Reps. Huffman and García Statement on Opposition to the PIPES Act

“The Committee bill prioritizes industry interests over the safety of our communities.”

December 06, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Reps. Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), members of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement in opposition to the Committee-passed PIPES Act of 2023, a four-year reauthorization bill that regulates our nation’s pipelines and hazardous material transportation:

“The Committee-passed PIPES Act fails to meet the multiple imperatives we are up against as we look to reauthorize PHMSA. It prioritizes industry interests over the safety of our communities and doesn’t adequately address the environmental catastrophes posed by America’s decrepit web of pipelines. Federal protections have not caught up with the recent plans to expand the number and types of pipelines in usage. Specifically, this bill does not include regulations responsive to the unique risks posed by carbon dioxide and hydrogen pipelines that the fossil fuel industry is trying to push through in an attempt to greenwash and gaslight the American people, and instead fast-tracks efforts to proceed with their construction. This bill also ignores the need for transparency with communities that may be in harm’s way if a leak or accident happens.

“We each introduced several amendments to study and address these safety and environmental challenges, but disappointingly none of those amendments were adopted. For those reasons, we had no choice but to oppose this deeply flawed bill. This moment demands more from us as legislators, and we will continue to fight for a stronger PIPES Act that protects our communities and our planet.”