scope of the amendment, but it is possible that because of the comprehensive strength of this type of cement that actually absorbs CO2, it may be a safer material for use in earthquake country, and that is something I would look forward to hearing about. So with that, I thank the gentlelady for the amendment and urge adoption of the amendment.
Speaker 1
Ranking member yields back. Is there any further discussion on this amendment? Hearing none, the question is on the adoption of FUSHI amendment 6 2. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. And on the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by the representative of Oregon. The clerk shall report Bonamichi amendment 099.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered read. I recognize Representative Bonamichi of Oregon for five minutes to explain the amendment.
Speaker 13
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I do that, I wanna join in the condolences about the passing of our colleague, Bill Posey, with whom I had the honor of serving for many years. We also worked together on ocean and estuary health. He was one of the co-chairs of the Estuary Caucus. And I also had the pleasure of traveling not just to his district, but when we were there, he invited us to his home.
And he was just a kind man, and I know we will miss him. And I send condolences to his family. So on the amendment, thank you, Chairman Babin and Ranking Member Lofgren, for your leadership on this bill and for supporting innovation in the transportation sector. My amendment would authorize the transit vehicle innovation deployment program at the Federal Transit Administration. This program has a successful record of helping transit agencies test and deploy next-generation technologies.
It's enjoyed bipartisan support for years by supporting advanced propulsion systems, safer vehicle platforms, improved charging systems, and hydrogen fuel-cell buses. This program helps improve passenger safety, strengthen US supply chains, and support workers. This program would scale the innovative work already underway in my home state of Oregon, for example. TriMet, the transit provider serving the Portland region, is now deploying hydrogen fuel cell buses along the 82nd Avenue corridor. These vehicles will be able to operate longer routes, improve air quality, and reduce costs for daily commuters.
These innovations help reduce pollution in heavily traveled communities, and also support construction and manufacturing jobs. By creating demand for domestically made components and fueling infrastructure, it positions The U. S. To compete in a global transportation market that increasingly demands clean and advanced transit technologies. Hydrogen also offers operational advantages for transit systems.
Battery electric buses work in many applications, but fuel cells provide longer range, faster refueling, and greater flexibility for long routes and in cold climates. That reliability is essential, especially for rural and regional transit, and it also supports emergency management, preparedness, and resilience for safe transportation. Importantly, this program's consortium model helps align research and development projects with industry needs. It's proven its ability to deliver timely results. It convenes nonprofit organizations, transit and emergency management agencies, research testing centers, and industry to develop standards, provide workforce training, and leverage private co-investment to work flexibly. Projects are assessed with a rigorous industry-standard screening to evaluate scalability.
And because the program employs a short life cycle model, projects are deployed within 18 months of receiving an award. This program's innovative projects have advanced collision avoidance systems, precision bus movement, operator assault reduction, and automated safety tools that are designed to reduce crashes and improve maintenance operations. The transit vehicle innovation deployment program provides reliable, centralized, and standardized data for transit agencies to compare lifecycle maintenance costs for fleet planning, and then they make smarter budget choices. Transit workers deserve safe vehicles, and riders deserve safe systems. Modernizing aging fleets with technologies that reduce risks gives confidence to riders that their commute will be safer and affordable.
Countries around the world continue to invest in advanced transit manufacturing. So by authorizing the transit vehicle innovation deployment program, more workers can build American transit technology, more riders can commute with clean air, and more promising systems quickly bridge from research to commercialization. So this program will close that gap and give transit agencies tools to test, validate, and scale the new systems to lower risks and costs, and also improve performance, and avoid expensive procurement errors. As the US seeks to lead in transportation technology, this amendment will support the research and development to innovate transit, one of the highest volume modes of transportation. So I urge all my colleagues to support this straightforward amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Speaker 1
Gentlewoman yields back. Any further discussion on this amendment? Hearing none, the question is on adoption of Bonomichi amendment 099. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. The opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Subramaniam of Virginia. The clerk shall report Subramannam amendment 117.
Speaker 3
Amendment to HR 8748 offered by Mister Subramannan of Virginia. Add at the end the following. Study on toll pricing.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I recognize Representative Subramanian of Virginia for five minutes to explain his amendment.
