A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Energy

Subcommittee hearing.

Witness:

  • Christopher Wright, Secretary, Department of Energy

Budget request

The Budget requests $53.9 billion in discretionary budget authority for DOE, a $4.8 billion or nearly 10-percent increase from the 2026 enacted level excluding the Working Families Tax Cut Act (WFTC) funding. Within the requested amount, $32.8 billion is allocated to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a $3.6 billion or 12-percent increase from the 2026 enacted level (including WFTC funding). The remaining $21.1 billion refects a $2.7 billion or 11-percent reduction from the 2026 enacted level.

IIJA funds redirected to $3.5 billion to “deploy firm baseload power” and $1.2 billion for AI to support seven AI supercomputers at the Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.

The Budget reproposes the cancellation of $15.2 billion in IIJA funding.

DOE abolished the EERE office in 2026.

Office of Science (–$1.1 billion): The Budget eliminates funding for climate change research.

Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) (–$150 million).

The Budget prohibits the use of Federal funds for subscriptions to academic journals unless required by Federal statute or approved in advance by a Federal agency

Senate Appropriations Committee
   Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
124 Dirksen

04/22/2026 at 02:30PM

Domestic Pollution Control Laws and the Mining and Recycling Industries

The Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing on April 22, 2026, at 2:00 pm in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Help or Hindrance? The Impact of U.S. Environmental Laws on Critical Material Supply Chains, National Security, and Economic Growth.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Josh Gubkin, Associate General Counsel, Redwood Materials
  • Jane Neal, Senior Vice President, AMG Vanadium
  • Chris Lehman, Chief Development Officer, Principal Mineral
  • Beia Spiller, Fellow, Transportation Program Director, Resources for the Future

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) provides a national framework for the management of solid waste and hazardous waste, including policies to promote the reduction of waste at the source, recycling, and energy recovery first before treatment and disposal.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as the Superfund law) provides authority for responding to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances to the environment, and for the assignment of liability and responsibility for remediating the contamination.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) provides EPA authority to regulate the emissions of certain air pollutants from stationary and mobile sources, including authority to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants and other emissions from industrial sources.

The Safe Drinking Water Act is the main federal law regulating drinking water and protecting drinking water sources.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
   Environment Subcommittee
2123 Rayburn

04/22/2026 at 02:00PM

Federal Fire, Local Heat

On Wednesday, April 22, lawmakers, climate leaders, organizers, and change-makers at the front lines of the climate fight are convening an emergency strategy session for Earth Day 2026. This is a key moment to align priorities in the midst of the Trump Administration’s attacks on the health and wellbeing of our families, corrupt attempts to deliver for polluters over people, and blatant efforts to override American democracy. Conversations will center federal regulatory rollbacks and their intersections with key issues, such as affordability and cost of living, public health, environmental justice, and national security. Congressional leaders will outline recent federal climate and environmental policy developments and share perspectives on legislative priorities moving forward. Representatives from national nonprofits and local organizations will highlight on-the-ground initiatives, innovative partnerships, and community-driven solutions that deliver climate resilience and economic opportunity. The event will include an exclusive media presser, giving high-level creators and media the opportunity to report on the climate fight for Earth Day 2026.

Participants:

  • U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey
  • U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
  • U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari
  • U.S. Representative Don Beyer
  • U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici
  • U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski
  • U.S. Representative Sean Casten
  • U.S. Representative Kathy Castor
  • U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva
  • U.S. Representative Jared Huffman
  • U.S. Representative Ro Khanna
  • U.S. Representative Mike Levin
  • Dalal Aboulhosn, Managing Director for Programs and Policy, Center for Earth, Energy & Democracy
  • Margie Alt, Campaign Director, Climate Action Campaign
  • Margot Kimmel, Member, Kids Clean Air Force
  • Mia Logan, Senior Advisor for Climate Urgency, Climate Power
  • Nalleli Cobo, Environmental Activist and Storyteller
  • Saad Amer, Founder, Justice Environment
  • Susan Holmes, Executive Director, Endangered Species Coalition
  • Tiernan Sittenfeld, Executive Director, National Parks Conservation Association
House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition
Capitol
04/22/2026 at 12:30PM

Tribal Natural Resource Development

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled “Tribal Natural Resource Development: Barriers and Successes.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Frank White Clay, Chairman, Crow Tribe of Indians, Billings, Montana
  • Andrew Gallegos, Councilman, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ignacio, Colorado
  • Ken Ahmann, Chief Operating Officer, Colusa Indian Energy, Colusa, California
  • Talia Martin, Co-Executive Director, Tribal Energy Alternatives, Oakland, California (Minority Witness)

Of the roughly 56 million acres of tribal reservation lands, an estimated 15 million acres contain energy and mineral resources, with 2.1 million acres currently in production. The Crow Tribe alone has an estimated 17 billion tons of undeveloped coal.

House Natural Resources Committee
   Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
1334 Longworth

04/22/2026 at 10:15AM

Continuation of Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2027 Financial Services and General Government Bill

Continued markup from the previous day.

Subcommittee markup held on April 17.

FSGG:

The fiscal year 2027 Financial Services and General Government funding bill includes $25.3 billion, a decrease of $635 million, or 2.4 percent, below the comparable level for fiscal year 2026, and $1.5 billion, or 6.2 percent, above the request.

Riders included:

  • Prohibit DC from implementing more stringent auto emissions standards.
  • Prohibit the SBA from funding climate change initiatives to help small businesses cut energy costs and reduce carbon pollution.
  • Prohibit investment options under the Thrift Savings Plan that make investment decisions based on environmental, social, or governance criteria.
  • Prohibit the procurement of electric vehicles, electric vehicle batteries, electric vehicle charging stations or infrastructure.
House Appropriations Committee
2359 Rayburn

04/22/2026 at 10:00AM

The EXPLORE Act and Accessibility and Inclusion at our National Parks and Public Lands

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold an oversight hearing titled “EXPLORE America250: Enhancing Accessibility at our National Parks and Public Lands.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Joe Stone, Co-Owner, Dovetail Trail Consulting, Jackson, WY
  • Julie Howell, Associate Legislative Director for Government Relations, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Washington, D.C.
  • Maureen Elias, Deputy Director of Government Affairs – Veterans, Wounded Warrior Project, Washington, D.C.
  • Mike Passo, Executive Director, American Trails, Marshfield, WI [Minority Witness]
House Natural Resources Committee
   Federal Lands Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

04/22/2026 at 10:00AM

Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Activities, Priorities, and Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

The hearing will examine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Budget and its licensing and regulatory activities.

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Ho K. Nieh, Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • David A. Wright, Commissioner
  • Bradley R. Crowell, Commissioner
  • Mathew J. Marzano, Commissioner
  • Douglas W. Weaver, Commissioner
House Energy and Commerce Committee
   Energy Subcommittee
2123 Rayburn

04/22/2026 at 10:00AM