Hill Heat

A subcommittee hearing on the FY 2025 budget for the Department of Labor. The budget request is $13.9 billion, $10.3 billion of which is for the Employment and Training Administration.

Chair Tammy Baldwin

• Julie Su, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor

The Department of Labor is not directly funding the Climate Corps program. However, the Budget provides an increase of $50 million in apprenticeship programs, for a total of $335 million. This funding would expand access to existing Registered Apprenticeship programs in support of clean energy and climate-related industries and occupations.

The Budget provides $50 million as a set-aside within the Dislocated Worker National Reserve to launch the SECTOR program, which would seed and scale a comprehensive approach to sector partnerships, needed wraparound services, and training programs for underserved workers, with a particular focus on clean energy sectors, in support of Inflation Reduction Act implementation.

Nomination hearing.

• John N. Nkengasong, of Georgia, to be Ambassador-At-Large for Global Health Security and Diplomacy
• Kristen Sarri, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

Kris Sarri, former president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, consulting firm Go Blue

“To address the climate crisis, we must build partnerships and coalitions across diverse stakeholders and sectors, find shared interests, translate policy into impact and effectively communicate why it matters.”

Subcommittee hearing on member requests for the FY2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget.

Subcommittee hearing on member requests for the FY2025 budget for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.

A subcommittee hearing on the GAO, CBO, and GPO FY2025 budget.

Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.)

• Phillip Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office
• Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Hugh N. Halpern, Director, Government Publishing Office

The Government Accountability Office placed climate change on its High Risk list in 2013, and has a comprehensive list of recommendations for improving federal climate resilience.

The Congressional Budget Office assesses the costs and benefits of climate policy and of the costs of inaction.

Subcommittee hearing on the FY 2025 budget request for the Department of the Interior.

Chair Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)

• Deb Haaland, Secretary, Department of the Interior

The Department’s 2025 budget totals $18.0 billion in current authority ($17.8 billion in net discretionary authority)—an increase of $575.9 million, or 3 percent, from the 2024 continuing resolution (CR) level. An additional $360.0 million is accessible through a budget cap adjustment for wildfire suppression to ensure funds are available in the event the regular annual appropriation is inadequate to meet suppression needs. The budget also includes an estimated $14.8 billion in permanent funding available in 2025.

Subcommittee hearing of the $7.2 billion Food and Drug Administration budget request.

Chair Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)

• Dr. Robert M. Califf, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration

The FY 2025 President’s Budget provides $8.0 million for Modernization of Cosmetics Implementation, for the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). These resources will be used to hire additional staff for continued strategic coordination and implementation of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). Resources will be used for activities to develop proposed and/or final regulations (for Good Manufacturing Practices, asbestos testing of talc-containing cosmetics products, and disclosing fragrance allergens on labeling) and compliance policies. Funds will also be used to maintain and update submission platforms to address MoCRA provisions for registration, product listing, and adverse event reporting, as well as review of such information to ensure industry compliance with those requirements. The new funding would also support hiring additional experts to manage critical projects such as assessments of the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetic products. FDA will hire staff across OCS and the Office of Cosmetics and Colors to enable FDA to work toward a modernized cosmetics regulatory program.

Subcommittee hearing on the FY2025 budget request for the Department of Defense. The budget request is $849.8 billion.

Chair Jon Tester (D-Mont.)

• Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense
• General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Subcommittee hearing on member requests for the FY2025 budget for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies.

Subcommittee hearing on the FY2025 budget request for the Department of Commerce. The budget proposes $11.4 billion in discretionary funding and $4 billion in mandatory funding.

• Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary, Department of Commerce

The Budget includes $6.6 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), $188 million or 3% more than the FY 2024 Annualized CR. This NOAA Budget prioritizes operations, infrastructure, and continuing initiatives that provide the environmental intelligence necessary to make informed oceans, coastal, fisheries, weather, and climate decisions. The Budget is bolstered by funds previously provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. The Administration continues its commitment to the Nation’s weather and climate satellite enterprise by providing $2.1 billion for the Nation’s weather and climate satellites, $430 million above the FY 2024 Annualized CR level. FY 2025 funding will enable NOAA to maintain all current satellite programs by including $84 million for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites R Series (GOES-R), $342 million for Polar Weather Satellites (PWS), and $40 million for Space Weather Follow On (SWFO). The Budget also continues strategic investments in the next generation of climate, weather, and space weather satellites to continue development of world leading, mission-driven weather satellite programs that will offer new state-of-the-art capabilities to improve forecasting.

The Budget provides $798 million for Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), $68 million for Low Earth Orbit Weather Satellites, and $237 million for Space Weather Next. The Budget further invests in NOAA’s weather and climate enterprise. Specifically, it funds the National Weather Service (NWS) at $1.4 billion. At this level, the NWS will continue to operate and maintain 122 Weather Forecast Offices (WFO), 13 River Forecast Centers (RFC), 18 Weather Service Offices (WSO), and associated employee housing units, and 9 National Centers. NOAA’s Budget also includes $212 million for NOAA’s climate research programs to support the ongoing work of the National Climate Assessment and continue high-priority long-term observing, monitoring, researching, and modeling activities.

The Budget also includes an additional $10 million for Mitchell Act Hatcheries in the Columbia River Basin, complementing the resources previously provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. These additional funds are part of the Administration’s commitment to prioritize the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish populations to the Columbia River Basin, and honor the United States’ obligations to tribal nations. The Budget also invests in expanding offshore energy while conserving and protecting high-priority natural resources.

The Budget provides NOAA $53 million to expand offshore wind permitting, a $31 million increase above the FY 2024 Annualized CR. This funding will enable NOAA to use the best available science to help support the goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030 while protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable ocean co-use. It also provides $86 million, a $18.2 million increase above the FY 2024 Annualized CR, to support National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas as part of the Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which aims to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. With this funding NOAA will expand critical conservation work and support the designation process for additional sanctuaries.

Additionally, the Budget provides the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) a net increase of $71 million above the 2024 Annualized CR. These include increases across Marine Operations and Maintenance, Aviation Operations and Aircraft Services, and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, to support expanded marine and aviation operations to support increased efforts to collect high quality data, enhance public safety, and improve understanding of climate-induced impacts on communities and ecosystems. OMAO’s budget also includes $21 million, an increase of $17 million above the FY 2024 Annualized CR, to finalize a second specialized high-altitude G-550 Hurricane Hunter to meet national needs.