Washington, DC – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) released the following statement on his support for the Bipartisan Budget Agreement:

“I am glad we have a deal that avoids the unacceptable —a default that induces a recession— but we’re doing too little,” said Rep. Peters. “Time and again we go through this dance and don’t reform how we handle the debt ceiling. We need to address our crushing national debt and exploding interest payments and put an end to the fiscal hostage taking. Over the next two years, I will work with the Problem Solvers to enact our proposed changes and make this the last time an outdated government procedure puts us on the brink of default.

“While I wish we could have done more, this deal protects Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ health care, and historic infrastructure and climate investments. No one got everything they wanted and that is to be expected in a divided government. This deal is a net positive and I will be voting for it.”

During negotiations, it was reported that Rep. Peters’ and Senator Hickenlooper’s (BIG WIRES) Act was under consideration as a key component of a compromise. While it was not included in the final language of the bill, Rep. Peters remains committed to enacting the legislation and stated the following:

“Our work to reform the outdated way in which we approve and build energy projects has only just begun. This debate has shown a spotlight on our climate reality: we cannot hit our climate and clean energy goals without comprehensive permitting reform. 

“We secured monumental investments and reforms for clean energy and transmission in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included my POWER ON Act, and in the Inflation Reduction Act. To maximize those wins and ensure those dollars don’t sit in the bank, we must enact robust reforms to speed up the construction of electric transmission lines including changes to cost allocation, stronger federal siting authority, and new minimum transfer requirements like those in my BIG WIRES Act. We must also modernize our environmental laws to make it easier to build clean energy including offshore wind, solar power, geothermal, energy storage, carbon capture, and more. 

“These changes will help us preserve and protect our environment, keep energy costs down for Americans, improve grid reliability and resiliency during extreme weather events, and enhance America's energy security and independence. These are commonsense goals that all Americans can get behind. I am committed to working with Republicans and Democrats to pass comprehensive permitting reform by the end of the year. We have no other choice — the future of our planet depends on it.”

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