[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 144 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3796-H3818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2026


                             General Leave

  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 4553 and that I may include 
tabular material on the same.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Westerman). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 672 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 4553.
  The Chair appoints the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine) to preside 
over the Committee of the Whole.

                              {time}  1615


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 4553) making appropriations for energy and water development and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for 
other purposes, with Mr. Fine in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the 
first time.
  General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 1 
hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective 
designees.
  The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) and the gentlewoman 
from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to bring the fiscal year 2026 Energy and 
Water Development bill to the floor today.
  I begin by thanking my good friend and Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur 
for her partnership throughout this process. I realize we have some 
bona fide differences and issues on this bill, but we always have very 
cordial discussions. I do appreciate her very much.
  Mr. Chairman, this bill provides a total of $57.3 billion to 
safeguard the United States' national security, strengthen our economy, 
and unleash American energy dominance.
  The bill delivers strong support for our national defense and 
provides $25.3 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration 
prioritizing and continued modernization of the nuclear weapons 
stockpile and the United States Navy nuclear fleet.
  The bill strengthens our Nation's energy security by advancing 
American leadership in deploying new nuclear technologies and 
supporting the administration's efforts to make full use of our 
Nation's vast fossil fuel resources.
  This bill will reduce reliance on foreign materials and secure the 
full supply chain of critical minerals.
  The bill furthers our Nation's scientific and technological 
leadership, providing $8.4 billion for the Department of Energy's 
Office of Science.
  At the same time, the bill reduces funding by 25 percent across 
numerous other department programs, including the applied energy 
technology offices, to ensure taxpayer resources are focused on the 
highest priority research and development projects.
  The bill also strengthens our economy and promotes public safety 
providing $9.9 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, including full 
funding of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities and the highest 
priority ongoing construction projects on the inland waterways system. 
Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is prioritized to projects that 
increase water supply and support drought resilience.
  Finally, the bill provides a number of provisions to codify President 
Trump's executive actions to protect American values and prevent our 
resources and intellectual properties from falling into the hands of 
foreign adversaries.
  This legislation reflects a clear commitment to fiscal responsibility 
while safeguarding our national security and increasing economic 
prosperity for all of our citizens.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.

                              {time}  1620

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I also compliment the chair of our subcommittee, Mr. Fleischmann of 
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for his very gentlemanly behavior on both sides 
of the aisle so that we can actually move bills, which is our public 
responsibility.
  I thank our diligent staff for all their hard work on this bill. I 
have to say I am very proud that ours is one of the first three bills 
to come to the floor. They are long delayed, not because we didn't do 
our work. We are ready. We want to pass funding for the new fiscal 
year, which begins on October 1.
  I also thank the minority staff, Scott McKee, Anisha Singh, and Adam 
Wilson, and my personal staff, Kaitlin Ulin, TJ Lowdermilk, and 
Margaret McInnis. I thank them all, and I thank them for putting up 
with me.
  Engineered energy and water systems undergird America's way of life. 
Energy and water are not optional but essential to sustaining life.
  Of late, we have been piercingly reminded about our subcommittee's 
purpose. July brought nearly double the usual flood warnings, the 
second highest in 40 years. On July Fourth, Kerr County, Texas, sadly, 
saw one of the deadliest flash floods in U.S. history, with 117 lives 
lost. These tragedies inform us of the power of water and wild energy 
in our atmosphere.
  Let me be clear: No matter how much Members on the other side of the 
aisle want to pretend that climate change is not happening, for the 
record, the last 10 years are the 10 hottest in recorded history. Think 
about that.
  Our Great Lakes, the region I represent, comprise the largest body of 
freshwater on Earth. Specifically, Lake Erie, the southernmost of the 
lakes, no longer freezes over. Some of our favorite sports, ice boating 
and ice fishing, are now becoming a memory of the past, and hockey is 
now played indoors.
  America's electric grid is old and under deep strain. The Energy 
Information Administration documented that the U.S. just set new 
records twice in July for peak electricity demand. The old grid system 
is being tested by hotter weather and higher usage. When the grid 
strains, costs rise and the most vulnerable families suffer first. How 
would you like to be in Tucson at 120 degrees week after week?
  Unchecked growth in data centers alone could raise average U.S. 
electricity generation costs by roughly 8 percent by 2030. This is not 
hypothetical. It is happening as we meet today.
  In Ohio, rapid demand growth from Big Tech data centers pushes 
electricity prices dramatically higher every month. Starting this July, 
households in Ohio saw their monthly energy bills increase a minimum of 
10 percent. Some more than doubled. Families noticed a massive increase 
in monthly bills. I have one constituent

[[Page H3797]]

who called and told us that her family's bill moved from $230 a month 
to $494 in July. This cost of energy increase is not sustainable for 
working families.
  Sadly, this Republican energy and water bill does not meet our 
Nation's energy and water imperative for the future nor for the 
present. We must invest faster in modern infrastructure to become 
energy independent in perpetuity. That is our awesome--underline 
``awesome''--responsibility. We must reduce energy costs by investing 
in modern grid resilience and an all-of-the-above energy portfolio.
  This bill fails to address the cost-of-living crisis currently 
underway. Overall, household electric bills nationally are up 10 
percent. That is just since January. In places like northern Ohio, I am 
hearing that, for many people, the total for energy and water bills has 
doubled. Every family in this country knows that. Even higher energy 
bills lie ahead for families and businesses.
  China is investing record levels in energy, making its products more 
competitive. Sadly, this bill retreats from U.S. global energy 
leadership. What do I mean? The bill cuts $1.6 billion, or 47 percent, 
from the Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy 
programs. This undermines our Nation's imperative to deliver clean, 
affordable, and secure energy to the American people.
  Our Nation should lead, not lag, in the global race toward energy 
independence in perpetuity. We must build an abundant clean energy 
future.
  This bill eliminates funding for the Office of Clean Energy 
Demonstrations, which means building the future. It revokes $5.1 
billion of bipartisan infrastructure law resources from the Department 
of Energy, which will cede the U.S. global lead in hydrogen, direct air 
capture, battery recycling, and consequent energy savings possible in 
every public and private structure.
  Already, U.S. businesses have delayed or canceled--this is a shocking 
number--more than $33 billion in investments in energy projects this 
year. That is lost economic growth. Over 64,000 jobs have already been 
lost or stalled in the clean energy sector. That is uncalled for.
  In May, this administration revoked $3.7 billion in Federal energy 
investment for 24 energy projects already signed, sealed, and delivered 
across America, including for manufacturing companies to become more 
energy-efficient and including over $100 million for Libbey Glass, 
Owens-Illinois Glass, and Kraft Heinz across our region of Ohio alone.
  President Trump promised he was going to help American manufacturing. 
That revocation actually goes completely in the opposite direction.
  Thus, I must strongly oppose these additional Republican cuts to 
vital energy production and conservation--and America's future--through 
the U.S. Department of Energy.
  Shortchanging these advances pushes our Nation backward and raises 
already high energy prices even more for consumers.
  In other areas, this bill dangerously shortchanges our national 
security. The bill slashes $412 million from the Defense Nuclear 
Nonproliferation account. This effectively guts our efforts to prevent 
the spread of nuclear weapons, detect covert nuclear threats, and 
uphold arms control agreements that keep us safe. All of those cuts are 
a big gift for Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea.

  Additionally, this bill turns its back on communities still living 
with the toxic legacy of America's atomic past by zeroing out the Army 
Corps program to clean up radioactive waste at early nuclear sites. 
This is deadly.
  It slashes $779 million from nuclear cleanup efforts. That is three-
quarters of a billion dollars. This will delay the cleanup that these 
communities have been promised for decades. I will note that one of 
these American atomic waste sites is in the village of Luckey, Ohio, 
not so far from my district.
  Finally, this bill includes numerous controversial poison pill riders 
that are so extreme that they cannot gain bipartisan support and become 
law.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. America can and 
must meet the new age frontiers of energy and water. Nature is 
signaling. Times are changing. We must not turn back the clock but 
seize the baton for future generations to come.
  Now is the moment to keep America on a steady path forward for an 
all-of-the-above energy, water, and nuclear security portfolio.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), a very hardworking member of the Appropriations 
Committee.
  Mr. MRVAN. Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Kaptur, Chairman 
Fleischmann, and all the staff for their thoughtful and dedicated 
efforts in the drafting of this measure.
  Recently, I joined constituents in Indiana's Lowell Labor Day parade, 
in Laborers' Local 81's summer picnic in Valparaiso, and an 
Ironworkers' picnic and bingo in Crown Point. The issue at the top of 
everyone's mind is the rising cost of their utility bills.
  I choose to serve on Appropriations' Energy and Water Development and 
Related Agencies Subcommittee because I believe that energy and water 
will be two of the greatest challenges for our national security and 
economic stability in the years ahead.
  I understand the role of the Indiana State regulators, but I also 
believe that the Federal Government and this bill have a role to 
promote the availability of a variety of energy resources in order to 
drive down costs.
  The Department of Energy has a critical role in conducting research 
in energy innovation, including for wind, solar, and nuclear, and also 
to ensure that we maximize the efficiency of all of our energy sources, 
including oil, gas, and coal. More efficient energy production means 
lower prices.

