Chairs Rodgers and Duncan released the following
statement:
“The Department of Energy (DOE) has long served America’s critical
national and energy security interests. It maintains the nation’s
nuclear stockpile, advances world class national security and
engineering goals through the national laboratories, and nurtures the
supply of American energy. The Democrats’ reckless spending spree has
allocated billions of taxpayer dollars for DOE
to implement President Biden’s rush-to-green agenda, which is forcing
higher energy costs on Americans, making the U.S. more reliant on China,
and distracting from the agency’s congressionally-mandated mission of
advancing our nation’s energy security and leadership. Secretary
Granholm, who has been at the helm of implementing this radical agenda,
needs to answer to Americans whose lives have been made worse while
she’s praising China—a country with some of the worst environmental and
labor standards in the world. We’ll demand answers from her on how we
can reverse this damage and flip the switch on domestic production of
cleaner oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydropower, and other sources, which
is the best way to bring down costs and reduce emissions.”
The purpose of the
hearing
is to review the effectiveness and priorities of the United States Fire
Administration and the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) and Staffing
for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs. The
hearing will help inform legislation to address current program
authorizations that expire on September 30, 2023.
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, U.S. Fire
Administration
Chief Donna Black, President, International Association of Fire Chiefs
Kevin B. O’Connor, Assistant to the General President, International
Association of Fire Fighters
David Bullard, Volunteer Firefighter and Past President, Georgia State
Firefighters Association
Kevin Reardon, State Fire Marshall, State of Ohio
Overarching Questions
What are the priority needs for the fire safety of the nation?
What emerging fire safety issues should Congress be aware of and is
the Fire Administration taking steps to address them?
What is the proper role of the federal government, working with state
and local governments, in addressing fire safety?
How effective and efficient are the merit-reviewed
FIRE and SAFER
grant programs?
How can the USFA and the fire grants
programs be improved?
How can the USFA facilitate information and
data sharing regarding best practices and fire incidents?
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is an entity within the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS). Its mission is to provide leadership, coordination, and
support for the nation’s fire prevention and control, fire training and
education, and emergency medical services activities, and to prepare
first responders to react to all hazard and terrorism emergencies.
USFA is located on the grounds of the National
Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD.
The genesis of USFA and
FEMA’s fire prevention and control activities
(and the House Science Committee’s jurisdiction) was a 1973 report of
the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, entitled America
Burning. The commission recommended the creation of a federal fire
agency to provide support to state and local governments and private
fire organizations in their efforts to reduce fire deaths, injuries, and
property loss. In legislation developed by the Science Committee,
Congress placed the agency in the Department of Commerce and with the
passage of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (P.L.
93-498), the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA)
was established. In 1978, Congress changed the name of
NFPCA to USFA (P.L.
95-422), and in 1979, President Carter’s Reorganization Plan placed the
USFA within the newly created
FEMA.
On Thursday, Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX) and Members of the House
Budget Committee will hold a
hearing
to “expose the woke, wasteful, and bloated bureaucracy.”
Myron Ebell, Director for the Center for Energy and Environment at the
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Rachel Greszler, Senior Research Fellow on Budget and Entitlements at
the Heritage Foundation
Indivar Dutta-Gupta, President and Executive Director at the Center
for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Democratic witness
Paige Agostin is Policy Director at the Center for Renewing America. She
most recently served as Legislative Director for Congresswoman Lauren
Boebert and has spent more than a decade working on conservative policy
development in Washington, and on Capitol Hill.
She previously served as Associate Director for Domestic Policy in the
Trump Administration and a Special Assistant at the Department of
Education, in the Office of Postsecondary Education.
The purpose of the
hearing
is to examine the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget request for
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and related
issues within the Science Committee’s jurisdiction. This hearing will be
an opportunity for Members to discuss their priorities related to the
agency’s mission.
Richard W. (Rick) Spinrad, Ph.D., Administrator, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024
budget request for NOAA is $6.8 billion, a
$407 million increase from the FY 2023 enacted
level.1 The request seeks to build a climate-ready nation and ensure
NOAA’s climate products and services are
accessible and useful to all Americans. NOAA’s
core mission and activities include weather forecasting, climate
prediction, and management of fisheries, coastal and ocean resources, as
well as cross-cutting research to support and advance these operational
areas. NOAA carries out this mission through
six major line offices:
National Ocean Service (NOS), responsible for mapping and charting
coastal areas and providing other navigation support services.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), responsible for stewardship
of living marine resources through the conservation, management, and
promotion of healthy ecosystems.
