Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Environmental Protection Agency

Subcommittee hearing.

Witness:

  • Lee Zeldin, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Program Name $ Change Enacted from 2025 (in millions) Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
Increases
Drinking Water Programs +9 The Budget provides $124 million in funding for the drinking water mission at EPA. The $9 million increase from the 2025 enacted level is to equip EPA with funds to respond to drinking water disasters.
Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program +27 The Budget increases funding for Tribes to retain access to funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure on their lands, with a total level of $31 million for the grant program.
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds -2,460 The Budget provides the decreased funding level of $305 million total.
Categorical Grants -1,006 The Budget includes the elimination of 16 categorical grants, and maintains funding at 2025 enacted levels for Tribes.
Hazardous Substance Superfund -254 The IIJA and the Inflation Reduction Act helped finance the Superfund program.
Office of Research and Development -235 The Budget puts an end to research grants, environmental justice work, climate research, and modeling that influences regulations. The Budget provides $281 million.
Environmental Justice -100 EPA’s environmental justice program is eliminated in line with the vision the President set forth in Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” and Executive Order 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.”
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Grants -90 This program is eliminated.
Atmospheric Protection Program -100 The Atmospheric Protection Program imposes climate change regulations. This program is eliminated in the 2026 Budget.
Senate Appropriations Committee
   Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
124 Dirksen

05/14/2025 at 10:30AM

Natural Resources Member Day

On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a Member Day hearing. Members are invited to testify on issues within the Committee’s jurisdiction, including specific legislation or topics of importance to them and their constituents.

House Natural Resources Committee
1324 Longworth

05/14/2025 at 10:15AM

Trade in Critical Supply Chains

Full committee hearing.

Witnesses:

  • Gracelin Baskaran, Ph.D, Director, Critical Minerals Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • David Issacs, Vice President, Government Affairs, Semiconductor Industry Association
  • Caleb Ragland, President, American Soybean Association
Senate Finance Committee
215 Dirksen

05/14/2025 at 10:00AM

Nominations of Jonathan Brightbill to be General Counsel, Tina Pierce to be Chief Financial Officer, and Conner Prochaska to be ARPA-E Director, at Department of Energy; and Ned Mamula to be U.S. Geological Survey Director

Full committee hearing.

Nominees:

  • Jonathan Brightbill to be General Counsel of the Department of Energy
  • Tina Pierce to be Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Energy
  • Conner Prochaska to be Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency within the Department of Energy
  • Ned Mamula to be Director of U.S. Geological Survey within the Department of the Interior

Brightbill was Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney and briefly Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the United States Department of Justice under Trump. He is a trial and appellate lawyer in Winston & Strawn LLP’s Washington, D.C. office, Chair of their Environmental Litigation and Enforcement Practice. He is a member of the Federalist Society. He opposed the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. In 2024, he led the incoming Trump DOJ review team.

Pierce is the Deputy Chief Financial Officer (DCFO) for the Department of Defense. An Idaho native, Ms. Pierce was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer, serving in operational and staff financial management assignments from 1991 to 2006. Prior to reentering federal service in 2018 as a staff accountant with the Defense Health Agency, she held finance and accounting roles in the public and private sectors in the United States and Europe, with experience in information technology, energy, education and consulting industries. Ms. Pierce was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in August 2020.

Prochaska is Chief of Strategic Partnerships, Bohr Quantum Technology, which is headed by Paul Dabbar, Trump’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of Commerce for global trade and technology. Under Trump, Prochaska was the Department of Energy’s first Chief Commercialization Officer, serving as the Director of the Office of Technology Transitions. Prochaska also served as Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff for DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Prochaska previously served as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy and as Senior Vice President at the investment firm FCIM.

Mamula is a petroleum geologist. Currently chief geologist at the mining company GreenMet, he previously worked for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Frontera Resources, and First Seismic Corporation. He is a former adjunct scholar at Cato Institute.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen

05/14/2025 at 10:00AM

FY2026 Budget for U.S. Department of Transportation

Subcommittee hearing.