                              {time}  1630

  It is deeply disappointing that this measure follows the 
administration's lead to abandon the transformational projects like the 
hydrogen hub in my district. Industry, the USW, the building trades, 
other labor organizations, along with communities throughout my 
district, were planning for and relying on massive economic development 
investments, only to see this project undermined because the Republican 
majority's tax and investment policy is now: Do not invest in our 
future but, rather, give more handouts to the privileged, wealthy, and 
few at the expense of the working class.
  Let's be clear. The Federal Government should be building, not 
blocking projects that strengthen our economy, lower costs, and create 
American jobs.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation and, 
instead, work in a bipartisan manner to promote long-term economic 
prosperity in our communities.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the hardworking and highly able distinguished 
ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the authorizing 
committee.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I thank our ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, 
for the time, but also agree with her in urging my colleagues to vote 
``no'' on this really terrible bill.
  Today, we are debating one of the worst Energy and Water 
appropriations bills I have ever seen. Usually, when you are in charge, 
they are very good, actually, but this one is terrible.
  I think it sets a dangerous precedent. It hurts our constituents by 
increasing their energy costs, just as so many are already seeing huge 
hikes to their bills. It weakens national security, and it undermines 
the critical work that the Army Corps of Engineers does to keep our 
coastal communities safe.
  Mr. Chairman, I will focus on the cuts to shore protection. 
Republicans are making a massive cut to the shore protection funding 
that allows the corps to fund beach replenishment projects in places 
like the Jersey shore in my district.
  This Republican bill woefully underfunds replenishment projects by 
hundreds of millions of dollars. Just recently, Hurricane Erin slammed 
our coasts, washing away dunes and eroding beaches, a stark reminder of 
why replenishment funding is so critical.
  Mr. Chairman, House Republicans are abandoning coastal communities at 
a time when climate change is accelerating erosion and increasing the 
risks of devastating storms.

[[Page H3798]]

  I have to stress that beach replenishment projects and shore 
protection projects aren't luxuries. They are lifelines. We don't do 
them so people can sunbathe. We do them to protect the homes, the 
businesses, and the public infrastructure.
  Towns in my district and in red and blue districts throughout our 
country alike depend on beach replenishment to prevent damage from 
coastal storms. It is that simple.
  We can't let a bunch of climate-denying Republicans in Congress 
gamble with New Jersey or other coastlines. I think about it like a 
slot machine on the Atlantic City boardwalk: We will just hope that the 
storm doesn't come, and we will be okay.
  Mr. Chairman, that is not what happens. The reality is that places 
like the Jersey shore need protection from the next big storm and 
making drastic cuts like these are simply dangerous.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Castor), who works so hard on all climate issues. I thank 
the gentlewoman so very much for speaking today.
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for 
yielding me time and thank her for everything that she does to protect 
the pocketbooks of American families.
  Mr. Chairman, American families and small business owners deserve 
lower electric bills, but Republicans in Congress are really sticking 
it to folks with higher costs at every turn, especially in this 
spending bill.
  Mr. Chairman, Representative Kaptur is right. Household electric 
costs and energy prices have risen 10 percent this year. In some 
places, they have more than doubled, driven by Trump's tariffs; new 
demand from Big Tech AI data centers; and expensive, old, polluting 
plants.
  Back home in Florida, Florida's largest utility has proposed the 
largest utility rate hike in U.S. history, amounting to $10 billion, 
that will raise Floridians' electric bills by hundreds of dollars every 
month.
  Mr. Chair, Republicans in Congress are now making it worse. Their 
big, ugly bill, which was passed in July, already is projected to crush 
working families with higher costs, and now their spending bill adds 
insult to injury by slashing home improvement weatherization savings.
  The CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Florida.
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for the 
time.
  Let's talk about how Republicans in Congress are making it worse, 
harder for families to afford the cost of living, especially when it 
comes to their electric bills. Their big, ugly bill, which was passed 
in July, already is projected to crush working families with higher 
costs.
  Mr. Chair, this spending bill adds insult to injury by slashing home 
improvement weatherization savings and taking a hatchet to cleaner, 
cheaper energy and the important initiatives to modernize the grid.
  If my colleagues care about helping their neighbors out of the 
affordability squeeze, they will vote ``no'' on the Republican spending 
bill.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Foster), who is a genius who just happens to be a Member 
of Congress, as well, so the country is twice blessed.
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Chair, I rise first with an acknowledgement that, due to the 
efforts of the ranking member and chair of the Subcommittee on Water 
and Energy Development and Related Agencies, this bill could have been 
far worse. That is not the bar that we should set for ourselves.
  I am particularly concerned about the 17 percent cut in the funding 
for the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation within NNSA.
  This cut comes on top of last year's continuing resolution, where 
this office was cut by 7 percent and was only one of a few accounts to 
see its budget reduced by that bill.
  The Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation is involved in 
critical nuclear security work, which is actively keeping us safe, from 
securing nuclear material worldwide to verifying that other countries 
and various rogue actors are not developing nuclear weapons.
  It would be nice if we lived in a world where a miraculous Golden 
Dome could keep us safe from nuclear weapons, but we do not. We depend 
on being able to detect and enforce violations of nonproliferation 
agreements.
  This bill leaves wide open opportunities for countries like Iran and 
other nefarious actors to more easily get their hands on the materials 
needed to build nuclear weapons. With tensions mounting in the Middle 
East and the internet containing significant bomb-making instructions 
which are much more accessible to terrorist groups, this is not the 
time when America can afford to step back.
  Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber), my friend.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from 
Tennessee for yielding me time.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer my support for this year's Energy 
and Water Development Appropriations Act.
  Mr. Chair, I will talk about Texas for just a minute. The Texas Gulf 
Coast boasts 23 commercial seaports, 7 of America's largest petroleum 
refineries, 3 LNG plants, and 60 percent of the Nation's strategic 
petroleum reserve.
  As the energy capital of the world, we understand the critical 
importance of this very important, very good bill. Our hardworking 
families on the Texas Gulf Coast depend on a robust energy sector, as 
do most Americans. Even other countries depend on our energy sector.
  This legislation, Mr. Chairman, will help us to continue to lead in 
producing the cleanest, most affordable oil, as well as gas. Many of 
the projects within this bill will advance many of President Trump's 
goals. It is working. He is making progress. We are making progress. 
His goal is to advance returning to an era of American energy 
independence.
  Let me repeat that. America will be, once again, energy independent.
  We will be revitalizing critical ports. We will be revitalizing the 
waterways that serve, actually, as a lifeblood for maintaining our 
dominance in the global marketplace. It is just that simple, Mr. 
Chairman.
  This great Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, let me 
tell you what it will do. It will bolster our economic strength. It 
will bolster our economic strength, which suffered the last 4 years, 
under the current administration. It will create jobs. It will create 
jobs that are much needed by Americans.
  The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Texas.

                              {time}  1640

  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chair, this is going to create jobs, not just 
for Texas but for the entire Nation.
  The gentleman across the aisle just mentioned Iran, that somehow this 
is going to help make it easier for Iran in the nuclear realm.
  I think Iran just discovered that President Donald J. Trump is 
serious when he says they will not be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. 
I think they probably figured that out by now.
  Mr. Chair, I will end by saying kudos to the Energy and Water 
appropriations bill under this committee. We appreciate the gentleman 
from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).
  Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill as we 
continue along the path of making America great once again.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Chair, this Energy and Water bill costs American households, 
undermines U.S. global leadership, and weakens national security. 
Sadly, this Republican Energy and Water bill does not meet our Nation's 
imperative for the future.
  In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. America can do 
better,

[[Page H3799]]