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), responsible for
research in support of most NOAA missions
including atmospheric, coastal, and oceanic sciences, climate and air
quality research, ecosystem research, and fisheries and marine mammal
research.
National Weather Service (NWS), responsible for weather forecasts and
warnings.
National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service
(NESDIS), responsible for development and operation of satellites that
monitor and transmit data for weather forecasting, climate prediction,
space weather forecasting, and earth and ocean science research.
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), manages a variety of
specialized ships and aircraft for collection of oceanographic,
atmospheric, hydrographic, and fisheries data.
The purpose of this
hearing
is to examine the status of the Department of Energy (DOE)’s
implementation of recently passed R&D legislation, including the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction
Act (IRA), and the CHIPS and Science Act. This
hearing will also focus on DOE’s recent
reorganization, exploring its impact on the implementation of these laws
and on DOE’s civilian research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application programs in general.
Dr. Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation,
U.S. Department of Energy
Dr. Kathleen Hogan, Principal Deputy Under Secretary and Acting Under
Secretary for Infrastructure, U.S. Department of Energy
Overarching Questions
What is the overall status of DOE’s
implementation of the IIJA, IRA, and the
CHIPS and Science Act?
With the rapid expansion of DOE programs and
nearly $100 billion dollars in additional
IIJA and IRA
appropriations for these in the coming fiscal years, how is
DOE ensuring adequate oversight of these new
and existing programs?
How are the DOE Under Secretaries
coordinating activities that overlap between them? What steps are
being taken to avoid duplication across the Department?
What protections does DOE have in place to
prevent these research dollars from benefiting our competitors?
Over the past two years, through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the
CHIPS and Science Act, Congress has provided
the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with comprehensive long-term
guidance and unprecedented funding for much of its civilian research,
development, demonstration, and commercial application programs. This
Congress, the House Science Committee has an unprecedented
responsibility to conduct active oversight of
DOE’s implementation of these laws to ensure
the maximum return on investment of taxpayer dollars.
Last month, the Committee held an Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee hearing which highlighted serious concerns held by
DOE’s Inspector General (IG) over the sheer
magnitude of IIJA and
IRA funding and the speed at which these
dollars are being allocated for new DOE
programs.
As DOE’s IG noted in her testimony: “History
has taught us that the Federal Government has often balanced the ‘need
for speed’ against the need for thoughtful internal controls in a manner
that has resulted in the loss of billions of dollars to fraud, waste,
and abuse,” and referencing the billions misappropriated in recent
Federal pandemic relief efforts she added, “These staggering losses
should give all of us pause.”
This hearing will provide Science Committee members an opportunity to
review DOE’s progress in carrying out recently
established program direction from Congress and to receive an update on
the additional $45 billion in appropriations
DOE received for program funding,
infrastructure investments, and loan guarantees, as well as expanded
loan authority, within the Committee’s jurisdiction.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
The IIJA, which was enacted on November 15,
2021, appropriated more than $62 billion to the Department of Energy in
the coming fiscal years and created 60 new programs, including the
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). Approximately $39 billion
of these appropriated funds fall under the Science Committee’s
jurisdiction, along with a corresponding $39 billion in program
authorizations. The IIJA provides the
Department with substantial appropriations for applied energy R&D
activities, including but not limited to clean hydrogen initiatives,
carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) R&D, grid security and
resiliency programs, and battery R&D. In addition, the
IIJA authorized appropriations for various
programs first authorized in the Energy Act of 2020, including the
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and the Energy Storage
Demonstration and Pilot Grant Program.
Today, approximately $10 billion of the $62 billion in
IIJA appropriations has been awarded. Some of
these awards include the Civil Nuclear Credit Program, the Electric
Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second Life Applications Program,
and the Battery Material Processing and Battery Manufacturing and
Recycling Grants. Last month, DOE received
final applications for the IIJA’s high-profile
$8 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs funding opportunity
announcement. Some of these activities, namely the Battery Material
Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling Grants, have recently
come under scrutiny as the Administration has publicized a $200 million
award to a company with known links to the Chinese Communist Party.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
The IRA, which was enacted on August 16, 2022,
appropriated $35 billion to the Department of Energy in the coming
fiscal years. Approximately $6.3 billion of these funds fall under the
Science Committee’s jurisdiction. The IRA
created 15 new DOE programs and provided
funding for five existing DOE programs such as
the Office of Nuclear Energy’s High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU)
Availability Program and the Title 17 Loan Program Office. Despite the
IRA’s primary focus on
DOE’s applied R&D programs, it also includes
$1.5 billion for science laboratory infrastructure improvements at the
DOE National Laboratories. As of last year,
these funds have already been distributed to 52 projects and facilities.