Speaker 14
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Continuing the theme of reducing costs for daily commuters, this amendment simply asks us to do a study on the pricing scheme of private toll roads and investigate excessive pricing there and give us some ideas on how we can lower cost for community commuters. My district has a private toll road where if you drive just one mile, you'll have to pay $5.50 each way. So it's $11 for two miles. And it was because of a lack of oversight, a lack of looking ahead as far as policy.
And so there we were able to fix that in the general assembly when I was there, but this is happening all over the country. Oftentimes, these private toll roads are owned by foreign companies who don't particularly care how they impact commuters or how the pricing puts pressure on local governments. And so I just wanna do a little study on what we can do to help fix this across the countries. Thank you.
Speaker 1
I yield back. Gentlemen, yields back. Any further discussion on this amendment? Hearing none, the question is on the adoption of Subaru Miyam amendment 117. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Let's see. There are no additional amendments on the amendment roster.
Are there any further amendments? Hearing none, a reporting quorum being present, I move that the committee report H.R. 8748, the Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026, as amended, to the House with the recommendation that the bill be favorably approved. Question is on favorably reporting H.R. 8748 as amended to the House. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
All those opposed, say nay. The ayes have it. The bill, as amended, is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, their motion to consider is laid on the table. Okay.
You bet. Okay. Consideration of HR 8790 pursuant to notice on alcohol of HR 8790, the next generation geothermal research and development act. The clerk will report the bill, please.
Speaker 1
Thank you. Without objection, the bill is considered read and open for amendment at any point. Does any member wish to be recognized to speak on the underlying bill? Mister Harrigan.
Speaker 15
Well, thank you, Chairman Babin, and thank you, ranking member Lofgren. And I wanna say a special thanks to my colleague across the aisle, Rep. Salinas, for all of your help on this bipartisan legislation. America has an enormous source of clean, reliable baseload power sitting right underneath our feet. We are barely scratching the surface of what it can do. It's estimated that next-generation geothermal has the potential to deliver 90 gigawatts of power to the United States alone, and it could not come at a more consequential time. Congress is beginning to reckon with the fact that we simply do not have enough power to meet the rising demand for electricity.
Getting more electrons on the grid, and doing that quickly, is fundamentally vital to securing an economically prosperous future for the next generation of Americans. This bill puts the Department of Energy to work, solving the engineering challenges standing between us and the abundant energy resources that next-generation geothermal technologies can deliver. By engaging in public-private partnerships that actually get results, we can unlock this energy source and power America's economic future. I'd like to again thank my colleague, Rep. Salinas, for her work on this bill, and I urge all members to support this bipartisan legislation. Mister chairman, I yield back.
Speaker 10
Thank you, Chair Babin and Ranking Member Lofgren, and thank you to Congressman Harrigan for co-leading the geothermal and energy efforts with me. Oregonians are really passionate about addressing this climate crisis, and our state has very ambitious clean-energy targets. And thanks to incredible technological improvements in recent years, wind and solar are now some of the cheapest sources of power, and they will continue to play an essential and growing role in our energy mix. However, these technologies provide intermittent power. Their output can be weather dependent, and they require backstops to ensure the reliability and resiliency that consumers need.
The effects of climate change exacerbate these challenges. In Oregon, winter ice storms, wildfires, and drought increasingly present challenges to delivering clean, affordable, and reliable power. As energy costs continue to rise, driven by aging infrastructure, rising fuel costs, and those same climate-driven disasters, we need more tools to ensure that we can deliver the reliability that consumers depend on. Geothermal energy is a technology that promises to deliver clean twenty-four-seven power. It will play an important role in the transition to a reliable, clean energy future, and I'm proud to support this legislation to accelerate the development of next-gen geothermal technologies.
Oregon is already a leader in this space, producing the fifth most geothermal electricity in the US. Oregon Institute of Technology opened Oregon's first geothermal power plant at their Klamath Falls campus. And for 60 years, the school has heated buildings and supplied hot water with geothermal energy. Now Oregon is leading the charge on next-gen geothermal technologies. Newberry Volcano in Central Oregon is a hotspot, and, forgive the pun, for geothermal research and development.