and we must lead in the new frontiers of energy and water. We must keep 
this country secure. Our Nation's future depends on all of these.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member and the Members who have spoken 
on this bill.
  In closing, I urge strong support of this great bill. This bill helps 
all of America regain energy dominance. It fulfills the great agenda 
that President Trump has set out not only for nuclear but for energy. 
It is a bill that helps all Americans with community projects for both 
Republican and Democratic districts. It reaches out and does great 
things for energy, for water, for the Bureau of Reclamation, and I urge 
my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I want to thank all of the Energy and Water 
appropriations subcommittee staff for their hard work, in particular 
Scott McKee, Anisha Singh, and Adam Wilson.
  I am opposed to this bill. Not only will it raise energy costs for 
American households and businesses, hurt our competitiveness, 
jeopardize our energy independence and weaken our national security, we 
are holding this debate weeks before the end of the fiscal year, with 
no path forward to prevent a shutdown and Congress's authority being 
attacked by unchecked Office of Management and Budget Director Russ 
Vought and a lawless Administration.
  Since taking office, the Trump Administration has stolen resources, 
appropriated by this committee, for programs and services across the 
federal government that help to grow the middle class, protect the 
working class, support small businesses, and make sure billionaires and 
corporations play by the rules and pay their fair share.
  The cost-of-living crisis is felt by every American family--middle 
class families, working families, rural families, seniors and other 
vulnerable Americans. But the president is not laser focused on the 
cost of-living crisis.
  President Trump has attacked and destroyed programs created by 
Congress and funded by the Appropriations Committee that protect our 
national security and help increase domestic energy production. They 
are substituting Congress' decisions and judgment with their own, 
turning Article I of the Constitution on its head.
  These cuts are not only felt in Washington, D.C. They affect all of 
our constituents.
  Just a few months ago, states across New England, including my state 
of Connecticut, were ready to begin an ambitious and collaborative 
effort to increase energy transmission capacity across our region, to 
build resiliency and lower energy bills.
  Nearly $400 million was going to be invested through the Department 
of Energy's Grid Innovation Program to provide onshore connections for 
offshore wind power, improve the electric grid, and install energy 
storage through a project called Power Up New England.
  But the President's Day One executive order abruptly halted offshore 
wind energy projects in their tracks, and the Department of Energy 
froze Power Up New England's grant. That project was expected to bring 
enough energy online to power about 2 million homes, and reduce energy 
costs for customers by up to $1.5 billion per year.
  Energy demand is higher than ever and only increasing. Cheap, 
reliable energy is key to affordability. The future lies with low-cost 
wind and solar, not more expensive oil, gas, and coal. We have to 
increase energy supply or costs will continue to rise for the American 
people--and we will be dependent on importing energy to meet our goals.
  Instead of focusing on ways to help lower energy costs, House 
Republicans are using this bill to further gut critical federal 
resources and advance their own ideological agenda.
  Their cut of nearly half the budget for Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy is a direct attack on the programs that lower energy 
bills for working families, create good-paying jobs in our communities, 
and keep America competitive.
  This bill revokes funding that supports hydrogen energy, batten, 
recycling, and energy improvements in public schools, as well as 
support for public-private clean energy projects.
  Their bill undermines the very programs that help us stop the spread 
of nuclear weapons, detect nuclear activity, and uphold arms control 
efforts that make America and the world safer--and it underfunds 
efforts to clean up sites contaminated by our Nation's early atomic 
energy program.
  All of this after Republicans passed the Big Ugly Bill, a law that 
gives massive tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations 
while driving up home energy bills for families by as much as 30 
percent.
  I cannot support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote NO. 
Instead of working with Democrats to lower prices and invest in 
technology that promotes our energy independence, House Republicans are 
pushing a bill that raises energy costs for families and businesses, 
and eliminates good-paying jobs.
  The CHAIR. All time for general debate is expired. Pursuant to the 
rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the 5-minute 
rule.
  The bill shall be considered as read.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4553

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the 
     Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for energy and water 
     development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, namely:

                                TITLE I

                       CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL

                         DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

                       Corps of Engineers--Civil

       The following appropriations shall be expended under the 
     direction of the Secretary of the Army and the supervision of 
     the Chief of Engineers for authorized civil functions of the 
     Department of the Army pertaining to river and harbor, flood 
     and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic 
     ecosystem restoration, and related efforts.

                             investigations

       For expenses necessary where authorized by law for the 
     collection and study of basic information pertaining to river 
     and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore 
     protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related needs; 
     for surveys and detailed studies, and plans and 
     specifications of proposed river and harbor, flood and storm 
     damage reduction, shore protection, and aquatic ecosystem 
     restoration projects, and related efforts prior to 
     construction; for restudy of authorized projects; and for 
     miscellaneous investigations, and, when authorized by law, 
     surveys and detailed studies, and plans and specifications of 
     projects prior to construction, $200,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended:  Provided, That the Secretary shall 
     not deviate from the work plan, once the plan has been 
     submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses 
     of Congress.

                              construction

       For expenses necessary for the construction of river and 
     harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, 
     aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related projects 
     authorized by law; for conducting detailed studies, and plans 
     and specifications, of such projects (including those 
     involving participation by States, local governments, or 
     private groups) authorized or made eligible for selection by 
     law (but such detailed studies, and plans and specifications, 
     shall not constitute a commitment of the Government to 
     construction); $2,555,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended; of which $84,883,000, to be derived from the Harbor 
     Maintenance Trust Fund, shall be to cover the Federal share 
     of construction costs for facilities under the Dredged 
     Material Disposal Facilities program; and of which such sums 
     as are necessary to cover 25 percent of the costs of 
     construction, replacement, rehabilitation, and expansion of 
     inland waterways projects shall be derived from the Inland 
     Waterways Trust Fund, except as otherwise specifically 
     provided for in law:  Provided, That the Secretary shall not 
     deviate from the work plan, once the plan has been submitted 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress.

                   mississippi river and tributaries

       For expenses necessary for flood damage reduction projects 
     and related efforts in the Mississippi River alluvial valley 
     below Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as authorized by law, 
     $490,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which 
     $6,705,000, to be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust 
     Fund, shall be to cover the Federal share of eligible 
     operation and maintenance costs for inland harbors:  
     Provided, That the Secretary shall not deviate from the work 
     plan, once the plan has been submitted to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

                       operation and maintenance

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For expenses necessary for the operation, maintenance, and 
     care of existing river and harbor, flood and storm damage 
     reduction, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and related 
     projects authorized by law; providing security for 
     infrastructure owned or operated by the Corps, including 
     administrative buildings and laboratories; maintaining harbor 
     channels provided by a State, municipality, or other public 
     agency that serve essential navigation needs of general 
     commerce, where authorized by law; surveying and charting 
     northern and northwestern lakes and connecting waters; 
     clearing and straightening channels; and removing 
     obstructions to navigation, $6,140,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended, of which $3,381,412,000, to be 
     derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, shall be to 
     cover the Federal share of eligible operations and

[[Page H3800]]

     maintenance costs for coastal harbors and channels, and for 
     inland harbors, of which $40,000,000, shall be for the design 
     and construction to replace Federal dredges, in addition to 
     amounts otherwise made available for such purposes in the 
     revolving fund established by the first section of the Act of 
     July 27, 1953 (33 U.S.C. 576); of which such sums as may be 
     necessary shall be derived from amounts collected in this or 
     prior fiscal years under section 210 of the Flood Control Act 
     of 1968 (16 U.S.C. 460d-3) and are not otherwise appropriated 
     shall be for resource protection, research, interpretation, 
     and maintenance activities related to resource protection in 
     the areas at which outdoor recreation is available; of which 
     such sums as become available from fees collected under 
     section 217 of Public Law 104-303 shall be used to cover the 
     cost of operation and maintenance of the dredged material 
     disposal facilities for which such fees have been collected; 
     and of which $62,000,000, to be derived from the general fund 
     of the Treasury, shall be to carry out subsection (c) of 
     section 2106 of the Water Resources Reform and Development 
     Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 2238c) and shall be designated as 
     being for such purpose pursuant to paragraph (2) of section 
     14003 of division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
     Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136):  Provided, That 1 
     percent of the total amount of funds provided for each of the 
     programs, projects, or activities funded under this heading 
     shall not be allocated to a field operating activity prior to 
     the beginning of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year and 
     shall be available for use by the Chief of Engineers to fund 
     such emergency activities as the Chief of Engineers 
     determines to be necessary and appropriate, and that the 
     Chief of Engineers shall allocate during the fourth quarter 
     any remaining funds which have not been used for emergency 
     activities proportionally in accordance with the amounts 
     provided for the programs, projects, or activities:  Provided 
     further, That the Secretary shall not deviate from the work 
     plan, once the plan has been submitted to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

                           regulatory program

       For expenses necessary for administration of laws 
     pertaining to regulation of navigable waters and wetlands, 
     $221,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2027.

                 flood control and coastal emergencies

       For expenses necessary to prepare for flood, hurricane, and 
     other natural disasters and support emergency operations, 
     repairs, and other activities in response to such disasters 
     as authorized by law, $40,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended.

                                expenses

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For expenses necessary for the supervision and general 
     administration of the civil works program in the headquarters 
     of the Corps of Engineers and the offices of the Division 
     Engineers; and for costs of management and operation of the 
     Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, the Institute for 
     Water Resources, the United States Army Engineer Research and 
     Development Center, and the United States Army Corps of 
     Engineers Finance Center allocable to the civil works 
     program, $226,000,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2027, of which not to exceed $5,000 may be used for 
     official reception and representation purposes and only 
     during the current fiscal year; of which $10,000,000, shall 
     be for the design and construction to replace Federal 
     dredges, in addition to amounts otherwise made available for 
     such purposes, and shall be transferred to and merged with 
     funds available for such purposes in the revolving fund 
     established by the first section of the Act of July 27, 1953 
     (33 U.S.C. 576):  Provided, That no part of any other 
     appropriation provided in this title shall be available to 
     fund the civil works activities of the Office of the Chief of 
     Engineers or the civil works executive direction and 
     management activities of the division offices:  Provided 
     further, That any Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies 
     appropriation may be used to fund the supervision and general 
     administration of emergency operations, repairs, and other 
     activities in response to any flood, hurricane, or other 
     natural disaster.

     office of the assistant secretary of the army for civil works

       For the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for 
     Civil Works as authorized by 10 U.S.C. 7016(b)(3), 
     $6,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2027:  
     Provided, That not more than 75 percent of such amount may be 
     obligated or expended until the Assistant Secretary submits 
     to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress the report required under section 101(d) of this Act 
     and a work plan that allocates at least 95 percent of the 
     additional funding provided under each heading in the report 
     accompanying this Act, to specific programs, projects, or 
     activities.

      water infrastructure finance and innovation program account

        For administrative expenses to carry out the direct and 
     guaranteed loan programs, notwithstanding section 5033 of the 
     Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, 
     $5,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2027.
       In addition, fees authorized to be collected pursuant to 
     sections 5029 and 5030 of the Water Infrastructure Finance 
     and Innovation Act of 2014 shall be deposited in this 
     account, to remain available until expended.