However, in general, the Department of Energy is still in the early
stages of awarding funding for most IRA
programs and activities. Most recently, the Department issued a funding
opportunity announcement (FOA) for the DOE
Heat Pump Defense Production Act Program and a notice of intent (NOI)
for the Technical Assistance for the Latest and Zero Building Energy
Code Adoption.
The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
The CHIPS and Science Act, which was enacted
on August 9, 2022, authorized over $67 billion for
DOE research and development programs within
the Science Committee’s jurisdiction, including $49.8 billion for the
DOE Office of Science.
More specifically, in Title I of Division B, this law provides the first
ever comprehensive authorization of the DOE
Office of Science, prioritizing fundamental and basic research in fusion
energy sciences, high energy physics, biological and environmental
sciences, advanced scientific computing, basic energy sciences,
isotopes, and nuclear physics. It also includes robust funding profiles
for large scale research experiments such as the Deep Underground
Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF)
and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) as well
as the construction of and upgrades to essential Office of Science user
facilities and projects. In addition, the
CHIPS and Science Act created several new
DOE programs focused on research and
development in emerging technology areas such as microelectronics and
steel emissions reduction methods.
It is important to note that despite this historic authorization of the
Office of Science, the CHIPS and Science Act
does not include appropriations for this office. In addition, while the
Office of Science accounts for nearly 20 percent of
DOE’s annual funding profile, it received less
than 2 percent of the sum of DOE’s total
IIJA and IRA
appropriations.
In part, DOE’s implementation of the
CHIPS and Science Act can be measured by the
President’s fiscal year 2024 budget request. This request includes some
promising updates, including funding for several Office of Science
construction projects and facility upgrades consistent with the levels
authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act – such
as LBNF/DUNE.10 The request also includes
support for Microelectronics Science Research Centers consistent with
the Micro Act provisions in CHIPS and
Science.11 In addition, DOE has recently
issued a request for information (RFI) for Preparing a Future Workforce
in Quantum Information Science (QIS) and an
RFI on DOE’s
National Labs as Catalysts of Regional Innovation, consistent with
CHIPS and Science direction.
Despite this progress, many questions about
DOE’s commitment to implementing this law
remain unanswered. For instance, the President’s
FY24 budget request does not provide
CHIPS and Science level support for the Office
of Science topline or for core research funding across the major Office
of Science programs in areas like materials science, particle physics,
nuclear physics, and plasma science. It also proposes a reduction in
funding for quantum information science and technology – a decision that
could directly prevent the full implementation of key
CHIPS and Science provisions like the Quantum
Network Infrastructure Program and the Quantum User Expansion for
Science and Technology (QUEST) Program.
The Committee is also particularly interested in receiving a status
update on several CHIPS and Science- mandated
reports that were due 180 days after the law was enacted, a deadline
which passed in February. These reports, like the Quantum Network
Infrastructure Research and Development Program Report, were designed to
inform this Committee on the progress the Department is making on these
high-priority activities.
DOE Organizational Structure
Committee members will have an opportunity to receive updates on the
implementation of these various laws from two
DOE representatives: Dr. Geraldine Richmond,
the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation and Dr. Kathleen Hogan,
the Principal Deputy Under Secretary and Acting Under Secretary for
Infrastructure.
This hearing will also examine DOE’s recent
Department-wide reorganization and its effects on its research,
development, demonstration, and commercial application activities. Early
last year, to carry out the IIJA, the Biden
Administration instituted a major restructuring of the Department,
standing up various new program offices and placing them under the
authority of the Office of the Undersecretary for Infrastructure.
White House climate advisor John Podesta is slated to speak at the
Bipartisan Policy Center about President Joe Biden’s priorities on
energy permitting reform. The Bipartisan Policy Center is an
industry-funded think tank; board member and former
BPC president Jason Grumet is a fierce
advocate of fracked gas. Podesta confirmed in the first week of
May
that Biden continues to back Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)’s dirty deal.