U.S. Rep. Josh Riley, NY-19, launched this week the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus, a group of lawmakers dedicated to finding legislative solutions to the ongoing energy affordability crisis.
The caucus “will convene House members around oversight strategies and tools to hold utility providers accountable for rate hikes,” a news release from Riley’s office stated.
“When I talk with folks across Upstate New York, the first question I ask is: what’s keeping you up at night and how can I help? And the most common answer is that utility bills are out of control and need to be reined in,” Riley said. “Too many working families are being put to an impossible choice of either keeping the lights on or paying for the mortgage or groceries. Meanwhile, the utility monopolies are making record profits while jacking up rates. It’s unacceptable. I’m launching the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus to provide a forum for members of Congress to work together on legislation to take on the utility monopolies and lower their customers’ bills.”
During the event, Riley spoke of legislation he has proposed to prohibit foreign corporations from owning American utility providers and ban executive bonuses at utility companies raising rates. Riley also discussed his experience directly intervening in state rate cases, according to the release. Mark Ellis of the American Economic Liberties Project also discussed policy, legal and regulatory tools available to members of Congress to help reduce utility bills in their districts.
The other lawmakers on the caucus include Reps. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Laura Gillen of New York, Eugene Vindman of Virginia, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, John Mannion of New York, Mike Levin of California, Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Pat Ryan of New York, Glenn Ivey of Maryland, Ami Bera of Califoirnia, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, and Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island.