             GENERAL PROVISIONS--CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL

                     (including transfer of funds)

       Sec. 101. (a) None of the funds provided in title I of this 
     Act, or provided by previous appropriations Acts to the 
     agencies or entities funded in title I of this Act that 
     remain available for obligation or expenditure in fiscal year 
     2026, shall be available for obligation or expenditure 
     through a reprogramming of funds that:
       (1) creates or initiates a new program, project, or 
     activity;
       (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
       (3) increases funds or personnel for any program, project, 
     or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by 
     this Act, unless prior approval is received from the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
       (4) proposes to use funds directed for a specific activity 
     for a different purpose, unless prior approval is received 
     from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress;
       (5) augments or reduces existing programs, projects, or 
     activities in excess of the amounts contained in paragraphs 
     (6) through (10), unless prior approval is received from the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
       (6) Investigations.--For a base level over $100,000, 
     reprogramming of 25 percent of the base amount up to a limit 
     of $150,000 per project, study or activity is allowed:  
     Provided, That for a base level less than $100,000, the 
     reprogramming limit is $25,000:  Provided further, That up to 
     $25,000 may be reprogrammed into any continuing study or 
     activity that did not receive an appropriation for existing 
     obligations and concomitant administrative expenses;
       (7) Construction.--For a base level over $2,000,000, 
     reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up to a limit 
     of $3,000,000 per project, study or activity is allowed:  
     Provided, That for a base level less than $2,000,000, the 
     reprogramming limit is $300,000:  Provided further, That up 
     to $3,000,000 may be reprogrammed for settled contractor 
     claims, changed conditions, or real estate deficiency 
     judgments:  Provided further, That up to $300,000 may be 
     reprogrammed into any continuing study or activity that did 
     not receive an appropriation for existing obligations and 
     concomitant administrative expenses;
       (8) Operation and maintenance.--Unlimited reprogramming 
     authority is granted for the Corps to be able to respond to 
     emergencies:  Provided, That the Chief of Engineers shall 
     notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress of these emergency actions as soon thereafter as 
     practicable:  Provided further, That for a base level over 
     $1,000,000, reprogramming of 15 percent of the base amount up 
     to a limit of $5,000,000 per project, study, or activity is 
     allowed:  Provided further, That for a base level less than 
     $1,000,000, the reprogramming limit is $150,000:  Provided 
     further, That $150,000 may be reprogrammed into any 
     continuing study or activity that did not receive an 
     appropriation;
       (9) Mississippi river and tributaries.--The reprogramming 
     guidelines in paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) shall apply to the 
     Investigations, Construction, and Operation and Maintenance 
     portions of the Mississippi River and Tributaries Account, 
     respectively; and
       (10) Formerly utilized sites remedial action program.--
     Reprogramming of up to 15 percent of the base of the 
     receiving project is permitted.
       (b) De Minimus Reprogrammings.--In no case should a 
     reprogramming for less than $50,000 be submitted to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
       (c) Continuing Authorities Program.--Subsection (a)(1) 
     shall not apply to any project or activity funded under the 
     continuing authorities program.
       (d) Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress to 
     establish the baseline for application of reprogramming and 
     transfer authorities for the current fiscal year which shall 
     include:
       (1) A table for each appropriation with a separate column 
     to display the President's budget request, adjustments made 
     by Congress, adjustments due to enacted rescissions, if 
     applicable, and the fiscal year enacted level;
       (2) A delineation in the table for each appropriation both 
     by object class and program, project and activity as detailed 
     in the budget appendix for the respective appropriations; and
       (3) An identification of items of special congressional 
     interest.
       Sec. 102.  The Secretary shall allocate funds made 
     available in this Act solely in accordance with the 
     provisions of this Act and in the report accompanying this 
     Act, including the determination and designation of new 
     starts.
       Sec. 103.  None of the funds made available in this title 
     may be used to award or modify any contract that commits 
     funds beyond the amounts appropriated for that program, 
     project, or activity that remain unobligated, except that 
     such amounts may include any funds that have been made 
     available through reprogramming pursuant to section 101.
       Sec. 104.  The Secretary of the Army may transfer to the 
     Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service 
     may accept and

[[Page H3801]]

     expend, up to $8,733,000 of funds provided in this title 
     under the heading ``Operation and Maintenance'' to mitigate 
     for fisheries lost due to Corps of Engineers projects.
       Sec. 105.  None of the funds in this Act shall be used for 
     an open lake placement alternative for dredged material, 
     after evaluating the least costly, environmentally acceptable 
     manner for the disposal or management of dredged material 
     originating from Lake Erie or tributaries thereto, unless it 
     is approved under a State water quality certification 
     pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Water Pollution 
     Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1341):  Provided, That until an open 
     lake placement alternative for dredged material is approved 
     under a State water quality certification, the Corps of 
     Engineers shall continue upland placement of such dredged 
     material consistent with the requirements of section 101 of 
     the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2211).
       Sec. 106.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used to carry out any water supply reallocation study 
     under the Wolf Creek Dam, Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, project 
     authorized under the Act of July 24, 1946 (60 Stat. 636, ch. 
     595).
       Sec. 107.  Additional funding provided in this Act shall be 
     allocated only to projects determined to be eligible by the 
     Chief of Engineers.
       Sec. 108.  As of the date of enactment of this Act and each 
     fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of the Army shall not 
     promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an 
     individual from possessing a firearm, including an assembled 
     or functional firearm, at a water resources development 
     project covered under section 327.0 of title 36, Code of 
     Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of 
     this Act) if:
       (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from 
     possessing a firearm; and
       (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the 
     law of the State in which the water resources development 
     project is located.
       Sec. 109.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used to implement or enforce section 370 of Public Law 
     116-283 with respect to civil works projects.

                                TITLE II

                       DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

                          Central Utah Project

                central utah project completion account

       For carrying out activities authorized by the Central Utah 
     Project Completion Act, $23,000,000, to remain available 
     until expended, of which $4,000,000 shall be deposited into 
     the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Account for 
     use by the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation 
     Commission:  Provided, That of the amount provided under this 
     heading, $1,950,000 shall be available until September 30, 
     2027, for expenses necessary in carrying out related 
     responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior:  Provided 
     further, That for fiscal year 2026, of the amount made 
     available to the Commission under this Act or any other Act, 
     the Commission may use an amount not to exceed $2,186,000 for 
     administrative expenses.

                         Bureau of Reclamation

       The following appropriations shall be expended to execute 
     authorized functions of the Bureau of Reclamation:

                      water and related resources

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For management, development, and restoration of water and 
     related natural resources and for related activities, 
     including the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of 
     reclamation and other facilities, participation in fulfilling 
     related Federal responsibilities to Native Americans, and 
     related grants to, and cooperative and other agreements with, 
     State and local governments, federally recognized Indian 
     Tribes, and others, $1,710,630,000, to remain available until 
     expended, of which $23,899,000 shall be available for 
     transfer to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund and 
     $7,679,000 shall be available for transfer to the Lower 
     Colorado River Basin Development Fund; of which such amounts 
     as may be necessary may be advanced to the Colorado River Dam 
     Fund:  Provided, That such transfers, may be increased or 
     decreased within the overall appropriation under this 
     heading:  Provided further, That of the total appropriated, 
     the amount for program activities that can be financed by the 
     Reclamation Fund, the Water Storage Enhancement Receipts 
     account established by section 4011(e) of Public Law 114-322, 
     or the Bureau of Reclamation special fee account established 
     by 16 U.S.C. 6806 shall be derived from that Fund or account: 
      Provided further, That funds contributed under 43 U.S.C. 395 
     are available until expended for the purposes for which the 
     funds were contributed:  Provided further, That funds 
     advanced under 43 U.S.C. 397a shall be credited to this 
     account and are available until expended for the same 
     purposes as the sums appropriated under this heading:  
     Provided further, That of the amounts made available under 
     this heading, $3,237,000 shall be deposited in the San 
     Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund established by section 110 of 
     title I of division B of appendix D of Public Law 106-554.

                central valley project restoration fund

       For carrying out the programs, projects, plans, habitat 
     restoration, improvement, and acquisition provisions of the 
     Central Valley Project Improvement Act, such sums as may be 
     collected in fiscal year 2026 in the Central Valley Project 
     Restoration Fund pursuant to sections 3407(d), 3404(c)(3), 
     and 3405(f) of Public Law 102-575, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That the Bureau of Reclamation is 
     directed to assess and collect the full amount of the 
     additional mitigation and restoration payments authorized by 
     section 3407(d) of Public Law 102-575:  Provided further, 
     That none of the funds made available under this heading may 
     be used for the acquisition or leasing of water for in-stream 
     purposes if the water is already committed to in-stream 
     purposes by a court adopted decree or order.

                    california bay-delta restoration

                     (including transfers of funds)

       For carrying out activities authorized by the Water Supply, 
     Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act, consistent 
     with plans to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior, 
     $32,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which 
     such amounts as may be necessary to carry out such activities 
     may be transferred to appropriate accounts of other 
     participating Federal agencies to carry out authorized 
     purposes:  Provided, That funds appropriated herein may be 
     used for the Federal share of the costs of CALFED Program 
     management:  Provided further, That CALFED implementation 
     shall be carried out in a balanced manner with clear 
     performance measures demonstrating concurrent progress in 
     achieving the goals and objectives of the Program.

                       policy and administration

       For expenses necessary for policy, administration, and 
     related functions in the Office of the Commissioner, the 
     Denver office, and offices in the six regions of the Bureau 
     of Reclamation, to remain available until September 30, 2027, 
     $64,000,000, to be derived from the Reclamation Fund and be 
     nonreimbursable as provided in 43 U.S.C. 377, of which not to 
     exceed $5,000 may be used for official reception and 
     representation expenses:  Provided, That no part of any other 
     appropriation in this Act shall be available for activities 
     or functions budgeted as policy and administration expenses.

