Ranking Member DeLauro Statement at the Subcommittee Markup of the 2027 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the subcommittee markup of the 2027 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies funding bill:

Thank you so much Mr. Chairman. Thank you to you and to Ranking Member Kaptur for the great work in the past, and present, that continues into the future. And always happy to recognize my friend and my colleague, Chairman Cole, and I couldn’t agree more on the need for whatever differences there may be that those are worked out at the subcommittee, full committee level. Because I concur, the further it moves up the chain, the less knowledge there is and the more political it gets. 

I think that people in this room, the members of the subcommittees, and the staff, certainly, are the most knowledgeable about what is in the bill and what has to be done. I look forward to how we can work together to pass all 12 bills as we move forward.

I want to say a thank you to the committee staff, Scott McKee, Ippo Dellatolas, and Adam Wilson, for the Minority side, and Laura Cylke, Perry Yates, Corey Kuipers, and Raynor Buckley for the Majority. I want to say thank you for your work, we don’t sit here except for the work that you do.

I will start where I am today in opposing the bill before us. It raises energy costs for middle class, working families, and vulnerable Americans who are struggle today to afford the basic necessities of everyday life. It threatens our national security by cutting funds used to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. And it exposes communities to radioactive waste, reducing funding used to control and clean up hazardous nuclear sites throughout the country.

American families are struggling to keep up with rising costs today, living paycheck to paycheck. Based on inflation data released earlier this month, price increases have now outpaced wage growth for the first time since 2023. One of the central factors driving the cost-of-living crisis is the rising cost of energy.

Utility bills keep going up, and instead of providing relief, Republicans’ plan is to cut back on programs that support our energy independence, increase energy supply, and help drive costs down.

The bill before us slashes funding for the Department of Energy’s Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation account, which was previously called the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program.

This $1.3 billion – 40 percent – cut weakens American competitiveness, at the same time that global adversaries like China are redoubling their investments in the energy of the future.

Failing to invest in clean energy sources here at home leaves us vulnerable. As we speak, Iran continues to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, driving up prices for American families. The president’s war in Iran has driven the cost of gasoline up by 40 percent, further exacerbating the crisis. If we want to mitigate these effects, we need to invest in alternative sources of energy.

This bill threatens our national security by cutting funding for the Nuclear National Security Administration’s account for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation by $282 million, or 12 percent. This hampers our efforts to track down, to secure, and dispose of material that can be used to develop a nuclear weapon. It makes it harder for us to stop the most dangerous weapons humanity has ever known from falling into the wrong hands.

It is shocking that this cut is being proposed as the President pursues his costly war with Iran under the pretense of preventing nuclear proliferation. If we are serious about stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear material, why are we cutting funding to the program that does just that?

Additionally, this bill would burden our communities by halting or slowing down ongoing cleanup of radioactive waste left over from America’s atomic weapons development. The Army Corps of Engineers has made progress managing the clean-up and control of these areas, but this bill eliminates all funding for their programs, even as they still preside over 20 active sites. 

Lastly, the bill cuts the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management by $863 million, or 10 percent. This slows down cleanup at some of the most complicated radioactive cleanup sites across the country, in Washington, South Carolina, Idaho, and Tennessee.

At a time when Americans are struggling to navigate rapidly rising costs; when our adversaries are increasing their investments in the technologies of the future; and when our communities remain burdened by the hazardous remnants of our atomic weapons program; this bill fails to meet that moment.

I encourage my colleagues to vote no on this measure, and to work together on a bipartisan basis to craft an agreement that supports our communities, protects national security, and invests in the future.

Thank you and I yield back.

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