Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers: Representing Eastern Washington on the Energy and Commerce Committee
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dvocating for the interests of eastern Washington water and hydropower users has been a priority for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers since she was elected to represent the state’s 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004. In January 2021, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers was chosen to serve as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over many issues and agencies relating to water resources. As ranking member, she will lead the committee’s Republican members in pursuit of their legislative and oversight priorities. In this interview, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers spoke with Tom Myrum, executive director of the Washington State Water Resources Association (WSWRA), about her priorities for the next 2 years on the committee, the importance of hydropower and irrigation to eastern Washington, and how she will interface with the new administration on water issues. Tom Myrum: Please tell us about the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee and its importance for irrigators and hydropower in Washington State. Cathy McMorris Rodgers: The Energy and Commerce Committee is the oldest committee in the House of Representatives and has been around for a long time. It has broad jurisdiction. It will debate some of the most important questions that are before Congress, whether they deal with health care, broadband, climate, or energy. I am super excited to be leading this committee for the Republicans this Congress, and one reason is that it focuses on issues important to irrigators and hydropower. This committee oversees all nonfederal hydropower. We also cover the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and oversee a lot of environmental policies that I know irrigators care about, including the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. This committee is at the forefront of matters that affect our future, America’s competitiveness, and the economy of Washington State.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers: Over the next 2 years, this committee will be conducting oversight on much of the agenda of the Biden administration. We’ve already seen that the president is signing a record number of executive orders. Under President Trump, we saw some important regulatory gains, such as the navigable water protection rule or the affordable clean energy rule, that were important for irrigators and agriculture. I am concerned that this administration and many of my Democratic colleagues are rushing toward the transition
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to renewable power. We need to have an honest conversation about what it means and how we accomplish it in a way that is going to ensure reliability and affordability. That is certainly going to be at the forefront of the work of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Another big issue for Washington State is closing the digital divide, the importance of which has only been underscored by COVID‑19. It doesn’t matter where I go in eastern Washington right now, the number 1 concern I hear is the importance of rural broadband, especially when so many are relying on their internet connections for school, telehealth, or the economy. It is basic infrastructure in the 21st century. We continue to face some significant challenges in getting the federal broadband resources to the places that need them most. I am pleased that the Republicans in the House Energy and Commerce Committee are leading on a package of 28 bills that are focused on promoting new broadband deployment and addressing some of those challenges, including permitting private investment upgrades to existing infrastructure that will make our networks more resilient. Those are at least some of the priorities for me and my fellow Republicans on the committee. Tom Myrum: What are your thoughts on the importance of irrigated agriculture and hydropower to the state? Cathy McMorris Rodgers: The importance of irrigated agriculture and hydropower to the entire Columbia-Snake River system cannot be overstated. They transformed our region into one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Eastern Washington farmers feed the entire country as well as the world. I often say that in the last 100 years, no group has done more to lift people out of poverty than farmers. When it comes to hydropower, there irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS.
Tom Myrum: What is your agenda for the committee? What do you hope to accomplish?
Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers meets in Washington, DC, with a delegation from the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.