                        administrative provision

       Appropriations for the Bureau of Reclamation shall be 
     available for purchase and replacement of not to exceed 30 
     motor vehicles, which are for replacement only.

             GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

       Sec. 201. (a) None of the funds provided in title II of 
     this Act for Water and Related Resources, or provided by 
     previous or subsequent appropriations Acts to the agencies or 
     entities funded in title II of this Act for Water and Related 
     Resources that remain available for obligation or expenditure 
     in fiscal year 2026, shall be available for obligation or 
     expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that--
       (1) initiates or creates a new program, project, or 
     activity;
       (2) eliminates a program, project, or activity;
       (3) increases funds for any program, project, or activity 
     for which funds have been denied or restricted by this Act, 
     unless prior approval is received from the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress;
       (4) restarts or resumes any program, project or activity 
     for which funds are not provided in this Act, unless prior 
     approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress;
       (5) transfers funds in excess of the following limits, 
     unless prior approval is received from the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress:
       (A) 15 percent for any program, project or activity for 
     which $2,000,000 or more is available at the beginning of the 
     fiscal year; or
       (B) $400,000 for any program, project or activity for which 
     less than $2,000,000 is available at the beginning of the 
     fiscal year;
       (6) transfers more than $500,000 from either the Facilities 
     Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation category or the 
     Resources Management and Development category to any program, 
     project, or activity in the other category, unless prior 
     approval is received from the Committees on Appropriations of 
     both Houses of Congress; or
       (7) transfers, where necessary to discharge legal 
     obligations of the Bureau of Reclamation, more than 
     $5,000,000 to provide adequate funds for settled contractor 
     claims, increased contractor earnings due to accelerated 
     rates of operations, and real estate deficiency judgments, 
     unless prior approval is received from the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.
       (b) Subsection (a)(5) shall not apply to any transfer of 
     funds within the Facilities Operation, Maintenance, and 
     Rehabilitation category.
       (c) For purposes of this section, the term ``transfer'' 
     means any movement of funds into or out of a program, 
     project, or activity.
       (d) Except as provided in subsections (a) and (b), the 
     amounts made available in this title under the heading 
     ``Bureau of Reclamation--Water and Related Resources'' shall 
     be expended for the programs, projects, and activities 
     specified in the ``House Recommended'' columns in the ``Water 
     and Related Resources'' table included under the heading 
     ``Title II--Department of the Interior'' in the report 
     accompanying this Act.
       (e) The Bureau of Reclamation shall submit reports on a 
     quarterly basis to the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of

[[Page H3802]]

     Congress detailing all the funds reprogrammed between 
     programs, projects, activities, or categories of funding. The 
     first quarterly report shall be submitted not later than 60 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act.
       Sec. 202. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise 
     made available by this Act may be used to determine the final 
     point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis 
     Unit until development by the Secretary of the Interior and 
     the State of California of a plan, which shall conform to the 
     water quality standards of the State of California as 
     approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis 
     drainage waters.
       (b) The costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program 
     and the costs of the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program 
     shall be classified by the Secretary of the Interior as 
     reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully 
     repaid pursuant to the ``Cleanup Program--Alternative 
     Repayment Plan'' and the ``SJVDP--Alternative Repayment 
     Plan'' described in the report entitled ``Repayment Report, 
     Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and San Joaquin Valley 
     Drainage Program, February 1995'', prepared by the Department 
     of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. Any future 
     obligations of funds by the United States relating to, or 
     providing for, drainage service or drainage studies for the 
     San Luis Unit shall be fully reimbursable by San Luis Unit 
     beneficiaries of such service or studies pursuant to Federal 
     reclamation law.
       Sec. 203. (a) Title III of subtitle J of the Water 
     Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Public Law 
     114-322) is amended--
       (1) In section 4007(i), by striking ``2021'' and inserting 
     ``2027''; and
       (2) In section 4013--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by deleting ``section 4004, which 
     shall expire 10 years after the date of its enactment'' and 
     inserting ``section 4004, which shall expire on December 16, 
     2034''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``on or before December 
     16, 2026'' after ``4009(c)''.
       (b) Section 1602(g)(1) of the Reclamation Wastewater and 
     Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h) is 
     amended by striking ``$50,000,000'' and inserting 
     ``$177,500,000''.
       (c) Section 4(a)(2)(F)(i) of the Water Desalination Act of 
     1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note; Public Law 104-298) is amended by 
     striking ``$30,000,000'' and inserting ``$106,500,000''.
       Sec. 204.  Section 9504(e) of the Omnibus Public Land 
     Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364(e)) is amended by 
     striking ``$920,000,000'' and inserting ``$1,000,000,000''.
       Sec. 205. (a) Title I of Public Law 108-361 (the Calfed 
     Bay-Delta Authorization Act) (118 Stat. 1681), as amended by 
     section 204 of division D of Public Law 117-103, shall be 
     applied by substituting ``2026'' for ``2022'' each place it 
     appears.
       (b) Section 103(f)(4)(A) of Public Law 108-361 (the Calfed 
     Bay-Delta Authorization Act) is amended by striking 
     ``$30,000,000'' and inserting ``$35,000,000''.
       Sec. 206.  Section 9106(g)(2) of Public Law 111-11 (Omnibus 
     Public Land Management Act of 2009) shall be applied by 
     substituting ``2026'' for ``2022''.
       Sec. 207.  Section 301 of the Reclamation States Emergency 
     Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2241) shall be applied 
     by substituting ``$130,000,000'' for ``$120,000,000''
       Sec. 208.  Section 10609(a) of the Northwestern New Mexico 
     Rural Water Projects Act (subtitle B of title X of Public Law 
     111-11) shall be applied by substituting ``$1,815,000,000'' 
     for ``$870,000,000'' and ``2026'' for ``2024''.

                               TITLE III

                          DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

                            ENERGY PROGRAMS

                 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

       For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, 
     and other expenses necessary for energy efficiency and 
     renewable energy activities in carrying out the purposes of 
     the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et 
     seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real 
     property or any facility or for plant or facility 
     acquisition, construction, or expansion, $1,830,000,000, to 
     remain available until expended:  Provided, That of such 
     amount, $223,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 
     2027, for program direction.

         Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response

       For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, 
     and other expenses necessary for energy sector cybersecurity, 
     energy security, and emergency response activities in 
     carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the 
     acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any 
     facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, 
     or expansion, $200,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That of such amount, $28,000,000 shall 
     be available until September 30, 2027, for program direction.

                              Electricity

       For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, 
     and other expenses necessary for electricity activities in 
     carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the 
     acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any 
     facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, 
     or expansion, $225,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That of such amount, $19,700,000 shall 
     be available until September 30, 2027, for program direction: 
      Provided further, That funds under this heading allocated 
     for the purposes of section 9 of the Small Business Act, as 
     amended (15 U.S.C. 638), including for Small Business 
     Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer 
     activities, or for the purposes of section 1001 of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 2005, as amended (42 U.S.C. 16391(a)), for 
     Technology Commercialization Fund activities, may be 
     reprogrammed without being subject to the restrictions in 
     section 301 of this Act.

                            Grid Deployment

       For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, 
     and other expenses necessary for grid deployment in carrying 
     out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 7191 et seq.), including the acquisition or 
     condemnation of any real property or any facility or for 
     plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, 
     $25,000,000, to remain available until expended:  Provided, 
     That of such amount, $6,000,000 shall be available until 
     September 30, 2027, for program direction.

                             Nuclear Energy

       For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, 
     and other expenses necessary for nuclear energy activities in 
     carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the 
     acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any 
     facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, 
     or expansion, $1,795,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That of such amount, $88,000,000 shall 
     be available until September 30, 2027, for program direction: 
      Provided further, That for the purpose of section 954(a)(7) 
     of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as amended, the only amount 
     available shall be from the amount specified as including 
     that purpose in the ``Bill'' column in the ``Department of 
     Energy'' table included under the heading ``Title III--
     Department of Energy'' in the report accompanying this Act.

                             Fossil Energy

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out 
     fossil energy research and development activities, under the 
     authority of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 
     U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition of interest, 
     including defeasible and equitable interests in any real 
     property or any facility or for plant or facility acquisition 
     or expansion, and for conducting inquiries, technological 
     investigations and research concerning the extraction, 
     processing, use, and disposal of mineral substances without 
     objectionable social and environmental costs (30 U.S.C. 3, 
     1602, and 1603), $687,500,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That of such amount $70,000,000 shall be 
     available until September 30, 2027, for program direction.

