H. Morgan Griffith
Representative for Virginia · Republican · United States
“These changes are not unprecedented, and they closely mirror the bipartisan appointment process Congress adopted for the Architect of the Capitol, which granted congressional control over a key legislative branch institution. Additionally, because of the executive nature of the U.S.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9360, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act, led by Representative Mary Miller of Illinois, is an important measure that will modernize how Congress manages its records. H.R.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026, led by Representative Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, provides several much-needed reforms for the Government Publishing Office.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“At its core, the bill is about ensuring that agencies of the legislative branch are governed in a manner consistent with our constitutional system, improving continuity in leadership, and strengthening congressional oversight.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 10204, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, makes important reforms for several vital institutions that serve Congress and the American people, including the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the United States Copyrigh…”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 10204. This is an important bill. It probably won't get headlines or be the lead story on CNN or FOX tonight.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
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“I would also be remiss if I didn't recognize my constituent, former Congressman Bob Goodlatte, for his work on trying to make sure that we got the communication lines between the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress in a good position, as well. As Mr. Morelle pointed out to the body, Mr. Speaker, it is important that both of these institutions remain preeminent in their fields and that they work together, hand in glove, even though one is legislative and one is executive. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 10204. This is an important bill. It probably won't get headlines or be the lead story on CNN or FOX tonight. But making sure, as the gentleman from New York said, that we have the Librarian of Congress actually answering to Congress, I think that is important. I think this is a good housekeeping bill in many ways. It does some reform, but it also lets us move forward into the future. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great work, as I said before, that Mr. Morelle and his team did on getting this bill into a good position. It was a thoughtful exchange. We were just trying to get the bill as good as we could.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“These changes are not unprecedented, and they closely mirror the bipartisan appointment process Congress adopted for the Architect of the Capitol, which granted congressional control over a key legislative branch institution. Additionally, because of the executive nature of the U.S. Copyright Office, this bill provides that the Register of Copyrights will be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, while keeping a close relationship between the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress. The Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act modernizes leadership structure and clarifies lines of authority so that we can strengthen the institutions that support Congress and ensure they are positioned to serve this body effectively for years to come. Mr. Speaker, this bill is very much like 6028.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“At its core, the bill is about ensuring that agencies of the legislative branch are governed in a manner consistent with our constitutional system, improving continuity in leadership, and strengthening congressional oversight. Though the Librarian of Congress and Director of the Government Publishing Office belong to the legislative branch, their leadership is currently appointed by the President. This legislation removes structural inconsistencies by establishing a congressional appointment framework for the Librarian of Congress and the Director of the Government Publishing Office. Under the bill, bipartisan recommendations will be provided by the leadership of the House Administration Committee and the Senate Rules Committee, with final selections made by congressional leadership.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 10204, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, makes important reforms for several vital institutions that serve Congress and the American people, including the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the United States Copyright Office. The bill is not to be confused with H.R. 6028, although they are substantially similar, which passed the House by a voice vote in June with widespread bipartisan support and contains the same provisions as H.R. 10204. The underlying text contains two small technical corrections that committee staff and I added to ensure the smooth implementation of the legislation's key provisions, and I think we have agreement on that.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 10204) to modify the appointment and removal process for certain legislative branch officers, and for other purposes.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9342, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Taken together, the GPO Modernization Act will help ensure that the Government Publishing Office will have the tools and staff it needs to successfully transfer its inventory and operations to a digital-first format and continue to support the Federal Government for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026, led by Representative Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, provides several much-needed reforms for the Government Publishing Office. Founded in 1861, the Government Publishing Office has long functioned as an important resource not only for Congress but for the Federal Government as a whole by printing, preserving, and distributing official government documents. Despite the important nature of its work, many of the operations of the GPO are still mired in slow and expensive physical printing processes. This bipartisan legislation transports the GPO into the modern era by digitizing important government documents through programs like the National Collection of U.S. Public Information.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia. General Leave”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9342) to revise certain authorities of the Government Publishing Office, and for other purposes, as amended.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9360, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“9360 provides a more efficient process for the management and preservation of congressional records through annual reports and cuts burdensome administrative hurdles. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9360, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act, led by Representative Mary Miller of Illinois, is an important measure that will modernize how Congress manages its records. H.R. 9360 sunsets the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, an outdated committee, and replaces it with a more efficient process for reviewing congressional records. The bill instructs the Director of the Center for Legislative Archives of the National Archives to submit an annual report to the Archivist of the United States, the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and requisite congressional committees on the management and preservation of the records of Congress. By eliminating this obsolete committee, H.R.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9360) to sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, and for other purposes, as amended.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“89 and stop this inappropriate waiver by the Biden administration's EPA. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“We shouldn't be allowing California to constantly ratchet up and then dictate to the rest of the States. I was just a kid back in 1967, but I was alive. The world was vastly different even inside the United States. At that time one State doing something didn't have the impact or the ripple effect that it has today across the country. I think we ought to vote ``yes'' on this resolution. I strongly encourage all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 89. I think it is the right policy for all the reasons stated throughout this entire day. Madam Speaker, I would say to you that if we don't want to see an increase in the price of trucks, the price of maintenance on trucks, the price of those trucks then carrying goods to market all over these United States, if we do not want to see that happen, we need to pass H.J. Res.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“That being said, no one State should have this much power. The waiver should not have been granted in the first place. It is a waiver of a regulation, which makes it a regulation in effect, no matter what it is called. It is a waiver of a regulation. Therefore, it is something that the Federal Government should be dictating, as you heard my colleague from California say. It should not be granting so many waivers. We heard one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say that--I forget the number of years it had been, and I am paraphrasing--California had ratcheted up these regulations on various things over 100 times using various waivers. This was created in 1967. California started down this path in '66. Congress recognized that in '67. The world is greatly different than it was in 1967.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, this is the third of three regulations in the same vein. We have heard today about the process. We have heard today about the fact that California and those who opt in are still a minority of the States and a minority of the U.S. population. Yet, they are dictating in many ways to the rest of the country because of the oversized import of the California economy, et cetera. The bottom line is that my colleagues have said in the last few minutes that this is somehow a States' rights issues. This is not a States' rights issue. This is the creation of a superstate: California. We have the right to override the waiver granted to them that gives them outsized weight in relationship to vehicles. In this case, it is the diesel vehicles. It is the trucks.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We keep hearing that it is not a rule and it is not a regulation and that kind of stuff. I just ask if it is not a rule, does that mean it is not enforceable, and does that mean it can be repealed by the next administration with a click of the fingers? I don't know the answer to those questions. I just raise them. If it is not official, is it even enforceable? That is the argument that my colleagues would have you believe. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), my colleague from the Energy and Commerce Committee.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Even if you are not 100 percent in agreement, you ought to do it so that we can preserve the power of Congress because if not, we should dissolve and let California run everything, or perhaps my colleagues would like us to dissolve and make all decisions the subject of the Government Accountability Office instead of the elected Members of the United States Congress. I ask everyone to vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 89. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Accordingly, I would submit to you that we have jurisdiction. I would submit, further, Madam Speaker, that while CRAs can't be reviewed by the courts, when this passes--and I think it will, notwithstanding outside objectors--CRAs technically can't be reviewed by the courts. It will be interesting to see when it gets to the Supreme Court because I believe the Supreme Court will agree with me: Regulators can call it whatever they want to, but when you are waiving regulations and allowing other regulations to take their place, that is subject to the Congressional Review Act and this process we are doing today. I urge all Members to join me in voting in favor of the resolution of disapproval sponsored by the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), H.J. Res. 89.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“In the end, it is the House that is covered; the EPA transmitted the California waiver notices of decision on the regulations in February. The notice was published in the Federal Register. The public was allowed to request a hearing and submit materials for the record. It is a rulemaking process on a rule and regulation, no matter what others may choose to call it. Madam Speaker, they can call it whatever they want to. I know what it is, and it is the waiver of a regulation by the Federal Government in order to give power to a regulation in California. They can call it a notice of decision. They can call it the epizooty if they want to, call it anything they want. We all know what it is. It is a regulation. To paraphrase Shakespeare: A rose by any other name still smells the same.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Another burden that manufacturers will have to account for are extended engine warranties and new testing procedures that will inevitably have some costs that will have to be borne by fleet operators who purchased the trucks and by consumers who will have to pay more in freight costs for everyday goods. We have already seen lower truck sales in California and, as expected and previously predicted by one of our earlier speakers, increased purchase prices. Briefly, I will address the congressional resolution of disapproval process. We have heard a lot today about all this, and I would submit to you that Congress under Article I should deal with repealing regulations, particularly when that regulation has significant impact and is as controversial as this one is.