Multiple companies are piloting commercial-scale power plants and demonstrating new technologies that will allow geothermal to operate in extreme heat conditions. Mastering these super hot applications will increase the power output of a system many times over, and allow geothermal to play a much larger role in the country's energy mix across broad geographies. More research is needed to better understand and map the availability of that subsurface heat across the country, as well as to develop the engineering techniques and materials needed to drill deeper and maintain wells at extreme temperatures. Our bill will support new geothermal research, development, demonstration, and commercialization efforts at the DOE to overcome these challenges. Next generation geothermal energy will be a critical tool in the fight against climate change, providing clean, reliable energy with a smaller footprint than other power sources.
So I look forward to advancing this legislation to clear a path for broad adoption of next-gen geothermal power. And, again, I thank my colleague, congressman Harrigan, for coleading this, and I look forward to supporting this bill. I yield back.
Speaker 1
The young lady yields back. I now recognize myself to speak in support of this bill as well. I'm very pleased to support HR 8790, the next generation geothermal research and development act. And I would like to thank representatives Harrigan and Miss Selena for their work on this legislation. This bill will enhance public-private partnerships, will help accelerate the deployment of baseload next-generation geothermal power at a time when The United States needs all the energy that it can produce.
With that, I'll yield back the balance of my time. Is there any further discussion on the underlying bill? Hearing none, we will proceed with the amendments in the order listed on the roster. The first amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Harrigan of North Carolina.
Speaker 3
Clerk will report Harrigan amendment 058. Amendment to HR 8790 offered by mister Harrigan of North Carolina.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered as read, and I now recognize Representative Harrigan of North Carolina for five minutes to explain his amendment.
Speaker 15
Well, thank you, Chairman Babin and ranking member Lofgren. And my amendment would direct the Department of Energy to include supercritical geothermal conditions within its forged sites and R&D programs. Geothermal experts estimate that supercritical geothermal wells could produce 5x to 10x the energy that conventional geothermal wells do. By eliminating the technical feasibility loophole, we can push the DOE to unlock and tap into this incredible energy source. The future of next-generation geothermal, like any frontier energy source, carries inherent risks, but the DOE's mandate is to push the boundaries of what is possible.
And we will never know what supercritical geothermal can deliver if we never try. I'd like to thank my colleague, Rep Salinas, for her support of this bipartisan amendment and the overall bill. And with that, Mister Chairman, I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yields back. Any other discussion on this amendment? Miss Salinas, you're recognized.
Speaker 10
Thank you. And, again, thank you to Congressman Harrigan for this amendment. And it does a bipartisan agreement on technical corrections to ensure the bill achieves its intended purpose of pushing the envelope on geothermal technology. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yields back. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none, the question is on adoption of Harrigan amendment 058. All those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and this amendment is adopted. The next amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by Representative Van Epps of Tennessee. The clerk shall report Van Epps amendment 117.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I recognize Representative Van Epps of Tennessee for five minutes to explain the amendment.
Speaker 16
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. House Republicans have worked hard during this congress to deliver on the president's agenda to unleash American energy dominance by removing regulatory barriers, streamlining licenses and permits for energy projects, and detaching from foreign dependence. I rise in strong support of Representative Harrigan's bill to accelerate the commercialization of cutting-edge geothermal projects to meet America's energy needs. Representative Harrigan has championed numerous pieces of legislation across nuclear, natural gas, and now geothermal energy, helping to secure America's leadership in energy dominance. In calling the energy secretary to issue grants for innovative geothermal projects, this bill directs federal spending toward public-private partnerships that address America's ever-growing energy demands.
Mister Chairman, I offer an amendment for the purposes of discussion. My amendment directs the secretary's grant prioritization to consider commercial geothermal projects that would power high-load-factor facilities. High load factor facilities such as semiconductor fabrication plants, steel mills, and wastewater treatment facilities all need consistent baseload power to sustain operations. Rising energy demands are also hitting close to home in Tennessee's 7th District, home to a Google data center, and a new critical mineral smelter in Fort Campbell. As investment in these large facilities grow in my district and across the country, it is essential that taxpayer dollars are supporting renewable energy projects that are directed toward meeting a substantive need, which is what my amendment seeks to advance.