                 Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary to carry out 
     naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities, 
     $13,000,000, to remain available until expended:  Provided, 
     That notwithstanding any other provision of law, unobligated 
     funds remaining from prior years shall be available for all 
     naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities.

                      Strategic Petroleum Reserve

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary for Strategic 
     Petroleum Reserve facility development and operations and 
     program management activities pursuant to the Energy Policy 
     and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), $294,628,000, 
     to remain available until expended.

                         SPR Petroleum Account

       For the acquisition, transportation, and injection of 
     petroleum products, and for other necessary expenses pursuant 
     to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended 
     (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), sections 403 and 404 of the 
     Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6241, 6239 note), 
     section 32204 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 6241 note), and section 30204 of the 
     Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 6241 note), 
     $100,000, to remain available until expended.

                   Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary for Northeast 
     Home Heating Oil Reserve storage, operation, and management 
     activities pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), $7,150,000, to remain available 
     until expended.

                   Energy Information Administration

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out 
     the activities of the Energy Information Administration, 
     $135,000,000, to remain available until expended.

                   Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup

       For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment 
     and other expenses necessary for non-defense environmental 
     cleanup activities in carrying

[[Page H3803]]

     out the purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the acquisition or 
     condemnation of any real property or any facility or for 
     plant or facility acquisition, construction, or expansion, 
     $337,700,000, to remain available until expended:  Provided, 
     That in addition, fees collected pursuant to subsection 
     (b)(1) of section 5 of the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 (42 
     U.S.C. 6939f(b)(1)), and deposited under this heading in 
     fiscal year 2026 pursuant to section 309 of title III of 
     division C of Public Law 116-94 are appropriated, to remain 
     available until expended, for mercury storage costs.

      Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out 
     uranium enrichment facility decontamination and 
     decommissioning, remedial actions, and other activities of 
     title II of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and title X, 
     subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, $844,380,000, 
     to be deposited into and subsequently derived from the 
     Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund, 
     to remain available until expended, of which $0 shall be 
     available in accordance with title X, subtitle A, of the 
     Energy Policy Act of 1992.

                                Science

       For Department of Energy expenses including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment, 
     and other expenses necessary for science activities in 
     carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the 
     acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any 
     facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, 
     or expansion, and purchase of not more than 35 passenger 
     motor vehicles, $8,400,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That of such amount, $226,831,000 shall 
     be available until September 30, 2027, for program direction.

                         Nuclear Waste Disposal

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary for nuclear 
     waste disposal activities to carry out the purposes of the 
     Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, Public Law 97-425, as 
     amended, $12,040,000, to remain available until expended, 
     which shall be derived from the Nuclear Waste Fund.

               Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary in carrying out 
     the activities authorized by section 5012 of the America 
     COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69), $350,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended:  Provided, That of such amount, 
     $40,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 2027, for 
     program direction.

         Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program

       Such sums as are derived from amounts received from 
     borrowers pursuant to section 1702(b) of the Energy Policy 
     Act of 2005 under this heading in prior Acts, shall be 
     collected in accordance with section 502(7) of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974:  Provided, That for 
     necessary administrative expenses of the Title 17 Innovative 
     Technology Loan Guarantee Program, as authorized, $35,000,000 
     is appropriated, to remain available until September 30, 
     2027:  Provided further, That up to $35,000,000 of fees 
     collected in fiscal year 2026 pursuant to section 1702(h) of 
     the Energy Policy Act of 2005 shall be credited as offsetting 
     collections under this heading and used for necessary 
     administrative expenses in this appropriation and shall 
     remain available until September 30, 2027:  Provided further, 
     That to the extent that fees collected in fiscal year 2026 
     exceed $35,000,000, those excess amounts shall be credited as 
     offsetting collections under this heading and available in 
     future fiscal years only to the extent provided in advance in 
     appropriations Acts:  Provided further, That the sum herein 
     appropriated from the general fund shall be reduced (1) as 
     such fees are received during fiscal year 2026 (estimated at 
     $70,000,000) and (2) to the extent that any remaining general 
     fund appropriations can be derived from fees collected in 
     previous fiscal years that are not otherwise appropriated, so 
     as to result in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation from 
     the general fund estimated at $0:  Provided further, That for 
     the cost of loan guarantees for the construction of small 
     modular reactors or advanced nuclear reactors eligible under 
     section 1703(b)(4) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
     U.S.C. 16513(b)(4)), $150,000,000 is appropriated, to remain 
     available until expended:  Provided further, That the 
     Department of Energy shall not subordinate any loan 
     obligation to other financing in violation of section 1702 of 
     the Energy Policy Act of 2005 or subordinate any Guaranteed 
     Obligation to any loan or other debt obligations in violation 
     of section 609.8 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations:  
     Provided further, That the amounts provided under this 
     paragraph are in addition to those provided in any other Act: 
      Provided further, That for amounts collected pursuant to 
     section 1702(b)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the 
     source of such payment received from borrowers may not be a 
     loan or other debt obligation that is guaranteed by the 
     Federal Government:  Provided further, That none of such loan 
     guarantee authority made available under this paragraph shall 
     be available for commitments to guarantee loans for any 
     projects where funds, personnel, or property (tangible or 
     intangible) of any Federal agency, instrumentality, 
     personnel, or affiliated entity are expected be used 
     (directly or indirectly) through acquisitions, contracts, 
     demonstrations, exchanges, grants, incentives, leases, 
     procurements, sales, other transaction authority, or other 
     arrangements, to support the project or to obtain goods or 
     services from the project:  Provided further,  That the 
     preceding proviso shall not be interpreted as precluding the 
     use of the loan guarantee authority provided under this 
     paragraph for commitments to guarantee loans for:
       (1) projects as a result of such projects benefitting from 
     otherwise allowable Federal income tax benefits;
       (2) projects as a result of such projects benefitting from 
     being located on Federal land pursuant to a lease or right 
     of-way agreement for which all consideration for all uses is:
       (A) paid exclusively in cash;
       (B) deposited in the Treasury as offsetting receipts; and
       (C) equal to the fair market value as determined by the 
     head of the relevant agency;
       (3) projects as a result of such projects benefitting from 
     Federal insurance programs, including under section 170 of 
     the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210; commonly known 
     as the ``Price-Anderson Act''); or
       (4) electric generation projects using transmission 
     facilities owned or operated by a Federal Power Marketing 
     Administration or the Tennessee Valley Authority that have 
     been authorized, approved, and financed independent of the 
     project receiving the guarantee:
       Provided further, That none of the loan guarantee authority 
     made available under this heading shall be available for any 
     project unless the Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget has certified in advance in writing that the loan 
     guarantee and the project comply with the provisions under 
     this heading.

        Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program

       For Department of Energy administrative expenses necessary 
     in carrying out the Advanced Technology Vehicles 
     Manufacturing Loan Program, $13,000,000, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2027.

                  Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program

       For Department of Energy administrative expenses necessary 
     in carrying out the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program, 
     $6,300,000, to remain available until September 30, 2027.

                   Indian Energy Policy and Programs

       For necessary expenses for Indian Energy activities in 
     carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), $75,000,000, to 
     remain available until expended:  Provided, That of the 
     amount appropriated under this heading, $14,000,000 shall be 
     available until September 30, 2027, for program direction.

                      Departmental Administration

       For salaries and expenses of the Department of Energy 
     necessary for departmental administration in carrying out the 
     purposes of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 
     U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), $304,653,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2027, including the hire of passenger motor 
     vehicles and official reception and representation expenses 
     not to exceed $30,000, plus such additional amounts as 
     necessary to cover increases in the estimated amount of cost 
     of work for others notwithstanding the provisions of the 
     Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1511 et seq.):  Provided, That 
     such increases in cost of work are offset by revenue 
     increases of the same or greater amount:  Provided further, 
     That moneys received by the Department for miscellaneous 
     revenues estimated to total $100,578,000 in fiscal year 2026 
     may be retained and used for operating expenses within this 
     account, as authorized by section 201 of Public Law 95-238, 
     notwithstanding the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 3302:  Provided 
     further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced as 
     collections are received during the fiscal year so as to 
     result in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation from the 
     general fund estimated at not more than $204,075,000.

                    Office of the Inspector General

       For expenses necessary for the Office of the Inspector 
     General in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector 
     General Act of 1978, $90,000,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2027.

                    ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

                NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

                           Weapons Activities

       For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment 
     and other incidental expenses necessary for atomic energy 
     defense weapons activities in carrying out the purposes of 
     the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et 
     seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any real 
     property or any facility or for plant or facility 
     acquisition, construction, or expansion, $20,661,993,000, to 
     remain available until expended:  Provided, That of such 
     amount, $149,244,000 shall be available until September 30, 
     2027, for program direction.

                    Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation

                    (including rescission of funds)

       For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment 
     and other incidental expenses necessary for defense nuclear 
     nonproliferation activities, in carrying out the purposes of 
     the Department

[[Page H3804]]

     of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), 
     including the acquisition or condemnation of any real 
     property or any facility or for plant or facility 
     acquisition, construction, or expansion, $1,993,060,000, to 
     remain available until expended:  Provided,  That of the 
     unobligated balances from prior year appropriations available 
     under this heading $9,422,000 is hereby rescinded.

