SENSELESS BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION WORKFORCE CUTS

SENSELESS BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION WORKFORCE CUTS

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2025)] [House] [Page H893] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SENSELESS BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION WORKFORCE CUTS (Ms. SCHRIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of millions of people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, I rise to express outrage and bewilderment at the senseless workforce cuts by Elon Musk and President Trump to Bonneville Power Administration, an agency that is not even funded by taxpayer dollars but by our utility bills. Bonneville system operators keep the lights on. They match supply to demand, whether in a heat wave or a cold snap. They maintain the majority of our transmission lines so when we have a wind storm like our recent ones, their linemen go out and fix those lines in the worst weather. These specialized employees, frankly, are irreplaceable. The decision by Elon Musk and by the President to fire nearly 20 percent of Bonneville workers in the name of efficiency and saving taxpayer dollars is not just wrongheaded. It is reckless and outrageous. It will make power less reliable and more expensive for our four States. In other words, it is all downside, no upside. We have now seen weeks of taking a chain saw to our Federal programs and damage to our grid, national forests, national security, and, frankly, personal security. It is time for Congress to take our power back and protect our constituents. ____________________