I appreciate the chairman and ranking member's willingness to work with us on this issue. While there are differing views on how to address energy demands for high-load facilities, I appreciate the engagement from committee members and intend to withdraw the amendment at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentleman yields back. Thank you. The amendment is withdrawn, and, we'll certainly be glad to work with you. Okay? There are no additional amendments on the amendment roster.
Are there any further amendments? Hearing none, a reporting quorum is being present. I move that the committee report H.R. 8790, the Next Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, as amended, to the House with the recommendation that the bill be favorably approved. The question is on favorably reporting H.R. 8790 as amended to the House. All those in favor say aye.
Aye. Those opposed say nay. The ayes have it, and the bill's amendment is ordered favorably recorded. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Pursuant to notice, I now call up H.R. 7129, the Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act.
The clerk will report the bill, please.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the bill is considered read and open for amendment at any point. Does any member wish to be recognized to speak? Miss Bonamichi from Oregon, you're recognized.
Speaker 13
Well, thank you very much, dear Babin, and thank you to ranking member Lofgren, both of you, for bringing this bill up today, and also to Congressman Begich for his partnership on this bill. The ocean contains enormous untapped energy potential. Marine energy uses power from moving water, including waves, tides, and currents, to produce reliable baseload electricity. The Department of Energy estimates that marine energy resources could eventually power more than 22,000,000 homes and support resilient coastal infrastructure, offshore operations, desalination, remote communities, and national security. According to the National Lab of the Rockies, total U.
S. Marine energy resources are estimated to be 2,300 terawatt-hours per year. As a representative for Oregon's North Coast, I've seen how visionary scientists can successfully partner with federal programs to harness the power of waves, tides, and currents. Just seven miles off the coast of Newport, Oregon, workers, engineers, researchers, fishermen, local leaders, and federal scientists have spent more than a decade building PACWAVE, one of the most advanced wave energy research facilities in the world. This project has evolved from theory, design, and planning to operations because of sustained support from the Water Power Technology Office.
Construction crews completed the subsea cable installation last year. The utility connection and monitoring facility is prepared for its full-scale operations as the first grid-connected pre-permitted wave energy test facility in the Continental United States. This milestone took decades of support and coordination. Oregon State University led the effort. NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Lab provided scientific expertise in ocean observation capabilities.
Local governments in Newport and Lincoln County helped sustain community support and infrastructure planning. And the Department of Energy's Water Power Technology Office provided long-term investment. Researchers at institutions across the Pacific Northwest help solve engineering and environmental monitoring challenges to bring PACWAVE to life. This project exemplifies federal research partnerships that can deliver the next generation of grid-scale energy. PACWAVE's story proves that growing this sector will require testing infrastructure, long-term research partnerships, and demonstration projects that reduce risk for private investment.
It also requires federal leadership willing to stay engaged long enough to move promising technologies from prototype to deployment. The Water Power Technologies Office provides that long-term partnership to fuel innovation. It's positioned the US to be a global leader in wave, tidal, and hydropower technology. It supports advanced manufacturing research, grid integration, environmental monitoring, cybersecurity, and solutions to deploy marine energy in harsh ocean environments. Water power, including marine energy, hydropower, and pumped storage, plays a critical role in grid reliability, lowering energy costs, which is something everybody needs right now, and supporting domestic manufacturing.
Marine energy potential could have produced 57% of all US electricity generated in 2021. Hydropower is a proven baseload electricity resource, accounting for 6.2% of total US electricity produced in 2024. And pumped storage is the largest source of utility-scale energy storage in the country, with a total capacity of 23 gigawatts. So as our grid strains and energy costs increase, it's essential to strengthen the water power technologies office that brings these technologies to scale. So this bipartisan bill will reauthorize and modernize critical research activities at the Water Power Technology Office by strengthening domestic manufacturing and supply chains, expanding workforce development and university partnerships, and directing research into emerging energy technologies.