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Like the old Ronco commercials: But wait, Madam Speaker, there is more. This rule would require a 90 percent reduction in NO X from diesel engines beginning with model 2027 engines. Do you think they are already getting those in production? I think they probably are, Madam Speaker. I think they are already working on it. Now, before it has even become the law of the land through a waiver of a regulation on a regulation, we have a 90 percent reduction in NO X being required. It would be a 90 percent reduction from current Federal emissions standards in 2027. Did I say that yet? I believe I did. This California regulation is coming over top of Federal regulators in an effort to truly vilify diesel engines.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Well, that is a good question, and a lot of people are asking that question, and manufacturers are having to think maybe we have got to do something to be ready for retroactive action. Now, if we were passing something, I am not sure we could do it retroactive in this nature. Maybe we could. Now we are going to have unelected bureaucrats on top of unelected bureaucrats affecting a regulation passed originally by Congress and authorized by Congress and now a regulation waiving a regulation on another regulation. It doesn't seem right. Due to the fact that the EPA had not yet granted the waiver when the rule was made, there was already some uncertainty in the marketplace because of concerns with that retroactive enforcement that I just mentioned. This rule would require--but, wait.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Kiley) pointed out in the debate on the previous two bills that these rules were approved by a nonelected body in Washington, D.C., for a waiver to a nonelected body in the State of California, so it is interesting that this is a waiver granted not to the legislature even of California but to the California Air Resources Board. This standard, believe it or not, of the three California regulations we are discussing today, has probably the toughest timeline of compliance. Now, Madam Speaker, you had to pay close attention because at first I thought my team had made an error. This rule would require a 75 percent NO X reduction beginning with model year 2024. Now, you say: Wait, how can that be? This is 2025.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 89.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“We have a bicameral body, and this House must make its own decisions and not worry about what the Senate does or whatever the heck the Senate Parliamentarian may think. It is the United States House of Representatives, and we should not take a back seat to any institution, particularly the unelected ones here in Washington, D.C. Madam Speaker, I ask everyone to vote for this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“The regulations that were anticipated--was it a tailpipe emission regulation--were never intended that the regulation by California and other States, perhaps, would be so low as to outlaw gas and diesel vehicles. That is why we need to pass this CRA. We have the authority in Congress to do so notwithstanding bureaucrats that work for us, not the other way around, and notwithstanding whatever the Senate might say. If I have additional time, Madam Speaker, you know how I feel about this. We were directed in Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice and Procedure not to discuss and debate what the Senate was going to do or not going do. If we wanted a unicameral body, we should have had a unicameral body.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, my good friend from New Jersey, because if we really want to clean things up, we will stop regulations like this that make it harder on American businesses. The gentleman correctly points out that this is only for California and other States can opt in. What happens is, manufacturers respond to California and they respond to a few other States, even though it is not a majority, Madam Speaker; even though it is not a majority of the States or a majority of the population that has opted in to any of these three regulations that we are doing today or intends to. Some States have opted in to the California rule on this one and then opted out, including my State of Virginia. It becomes a mishmash and very difficult for manufacturers to know what they are supposed to be doing.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“According to a NASA study, it takes 10 days for the air to get from the middle of the Gobi Desert to the eastern shore of Virginia, and a lot of that pollution is falling on California. If we really want to solve California's air pollution problems, we need to bring manufacturing back to the United States where we can do it more efficiently and cleaner than what they are doing currently in China. Further, regulations like this only play into the hands of manufacturing being done in China instead of being done in California or in Michigan or in Virginia or in Kentucky. Now, the gentleman raised the issue about nobody is talking about clean air. There is your clean air talk, Mr.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“It recognized that California was already moving in a slightly different direction, and it gave them the ability to have a waiver. Other States could opt in to that, but in 1966, the world was greatly different than it is today. In fairness, a big part of the air pollution in the Western part of the United States comes because of previous bad rules by the EPA that force so much of American manufacturing to Asia, particularly to China. China was not a major economic power in 1966. They were going through all kinds of problems, and I don't remember now if they were in the Cultural Revolution or about to start it, but it was about that time. Today, they are a major manufacturer but they don't have the regulations that we have and they produce a lot of air pollution.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I was saying to the team over here that I was getting a little tired of hearing myself speak, and I suspect that my colleague and good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey, is probably getting to that same point, too, because our job is to reiterate the same points over and over because we have three bills of a similar nature. Notwithstanding the fact that I am tired of hearing myself speak, I will proceed nonetheless. I will say that States can opt in and out, but they only have the choice of the national standard or the California standard. Why is that? Madam Speaker, that is because back in 1966, California started moving in this direction. In 1967, Congress passed its first national rules.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, referencing my previous comments related to the GAO, et cetera, I will not yield to the GAO on what the responsibilities of the United States Congress are. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“I urge all Members to join me in voting in favor of H.J. Res. 88, to roll back the State of California's EV-only agenda. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“One of the big reasons this carve-out was made was because of the terrible smog that enveloped Los Angeles at the time. I remember that. I can remember that being talked about in the news. We have all seen the old pictures. You have got the ocean on one side and the mountains inland. It causes an inversion where pollution just sits over the cities there. California was granted this exemption because it already had the capabilities to formulate and enforce stricter standards. That is not true for everywhere else, nor was it anticipated that they would continue to ratchet up to the point where they made many cars in the United States illegal. The intent of the waiver was to allow California to have more stringent vehicle standards, not a way to have a backdoor ban on gasoline- and diesel-powered cars for the rest of the country.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“The States should either be equal or we should have a national policy. I am not so sure that we should give California a super-State status, imposing its preferences on the rest of the country. It gets even worse. This started in 1966, and then it made some sense. Today, it doesn't make sense. Right now, we have 11 States opting in to this California standard: Oregon, Washington, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Maryland. With those States, even though they represent a minority of the population and a minority of the market and a minority of the States, they are dictating much of what is going to happen in the rest of the market.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“That is a real issue for people being forced to drive EV cars. I can't even get around my district in an EV car. I looked at it because I like the idea, but I sometimes drive 400 miles a day around my district. Oftentimes, there is no place to charge, or if there is, I am not stopping at any one place long enough to get a full charge on an EV battery. Some might say this is just a California regulation. That is just not so. As we heard in the previous debate, and we will hear again in this debate, California is a dominant force in the economy. They will tell you that every day of the week. Further, while California has a waiver, other States can opt into it. They can't modify it, but they can opt into the California standard. When they do, that pushes the manufacturers further and further in the direction of the California standard.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“But some of my folks drive an hour or more to go to work or even go to school because it is cheaper for them to live at home and drive to the school. I am talking about the colleges and the law schools and the vet school and the pharmacy school in my district. Every day they drive back and forth to save money and they don't want to have to rely on an EV car that might not get them there and back. When it is cold and you are going up a mountain, the EV doesn't get the mileage that is stated. It is kind of like your gas mileage. When you buy a car, it says a standard driver will get this much, but that doesn't work for everybody, particularly if you are climbing mountains. If you need to run errands before or after work, that adds to the time. It makes it so they have anxiety about recharging.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“They will continue using those gas cars as long as they can get any usage out of it whatsoever, no matter how bad of a shape it is in, because they can't afford to buy one of the leftwing's EV cars. That is just not going to happen in my district by the timelines that they set up. The technology is not available today, and when we are talking about 2035, the technology we are selling today is what my constituents are looking to buy used in the future. Many people drive cars more than 10 years old, and they are going to put our folks either without cars or still burning gas cars for many years, many decades, in the future. {time} 1530 There are some communities in my district that are more suburban and urban, and there an electric car may make sense for those folks.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Normally, what they do in a district like mine, which is economically stressed, is they will buy a used car. The problem is that with the batteries in the EV cars, if you buy a used car, Mr. Speaker, then you really don't have any idea how long it is going to be before that battery wears out. As a result, Mr. Speaker, you buy the chassis and a battery hoping it works for you if you don't have any other choice. If the battery goes bad, then you are looking at $4,000, $5,000, maybe more, to replace the battery. It is kind of like going to the roulette table and just throwing your money on the table and spinning the wheel, hoping that if you buy a used car, you might be able to make it work because the battery is so integral. With gas-burning cars, a lot of them know how to fix the cars themselves, and they will make it work.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“That is fine, but what really gets me and a lot of my constituents stirred up about this is that we are mandating that these cars be the only ones sold. Mr. Speaker, I represent a mountainous district where electric car batteries are not up to the challenge. When you factor in range problems and charging waiting times, it is not something that many in rural America can use. I fear that we might find ourselves in situations like Cuba did after Fidel Castro took over. Because of the shortage of new cars in Cuba, people were doing everything they could to keep the pre-Castro cars on the road for decades and decades. In many districts like mine, we might have something similar with gas-burning cars if EVs are mandated. Let me explain. My folks cannot afford to buy a new EV car. They can't really afford to buy a used car.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“The requirement begins with 35 percent of the vehicles sold in 2026 being zero emissions and then scales up to 100 percent of vehicles sold by 2035. This is an EV mandate, Mr. Speaker. Make no mistake about it. Mr. Speaker, if you are shopping for a new car in 2035, then you are going to be forced to buy a zero-emission car. At present time, you will be paying more for that EV, about $14,000 more. These are supposed to be tailpipe emissions standards, not emission standards that are so low or difficult to meet that electric cars are the only path to compliance. I am not an anti-electric car person. I don't hate electric cars. If an electric car works for you and your family, Mr. Speaker, then so be it.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 88.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