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.
The purpose of the
hearing
is to review the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget request
for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The
hearing will provide an opportunity to conduct oversight and review
policy issues related to NIST. The hearing
will also provide an opportunity to conduct oversight and review issues
related to the implementation of the CHIPS for
America Program.
Dr. Laurie E. Locascio, Director, National Institute of Standards and
Technology
The FY24 budget request for
NIST is $1.6 billion, an increase of $4.7
million, or up 29 percent from the FY23
enacted level.
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, +$5.5M: To assess the
impact of carbon in the environment by expanding research efforts in
strategies for CO2 removal and to develop
greenhouse gas measurement tools and standards for a comprehensive
approach that ensures accuracy and trustworthiness of carbon data
The budget for NIST is divided into three main
accounts: Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS),
Industrial Technology Services (ITS), and Construction of Research
Facilities (CRF).
Overarching Questions
Being known as “industry’s lab,” how is NIST
responding to and meeting the ever-changing needs of industry as new
opportunities arise and technology evolves?
How far along are NIST and the Department of
Commerce in the process of implementing the
CHIPS for America Program and corresponding
guardrails?
What is the state of facilities on NIST
campuses and what is the impact on NIST’s
ability to carry out its mission?
What role does NIST play in working with
U.S. industry to build safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence
systems? How has industry responded to
NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework?
How does the President’s budget request support U.S. leadership in
Quantum Information Sciences?
How is NIST working to ensure we have
trustworthy and resilient domestic supply chains?
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee
Executive
Session on
Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET to consider the Railway Safety
Act of 2023 and other important legislation, as well as Coast Guard
promotions.
S.
229
Securing Semiconductor Supply Chain Act of 2023
Xochitl Torres Small, of New Mexico, to be Deputy Secretary of
Agriculture, vice Jewel Hairston Bronaugh
Xochitl Torres Small was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve
as the Under Secretary for Rural Development on October 7, 2021. In this
role, she oversees loans and grants to provide infrastructure
improvements; business development; affordable housing; community
facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and
high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal, and high-poverty areas.
During her leadership, USDA Rural Development
secured $2 billion to support rural broadband through the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law.
Prior to coming to Rural Development, Xochitl was a United States
Representative for the fifth largest district in the country. As a
Representative, Xochitl served as a member of the House Agriculture
Committee, the House Armed Services Committee and as chairwoman of the
Oversight, Management, and Accountability subcommittee of the House
Homeland Security Committee. Xochitl was the first woman and first
person of color to represent New Mexico’s second congressional district.
The granddaughter of farmworkers, Xochitl Torres Small grew up in the
borderlands of New Mexico. She has worked as a field representative for
Senator Tom Udall, a clerk for United States District Court Judge Robert
C. Brack, and an attorney practicing water and natural resources law.
Xochitl has a law degree from the University of New Mexico School of
Law, an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of
Foreign Service, and an international baccalaureate from Waterford
Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa. She’s happily married
to her husband, New Mexico State Representative Nathan Small.
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
Hearing
on the nomination of Jeffery Martin Baran, of Virginia, to be a member
of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for another
term.
Nominee:
Jeffery Martin (Jeff) Baran, of Virginia, to be a member of the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Honorable Jeff Baran was nominated by President Obama and sworn in
as a Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on October
14, 2014. He is currently serving a term ending on June 30, 2023.
Commissioner Baran is focused on ensuring the safety and security of the
country’s civilian nuclear facilities. He is committed to openness and
transparency in agency decision-making and to hearing and considering
the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders. He supports a strong
focus on environmental justice. Commissioner Baran believes
NRC has an important role to play in tackling
climate change, including establishing the right regulatory framework
for the safe licensing and operation of new technologies.
Since joining the Commission, Commissioner Baran has visited dozens of
NRC-licensed facilities, including operating
power reactors, a nuclear plant undergoing active decommissioning,
research and test reactors, fuel cycle facilities, a low-level waste
disposal facility, and a variety of facilities using radioactive
materials for medical and industrial purposes. He also traveled to
Fukushima Daiichi for a first-hand look at conditions and activities at
the site.
Before serving on the Commission, Commissioner Baran worked for the U.S.
House of Representatives for over 11 years. During his tenure with the
Energy and Commerce Committee, oversight of
NRC was one of his primary areas of
responsibility. He worked to coordinate the efforts of six federal
agencies, including NRC, and two Native
American tribes to clean up uranium contamination in and around the
Navajo Nation. In addition, he helped negotiate bills related to
pipeline safety, energy efficiency, hydropower, electric grid
reliability, and medical isotopes that were enacted with bipartisan
support. From 2003 to 2008, he was counsel to the House Oversight and
Government Reform Committee.
Prior to his work on Capitol Hill, Commissioner Baran served as a law
clerk for Judge Lesley Wells of the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Ohio.
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Commissioner Baran earned a
bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in political science from Ohio
University. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School.