Witness:

  • Sean Duffy, Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
Department of Transportation
Program Name $ Change from 2025 Enacted (in millions) Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
Increases
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Operations +359 The Budget requests an increased amount of $13.8 billion. This funding level would support air traffic controller hiring and salary increases, as well as FAA’s ongoing updates to its outdated telecommunications systems.
FAA Facility and Radar Upgrades +824 The Budget delivers an $5 billion investment in the modernization of the systems and facilities that comprise U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). In addition to a previously-provided $1 billion advance appropriation, the Budget requests an additional $4 billion for NAS upgrades including a $450 million down-payment on a multiyear, multi-billion-dollar radar replacement program. A substantial amount will also be requested as mandatory funding through reconciliation.
Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program (INFRA) +770 The Budget provides $770 million, on top of the $1.5 billion in provided by IIJA, for the INFRA grants program, which assists highway, port, and freight rail projects.
Rail Safety and Infrastructure Grants +400 The Budget provides $500 million for Rail Safety and Infrastructure grants, a 400-percent increase over 2025 levels.
Shipbuilding and Port Infrastructure +596 The Budget provides $105 million for the Assistance to Small Shipyards program. The Budget delivers $550 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program.
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Essential Air Service (EAS) Discretionary Funding -308 The Budget proposes a reduction of eligibility and subsidy rates.
Electric Vehicle Charger Grants -5700 The Budget cancels an additional $5.7 billion in IIJA funding provided to the Department of Transportation for electric vehicle charger grant programs.
House Appropriations Committee
   Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
2358-A Rayburn

05/14/2025 at 10:00AM

Vote on Nominations of William Doffermyre to be Solicitor of Interior, Catherine Jereza to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Electricity, Kyle Haustveit to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy

Full committee business meeting to consider the following nominations:

  • William Doffermyre to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior
  • Catherine Jereza to be Assistant Secretary (Energy)
  • Kyle Haustveit to be Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil)

The nominations hearing took place on May 8.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen

05/14/2025 at 09:30AM

Energy and Commerce Markup of 2025 Budget Reconciliation Omnibus, Continued

Full committee markup, continued from Tuesday.

Section by section overview

Part II:

Section 41001. Rescissions relating to certain Inflation Reduction Act programs.

This section would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under the following sections of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

  1. State-Based Energy Efficiency Training Grants – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any remaining amounts made under section 50123 of the Inflation Reduction Act, the State-Based Energy Efficiency Training Grants. This program was intended to provide training assistance and education for the implementation of the IRA’s Home Energy Whole-House Rebate Program (Sec. 50121) or the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program (Sec. 50122) for additional home energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits.
  2. Funding for Department of Energy Loan Program Office – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under section 50141 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Funding for Department of Energy Loan Program Office. This provided funding to cover the cost of credit subsidies associated with loan guarantees made under Section 1703 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which authorized loans for unproven technologies.
  3. Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under section 50142 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing. This funding covered the cost of credit subsidies to provide loans for vehicle and vehicle supply chain manufacturing facilities.
  4. Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Financing – This would rescind the unobligated the balance of any amounts made under section 50144 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Financing. The IRA established this program to provide funds to cover the cost of loan guarantees under another new loan program known as the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Financing program. Unlike projects in the traditional Department of Energy (DOE) loan programs focused on new, innovative technologies, this program authorized loans for retooling, repowering, or replacing energy infrastructure that has ceased operations.
  5. Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts that were supposed to be made available under section 50145 of the IRA for the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program. These funds covered credit subsidies under the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program, which the Energy Policy Act of 1992 authorized.
  6. Transmission Facility Financing – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under section 50151 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Transmission Facility Financing. This program was intended to pay direct loans to non-federal borrowers for transmission facilities designated under Section 216(a) of the Federal Power Act, in a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC). While a small number of NIETCs were designated, no loans were awarded from this program.
  7. Grants to Facilitate the Siting of Interstate Electricity Transmission Lines – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under section 50152 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Grants to Facilitate the Siting of Interstate Electricity Transmission Lines. This program provides grants to transmission siting authorities (state, local and tribal governments) to facilitate siting and permitting for certain interstate and offshore electricity transmission lines.
  8. Interregional and Offshore Wind Electricity Transmission Planning, Modeling, and Analysis – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under section 50153 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Interregional and Offshore Wind Electricity Transmission Planning, Modeling, and Analysis. The program intended to cover expenses associated with interregional and offshore wind electricity transmission planning, modeling, and analysis.
  9. Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program – This would rescind the unobligated balance of any amounts made under section 50161 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program. This program was meant to provide financial assistance—grants, direct loans, rebates, or cooperative agreements—to industrial or manufacturing facilities to subsidize technology installations with the stated intent of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Section 41002. FERC certificates and fees for certain energy infrastructure at international boundaries of the United States.

Notwithstanding any requirements or statutory obligations under federal and state law, including siting, environmental and safety reviews, and permitting, Section 41002 requires an application for a certificate of crossing for cross-border energy infrastructure to include a $50,000 payment, and directs the Federal Electricity Regulatory Commission to issue the certificate. No person may construct, connect, operate, or maintain a cross-border segment for the import or export of designated energy products, or the transmission of electricity, without first obtaining the certificate of crossing. This fee structure does not apply to cross-border segments that were previously approved by a Presidential permit.

Section 41003. Natural gas exports and imports.