The bill will strengthen grid reliability and resilience. Extreme weather events, spiking energy demand, and cybersecurity risk are straining our already vulnerable grid and raising America's electricity costs. At the same time, this bill will direct research into advanced technologies that provide long duration energy storage and flexible generation. It will expand research opportunities for coastal and riverside communities to develop solutions for the urgent challenges they face, including through microgrid deployment, desalination, disaster recovery, and lifeline infrastructure. These projects need regional experts to help bring developers, federal scientists, and communities together to complete them.
This bill sustains and expands the national marine energy centers as regional hubs for testing, demonstration, and workforce development, so federal investments support local priorities. Additionally, the bill will improve the Water Power Office's research on fisheries, water quality, and sediment movement to understand the environmental effects of energy deployment and inform responsible testing. As new energy technologies pivot from testing to grid scale, the water power technology office supports workforce opportunities beyond the energy sector, including in construction, equipment manufacturing, and shipyard operations. So, again, I wanna thank Representative Begich for coleading this important legislation, and the chair and ranking member for bringing it to the committee. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the floor at my time.
Speaker 1
Lady yields back if there's no further discussion on the underlying bill. Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't see you, Mr. Menafi. You're recognized from Texas.
Speaker 17
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I wanna thank ranking member Lofgren and representative Banamichi for this important bill. Our society relies on water to survive, but in Texas right now, we are running out of it. Our state just told us that it needs $174,000,000,000 over the next 50 years just to keep the taps running. That number was $80,000,000,000 just four years ago, so it more than doubled.
This bill, the Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act, starts to answer that call. It invests $300,000,000 a year in the clean, water-smart energy sources Texas desperately needs. Hydropower, marine energy, and pump storage. That's an investment that, in Texas, cannot wait. Data centers are pouring into Texas, hundreds of them. AI is driving demand for computing power like we have never seen.
All of that computing needs electricity and water, and a lot of it. The power plants feeding these facilities, coal plants, natural gas plants, use hundreds of gallons of water for every megawatt-hour they generate. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say that by 2040, data centers could consume more water than the entire oil and gas industry in Texas. More than 65% of Texas was in drought last week. Corpus Christi is months away from a water emergency, and my constituents in Houston get drought warnings every summer and higher water bills every year.
Every one of these plants that I've mentioned pulls hundreds of gallons of water from rivers and aquifers that Texas families depend on. This bill lays the foundation for the alternative. Hydropower, marine energy, and pumped storage generate electricity without burning through our water supply. This bill funds the research and development that brings those technologies to scale and gets them on the grid. That means every megawatt hour we generate from water power is a megawatt hour we do not have to pull from a coal or gas plant.
And in Texas, that is hundreds of gallons of water saved every single time. Clean energy is water-smart energy for Houston, for Texas, for every family that just wants to turn on the tap and know that something will come out. I fully support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well. I yield back.
Speaker 1
Gentlemen, yields back. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we will proceed with amendments in the order listed on the roster. The first amendment on the roster is the amendment offered by the chair. The clerk shall report Babin amendment 1.
Speaker 1
Without objection, the amendment is considered as read, and I recognize myself for five minutes to explain the amendment. My amendment makes a few changes to the bill, responding to communications and feedback from members of the committee. The amendment authorizes the current appropriated levels for marine, energy, and hydropower research, development, and demonstration activities for fiscal years 2023 through 2031. I wanna thank representatives Bonamichi and Begich for working with us on this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. Would anyone else like to seek recognition on this?
Okay. No further discussion on the amendment. The question is on adoption of Babin amendment one. Those in favor, say aye. Aye.
Those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. There are no additional amendments on the amendment roster. Are there any further amendments?
Hearing none, and a reporting quorum being present. I move that the committee report H.R. 71-29. The Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act is amended to the House with the recommendation that the bill be favorably approved. The question is on favorably reporting H.R. 71-29 as amended to the House. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes have it, and the bill, as amended, is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Without objection, I ask that staff be authorized to make any necessary technical and conforming changes to the bill, so ordered.
Members will have two calendar days to submit supplemental, minority, or additional views on this measure. With no further business before the committee, the committee stands adjourned. Thank you.
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