Looking back to the previous session of Congress, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) says two of her biggest accomplishments were bills regarding renewable energy and pediatric health.
In August, President Barack Obama signed in to law a bill sponsored by Rep. McMorris Rodgers of Eastern Washington. The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 was written to ease regulations on the hydropower industry, so smaller operations could get up-and-running faster, both saving energy and creating jobs. Hydropower currently provides more than 75 percent of energy to the Pacific Northwest, McMorris Rodgers said, and therefore is a vital part of the energy solution to the region. The bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate.
“The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act is already creating jobs, cutting red tape, and making it easier for this affordable, renewable energy to power communities across our nation,” the Congresswoman said in a statement. “We need to encourage innovative approaches to energy generation, and by streamlining the permitting process for small hydropower projects, this legislation is succeeding. As we move forward, I will continue to craft policies for new energy opportunities that create good-paying jobs and help us achieve energy independence.”
Rep. McMorris Rodgers also authored a bill focused on children’s health. The Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who Deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Act has several facets, from educating mothers about best health practices during pregnancy to bolstering education for researchers working on cures for pediatric disease. This bill was signed in to law as well.