Under Section 41003, applications to the Secretary of Energy to export natural gas from the United States to a non-free trade agreement country shall include a $1,000,000 user fee paid by the applicant. Upon receipt of the application and collection of the fee, the Secretary of Energy shall deem the application in the public interest. This Section does not alter or impact the applicant’s existing obligations and requirements under the Natural Gas Act or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authorities.

Section 41004. Funding for Department of Energy loan guarantee expenses.

Section 41004 appropriates $5,000,000 to the Department of Energy to remain available for 5 years to carry out section 116 of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act (15 U.S.C. 720n).

Section 41005. Natural Gas Act expedited permitting.

Section 41005 allows applicants for an authorization under Section 3, or a certificate of public convenience and necessity under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, to participate voluntarily in an expedited permitting process upon the payment of $10,000,000 or one percent of the project’s projected capital cost.

Within one year of payment of the fee, each Federal, State, interstate, or Tribal agency with relevant authorities shall review and approve Federal authorizations, subject to any conditions determined necessary to comply with the underlying statute by the agency. For States, this includes their authorities to impose conditions for any certifying authorities delegated to States by federal law. Following such approval, the Federal Electricity Regulatory Commission (FERC) shall review the application and approve the application subject to any conditions determined necessary by FERC.

The Commission may extend this timeline by a period of 6 months if granted consent by the applicant. Should the authorization not be approved under the applicable deadline, it shall be deemed approved, notwithstanding any procedural requirements of the underlying law. No court shall have jurisdiction to review a claim under this section except for a claim brought by the applicant or a person who has suffered, or likely and imminently will suffer, direct and irreparable economic harm from the approval. An organization may only bring a claim on behalf of one or more of its members if each member of the organization or association has suffered, or likely and imminently will suffer, harm. Courts shall apply clear and convincing evidence as the standard of review for such claims. The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction over any claim alleging the invalidity of the process or that the federal authorization is beyond the scope of authority granted by the federal law to such agency.

Section 41006. Carbon dioxide, oil, and hydrogen pipeline permitting.

Pursuant to Section 41006, applicants for carbon dioxide, oil, or hydrogen pipeline projects, as defined by section 60102(i) of title 49 of the U.S. Code, may apply for a license authorizing the project to be considered in the same manner, and in accordance with the requirements of, an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, including a fee of $10,000,000.

Section 41007. De-Risking Compensation Program for qualified energy projects.

Section 41007 would appropriate $10 million, to remain available through September 30, 2034, for administrative costs for the Secretary of Energy to establish a De-Risking Compensation Program at the Department of Energy. The program would provide compensation to sponsors of federally permitted energy projects that enroll in the program for unrecoverable capital losses caused by subsequent federal actions that revoke permits or approvals, or cancel, delay, or render the project unviable. The program would be available to applicants who invest in energy projects relating to coal, critical minerals, oil, natural gas, or nuclear energy and are valued at no less than $30 million. The sponsors would pay 5 percent of their projected share of capital contribution to the project and an annual premium into a Treasury Department fund. Upon demonstration of unrecoverable losses due to subsequent federal actions that caused the losses, the Secretary of Energy would compensate the project sponsor for up to the full amount of the loss from the available funds.

Section 41008. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Section 41008 appropriates $2,000,000,000 to the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2025 for activities related to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Of this amount, $218,000,000 is appropriated for repairs to the caverns, and $1,321,000,000 is appropriated for the acquisition of petroleum products for storage in the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. The remaining funding is appropriated to the Department of Energy to buy back the sales mandates by Section 20003 of Public Law 115-97.

SUBTITLE B—ENVIRONMENT

PART 1—REPEALS AND RECISSIONS

Section 42101. Repeal and recission relating to clean heavy-duty vehicles.

This section repeals section 132 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under section 132. This portion of the IRA established a program to grant awards for purchasing electric vehicles.

Section 42102. Repeal and recission relating to grants to reduce air pollution at ports.

This section repeals section 133 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA created a competitive grant and rebate program for the purchase of zero-emission port equipment or technology.

Section 41009. Rescissions of previously appropriated unobligated funds.

Section 41009 would rescind the previously appropriated unobligated balances from the base appropriations for the following programs; Office of Inspector General, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Office for Human Capital, Federal Energy Management Programs, State and Community Energy Programs, Office of Minority Economic Impact, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of General Counsel, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, Office of Management, Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Affairs, and the Office of Policy at the Department of Energy. These rescissions do not include funds appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and any funds from emergency appropriations. Amounts rescinded in this section do not include current, FY 2025, base year appropriations.

Section 42103. Repeal and recission relating to grants to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

This section repeals section 134 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA appropriated funds to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish grant programs commonly referred to as “Green Banks.”

Section 42104. Repeal and recission relating to diesel emissions reductions.

This section repeals section 60104 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This portion of the IRA appropriated additional funds to the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act for use only in certain communities. Section 42105. Repeal and recission relating to funding to address air pollution. This section repeals section 60105 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This provision appropriated additional funds for air monitoring.

Section 42106. Repeal and recission relating to funding to address air pollution at schools.

This section repeals section 60106 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA provides grants for monitoring and reducing air pollution in schools, technical assistance, and design, construction and renovation standards for school buildings.

Section 42107. Repeal and recission relating to low emissions electricity program.

This section repeals section 135 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This portion of the IRA appropriated money for consumer related education, technical assistance, industry related outreach, intergovernmental outreach related to the reduction of emissions from domestic electrical generation.

Section 42108. Repeal and recission relating to funding for Section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act.

This section repeals section 60108 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This provision of the IRA does not fund the EPA’s administration of the program. Rather, the funding is for data collection of greenhouse gas emissions and testing the environmental impact of biofuels.

Section 42109. Repeal and recission relating to funding for implementation of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.

This section repeals section 60109 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA does not amend or alter the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, it merely provides funds to assist with AIM Act implementation and compliance.

Section 42110. Repeal and recission relating to funding for enforcement technology and public information.

This section repeals section 60110 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This provision of the IRA provides funding to update software used by EPA and states to track environmental compliance actions.

Section 42111. Repeal and recission relating to greenhouse gas corporate reporting.

This section repeals section 60111 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This provision of the IRA provided funding for enhanced standardization and transparency for corporate climate action commitments.

Section 42112. Repeal and recission relating to environmental product declaration assistance.

This section repeals section 60112 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA provided funding to create environmental product declarations advertising the environmental impact of products.

Section 42113. Repeal of funding for Methane Emissions and Waste Reduction Incentive Program for petroleum and natural gas systems.

This section repeals subsections (a) and (b) of section 136 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. These repeals and amendments extend by 10 years the date by which the charge associated with the Methane Emissions Reduction Program shall begin to be imposed and collected.

Section 42114. Repeal and recission relating to greenhouse gas air pollution plans and implementation grants.

This section repeals section 137 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA establishes a fund for states, local governments and Tribes to use for “Climate Change Action Plans” and environmental justice initiatives.

Section 42115. Repeal and recission relating to Environmental Protection Agency efficient, accurate, and timely reviews.

This section repeals section 60115 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA funds the hiring and training new staff and conflict with EPA’s initiatives to create a more effective and efficient workforce, along with President Trump’s executive orders to reduce government spending and waste. The funding does not address the root causes of permitting delays and conflicts with EPA’s current directives.

Section 42116. Repeal and recission relating to low-embodied carbon labeling for construction materials.

This section repeals section 60116 of Public Law 117-169 and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This provision of the IRA provided funding to administer a program that would identify and label construction materials and products with low greenhouse gas emissions life cycles.

Section 42117. Repeal and recission relating to environmental and climate justice block grants.

This section repeals section 138 of the Clean Air Act and rescinds any unobligated balance made available under that section. This section of the IRA funds programs designated as environmental justice programs.

PART 2—REPEAL OF EPA RULE RELATING TO MULTI-POLLUTANT EMISSION STANDARDS

Section 42201. Repeal of EPA rule relating to multi-pollutant emissions standards.

This section repeals the final rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles.”

PART 3—REPEAL OF NHTSA RULE RELATING TO CAFE STANDARDS

Section 42301. Repeal of NHTSA rule relating to CAFE standards for passenger cars and light trucks.

This section repeals the final rule issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relating to “Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model Years 2027 and Beyond and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans for Model Years 2030 and Beyond.”

SUBTITLE C—COMMUNICATIONS

PART 2—ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MODERNIZATION

Section 43201. Artificial intelligence and information technology modernization initiative.

Subsection (a) would appropriate $500,000,000 to the Department of Commerce for fiscal year 2025, to remain available through September 30, 2035, for the purpose of modernizing and securing federal information technology systems through the deployment of commercial artificial intelligence, automation technologies, and the replacement of antiquated business systems.

Subsection (b) states that the Secretary of Commerce shall use these funds to support the replacement and modernization of legacy business systems with state-of-the-art commercial artificial intelligence systems and automated decision systems, the adoption of artificial intelligence models that increase operational efficiency and service delivery, and improve the cybersecurity posture of Federal information technology systems through modernized architecture, automated threat detection, and integrated artificial intelligence solutions.

Subsection (c) states that no state or political subdivision may enforce any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems during the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
2123 Rayburn

05/14/2025 at 12:00AM