                             Naval Reactors

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For Department of Energy expenses necessary for naval 
     reactors activities to carry out the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the 
     acquisition (by purchase, condemnation, construction, or 
     otherwise) of real property, plant, and capital equipment, 
     facilities, and facility expansion, $2,171,023,000, to remain 
     available until expended, of which, $96,740,000 shall be 
     transferred to ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--
     Nuclear Energy'', for the Advanced Test Reactor:  Provided, 
     That of such amount made available under this heading, 
     $61,540,000 shall be available until September 30, 2027, for 
     program direction.

                     Federal Salaries and Expenses

       For expenses necessary for Federal Salaries and Expenses in 
     the National Nuclear Security Administration, $500,000,000, 
     to remain available until September 30, 2027, including 
     official reception and representation expenses not to exceed 
     $17,000.

               ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

                     Defense Environmental Cleanup

       For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment 
     and other expenses necessary for atomic energy defense 
     environmental cleanup activities in carrying out the purposes 
     of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 
     et seq.), including the acquisition or condemnation of any 
     real property or any facility or for plant or facility 
     acquisition, construction, or expansion, $6,521,396,000, to 
     remain available until expended:  Provided, That of such 
     amount, $310,000,000 shall be available until September 30, 
     2027, for program direction.

                        Other Defense Activities

       For Department of Energy expenses, including the purchase, 
     construction, and acquisition of plant and capital equipment 
     and other expenses, necessary for atomic energy defense, 
     other defense activities, and classified activities, in 
     carrying out the purposes of the Department of Energy 
     Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including the 
     acquisition or condemnation of any real property or any 
     facility or for plant or facility acquisition, construction, 
     or expansion, $1,179,950,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That of such amount, $391,354,000 shall 
     be available until September 30, 2027, for program direction.

                    POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS

                  Bonneville Power Administration Fund

       Expenditures from the Bonneville Power Administration Fund, 
     established pursuant to Public Law 93-454, are approved for 
     official reception and representation expenses in an amount 
     not to exceed $5,000:  Provided, That during fiscal year 
     2026, no new direct loan obligations may be made.

      Operation and Maintenance, Southeastern Power Administration

       For expenses necessary for operation and maintenance of 
     power transmission facilities and for marketing electric 
     power and energy, including transmission wheeling and 
     ancillary services, pursuant to section 5 of the Flood 
     Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), as applied to the 
     southeastern power area, $9,285,000, including official 
     reception and representation expenses in an amount not to 
     exceed $1,500, to remain available until expended:  Provided, 
     That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 and section 5 of the 
     Flood Control Act of 1944, up to $9,285,000 collected by the 
     Southeastern Power Administration from the sale of power and 
     related services shall be credited to this account as 
     discretionary offsetting collections, to remain available 
     until expended for the sole purpose of funding the annual 
     expenses of the Southeastern Power Administration:  Provided 
     further, That the sum herein appropriated for annual expenses 
     shall be reduced as collections are received during the 
     fiscal year so as to result in a final fiscal year 2026 
     appropriation estimated at not more than $0:  Provided 
     further, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to 
     $81,819,000 collected by the Southeastern Power 
     Administration pursuant to the Flood Control Act of 1944 to 
     recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be 
     credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain 
     available until expended for the sole purpose of making 
     purchase power and wheeling expenditures:  Provided further, 
     That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses 
     means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same 
     year that they are incurred (excluding purchase power and 
     wheeling expenses).

      Operation and Maintenance, Southwestern Power Administration

       For expenses necessary for operation and maintenance of 
     power transmission facilities and for marketing electric 
     power and energy, for construction and acquisition of 
     transmission lines, substations and appurtenant facilities, 
     and for administrative expenses, including official reception 
     and representation expenses in an amount not to exceed $1,500 
     in carrying out section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 
     (16 U.S.C. 825s), as applied to the Southwestern Power 
     Administration, $59,766,000, to remain available until 
     expended:  Provided, That notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302 and 
     section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), 
     up to $49,366,000 collected by the Southwestern Power 
     Administration from the sale of power and related services 
     shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting 
     collections, to remain available until expended, for the sole 
     purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Southwestern 
     Power Administration:  Provided further, That the sum herein 
     appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as 
     collections are received during the fiscal year so as to 
     result in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation estimated at 
     not more than $10,400,000:  Provided further, That 
     notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $80,000,000 collected 
     by the Southwestern Power Administration pursuant to the 
     Flood Control Act of 1944 to recover purchase power and 
     wheeling expenses shall be credited to this account as 
     offsetting collections, to remain available until expended 
     for the sole purpose of making purchase power and wheeling 
     expenditures:  Provided further, That for purposes of this 
     appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures that are 
     generally recovered in the same year that they are incurred 
     (excluding purchase power and wheeling expenses).

              Construction, Rehabilitation, Operation and

             Maintenance, Western Area Power Administration

       For carrying out the functions authorized by title III, 
     section 302(a)(1)(E) of the Act of August 4, 1977 (42 U.S.C. 
     7152), and other related activities including conservation 
     and renewable resources programs as authorized, $311,035,000, 
     including official reception and representation expenses in 
     an amount not to exceed $1,500, to remain available until 
     expended, of which $311,035,000 shall be derived from the 
     Department of the Interior Reclamation Fund:  Provided, That 
     notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, section 5 of the Flood 
     Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), and section 1 of the 
     Interior Department Appropriation Act, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 392a), 
     up to $247,663,000 collected by the Western Area Power 
     Administration from the sale of power and related services 
     shall be credited to this account as discretionary offsetting 
     collections, to remain available until expended, for the sole 
     purpose of funding the annual expenses of the Western Area 
     Power Administration:  Provided further, That the sum herein 
     appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as 
     collections are received during the fiscal year so as to 
     result in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation estimated at 
     not more than $63,372,000, of which $63,372,000 is derived 
     from the Reclamation Fund:  Provided further, That 
     notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $475,000,000 collected 
     by the Western Area Power Administration pursuant to the 
     Flood Control Act of 1944 and the Reclamation Project Act of 
     1939 to recover purchase power and wheeling expenses shall be 
     credited to this account as offsetting collections, to remain 
     available until expended for the sole purpose of making 
     purchase power and wheeling expenditures:  Provided further, 
     That for purposes of this appropriation, annual expenses 
     means expenditures that are generally recovered in the same 
     year that they are incurred (excluding purchase power and 
     wheeling expenses).

           Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund

       For operation, maintenance, and emergency costs for the 
     hydroelectric facilities at the Falcon and Amistad Dams, 
     $6,510,000, to remain available until expended, and to be 
     derived from the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance 
     Fund of the Western Area Power Administration, as provided in 
     section 2 of the Act of June 18, 1954 (68 Stat. 255):  
     Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of that Act and 
     of 31 U.S.C. 3302, up to $6,282,000 collected by the Western 
     Area Power Administration from the sale of power and related 
     services from the Falcon and Amistad Dams shall be credited 
     to this account as discretionary offsetting collections, to 
     remain available until expended for the sole purpose of 
     funding the annual expenses of the hydroelectric facilities 
     of these Dams and associated Western Area Power 
     Administration activities:  Provided further, That the sum 
     herein appropriated for annual expenses shall be reduced as 
     collections are received during the fiscal year so as to 
     result in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation estimated at 
     not more than $228,000:  Provided further, That for purposes 
     of this appropriation, annual expenses means expenditures 
     that are generally recovered in the same year that they are 
     incurred:  Provided further, That for fiscal year 2026, the 
     Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration may 
     accept up to $1,072,000 in funds contributed by United States 
     power customers of the Falcon and Amistad Dams for deposit 
     into the Falcon and Amistad Operating and Maintenance Fund, 
     and such funds shall be available for the purpose for which 
     contributed in like manner as if said sums had been 
     specifically appropriated for such purpose:  Provided 
     further, That any such funds shall be available without 
     further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation for 
     use by the Commissioner of the United States Section of the 
     International Boundary and Water Commission for the sole 
     purpose of operating, maintaining, repairing, rehabilitating, 
     replacing,

[[Page H3805]]

     or upgrading the hydroelectric facilities at these Dams in 
     accordance with agreements reached between the Administrator, 
     Commissioner, and the power customers.

                  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

                         salaries and expenses

       For expenses necessary for the Federal Energy Regulatory 
     Commission to carry out the provisions of the Department of 
     Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), including 
     services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, official reception 
     and representation expenses not to exceed $3,000, and the 
     hire of passenger motor vehicles, $520,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended:  Provided, That notwithstanding any 
     other provision of law, not to exceed $520,000,000 of 
     revenues from fees and annual charges, and other services and 
     collections in fiscal year 2026 shall be retained and used 
     for expenses necessary in this account, and shall remain 
     available until expended:  Provided further, That the sum 
     herein appropriated from the general fund shall be reduced as 
     revenues are received during fiscal year 2026 so as to result 
     in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation from the general 
     fund estimated at not more than $0.

                GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

                     (including transfers of funds)

       Sec. 301. (a) No appropriation, funds, or authority made 
     available by this title for the Department of Energy shall be 
     used to initiate or resume any program, project, or activity 
     or to prepare or initiate Requests For Proposals or similar 
     arrangements (including Requests for Quotations, Requests for 
     Information, and Funding Opportunity Announcements) for a 
     program, project, or activity if the program, project, or 
     activity has not been funded by Congress.
       (b)(1) Unless the Secretary of Energy notifies the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at 
     least 3 full business days in advance, none of the funds made 
     available in this title may be used to--
       (A) make a grant allocation or discretionary grant award 
     totaling $1,000,000 or more;
       (B) make a discretionary contract award or Other 
     Transaction Agreement totaling $1,000,000 or more, including 
     a contract covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation;
       (C) provide nonoperational funding through a competition 
     restricted only to Department of Energy National Laboratories 
     totaling $1,000,000 or more;
       (D) provide nonoperational funding directly to a Department 
     of Energy National Laboratory totaling $25,000,000 or more;
       (E) issue a letter of intent to make an allocation, award, 
     or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A), 
     (B), (C), or (D);
       (F) announce publicly the intention to make an allocation, 
     award, or Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph 
     (A), (B), (C), or (D); or
       (G) issue a letter to terminate an allocation, award, or 
     Agreement in excess of the limits in subparagraph (A), (B), 
     (C), or (D).
       (2) The Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committees 
     on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 15 days 
     of the conclusion of each quarter a report detailing each 
     grant allocation or discretionary grant award totaling less 
     than $1,000,000 provided during the previous quarter.
       (3) The notification required by paragraph (1) and the 
     report required by paragraph (2) shall include the recipient 
     of the award, the amount of the award, the fiscal year for 
     which the funds for the award were appropriated, the account 
     and program, project, or activity from which the funds are 
     being drawn, the title of the award, and a brief description 
     of the activity for which the award is made.
       (c) The Department of Energy may not, with respect to any 
     program, project, or activity that uses budget authority made 
     available in this title under the heading ``Department of 
     Energy--Energy Programs'', enter into a multiyear contract, 
     award a multiyear grant, or enter into a multiyear 
     cooperative agreement unless--
       (1) the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement is funded 
     for the full period of performance as anticipated at the time 
     of award; or
       (2) the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement includes 
     a clause conditioning the Federal Government's obligation on 
     the availability of future year budget authority and the 
     Secretary notifies the Committees on Appropriations of both 
     Houses of Congress at least 3 days in advance.
       (d) Except as provided in subsections (e), (f), and (g), 
     the amounts made available by this title shall be expended as 
     authorized by law for the programs, projects, and activities, 
     and in the amounts specified in the ``Bill'' column in the 
     ``Department of Energy'' table included under the heading 
     ``Title III--Department of Energy'' in the report 
     accompanying this Act.
       (e) The amounts made available by this title may be 
     reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the 
     Department shall notify, and obtain the prior approval of, 
     the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress 
     at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed 
     reprogramming that would cause any program, project, or 
     activity funding level to increase or decrease by more than 
     $5,000,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time 
     period covered by this Act.
       (f) None of the funds provided in this title shall be 
     available for obligation or expenditure through a 
     reprogramming of funds that--
       (1) creates, initiates, or eliminates a program, project, 
     or activity;
       (2) increases funds or personnel for any program, project, 
     or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this 
     Act; or
       (3) reduces funds that are directed to be used for a 
     specific program, project, or activity by this Act.
       (g)(1) The Secretary of Energy may waive any requirement or 
     restriction in this section that applies to the use of funds 
     made available for the Department of Energy if compliance 
     with such requirement or restriction would pose a substantial 
     risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national 
     security.
       (2) The Secretary of Energy shall notify the Committees on 
     Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under 
     paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3 
     days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or 
     restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall 
     include an explanation of the substantial risk under 
     paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver.
       (h) The unexpended balances of prior appropriations 
     provided for activities in this Act may be available to the 
     same appropriation accounts for such activities established 
     pursuant to this title. Available balances may be merged with 
     funds in the applicable established accounts and thereafter 
     may be accounted for as one fund for the same time period as 
     originally enacted.
       Sec. 302.  Funds appropriated by this or any other Act, or 
     made available by the transfer of funds in this Act, for 
     intelligence activities are deemed to be specifically 
     authorized by the Congress for purposes of section 504 of the 
     National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3094) during fiscal 
     year 2026 until the enactment of the Intelligence 
     Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026.
       Sec. 303.  None of the funds made available in this title 
     shall be used for the construction of facilities classified 
     as high-hazard nuclear facilities under 10 CFR Part 830 
     unless independent oversight is conducted by the Office of 
     Enterprise Assessments to ensure the project is in compliance 
     with nuclear safety requirements.
       Sec. 304.  None of the funds made available in this title 
     may be used to approve critical decision-2 or critical 
     decision-3 under Department of Energy Order 413.3B, or any 
     successive departmental guidance, for construction projects 
     where the total project cost exceeds $100,000,000, until a 
     separate independent cost estimate has been developed for the 
     project for that critical decision.
       Sec. 305.  None of the funds made available in this title 
     may be used to support a grant allocation award, 
     discretionary grant award, or cooperative agreement that 
     exceeds $100,000,000 in Federal funding unless the project is 
     carried out through internal independent project management 
     procedures.
       Sec. 306.  No funds shall be transferred directly from 
     ``Department of Energy--Power Marketing Administration--
     Colorado River Basins Power Marketing Fund, Western Area 
     Power Administration'' to the general fund of the Treasury in 
     the current fiscal year.
       Sec. 307. (a) The Secretary of Energy may not establish any 
     new regional petroleum product reserve unless funding for the 
     proposed regional petroleum product reserve is explicitly 
     requested in advance in an annual budget submitted by the 
     President pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States 
     Code, and approved by the Congress in an appropriations Act.
       (b) The budget request or notification shall include--
       (1) the justification for the new reserve;
       (2) a cost estimate for the establishment, operation, and 
     maintenance of the reserve, including funding sources;
       (3) a detailed plan for operation of the reserve, including 
     the conditions upon which the products may be released;
       (4) the location of the reserve; and
       (5) the estimate of the total inventory of the reserve.
       Sec. 308.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used to draw down and sell petroleum products from the 
     Strategic Petroleum Reserve (1) to any entity that is under 
     the ownership, control, or influence of the Chinese Communist 
     Party; or (2) except on condition that such petroleum 
     products will not be exported to the People's Republic of 
     China.
       Sec. 309. (a) None of the funds made available by this Act 
     may be used by the Secretary of Energy to award any grant, 
     contract, cooperative agreement, or loan of $10,000,000 or 
     greater to an entity of concern as defined in section 10114 
     of division B of Public Law 117-167.
       (b) The Secretary shall implement the requirements under 
     subsection (a) using a risk-based approach and analytical 
     tools to aggregate, link, analyze, and maintain information 
     reported by an entity seeking or receiving such funds made 
     available by this Act.
       (c) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent 
     with the obligations of the United States under applicable 
     international agreements.
       (d) The Secretary shall have the authority to require the 
     submission to the agency, by an entity seeking or receiving 
     such funds made available by this Act, documentation 
     necessary to implement the requirements under subsection (a).
       (e) Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly 
     known as the ``Paperwork

[[Page H3806]]

     Reduction Act''), shall not apply to the implementation of 
     the requirements under this section.
       (f) The Secretary and other Federal agencies shall 
     coordinate to share relevant information necessary to 
     implement the requirements under subsection (a).
       Sec. 310.  None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act may be used to admit any non-U.S. 
     citizen from Russia or China to any nuclear weapons 
     production facility, as such term is defined in section 4002 
     of the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2501), other than 
     areas accessible to the general public, unless 30 days prior 
     to facility admittance, the Department of Energy provides 
     notification to the Committees on Appropriations and Armed 
     Services of both Houses of Congress.
       Sec. 311. (a) None of the funds made available by this Act 
     or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2025 for the 
     Department of Energy may be obligated or expended to procure 
     or purchase computers, printers, or interoperable 
     videoconferencing services needed for an office environment 
     in which the manufacturer, bidder, or offeror, or any 
     subsidiary or parent entity of the manufacturer, bidder, or 
     offeror, of the equipment is an entity, or parent company of 
     an entity in which the People's Republic of China has any 
     ownership stake.
       (b) The prohibition in subsection (a) also applies in cases 
     in which the Secretary has contracted with a third party for 
     the procurement, purchase, or expenditure of funds on any of 
     the equipment and software described in such subsection.
       Sec. 312.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used to finalize, administer, implement, or enforce the 
     final rule entitled ``Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings 
     and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings'' published by the 
     Department of Energy in the Federal Register on May 1, 2024 
     (89 Fed. Reg. 35384).
       Sec. 313.  Of the unobligated balances from amounts 
     previously made available to the Department of Energy in 
     division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
     (Public Law 117-58), the following funds shall be transferred 
     from the following programs in the specified amounts to 
     ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Nuclear Energy'', 
     and, in addition to amounts otherwise made available, shall 
     be available for the not more than two competitive awards for 
     Generation 3+ small modular reactor deployment projects 
     described in section 311(a)(1)(A) of division D of the 
     Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-42), 
     the two awards for demonstration projects made prior to the 
     date of enactment of this Act under the Advanced Reactor 
     Demonstration Program, as authorized under section 959A of 
     the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a), and Risk 
     Reduction for Future Demonstrations, as described under the 
     heading Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program in the 
     explanatory statement accompanying division C of the Further 
     Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94)--
       (1) $672,652,992 from the unobligated balances under the 
     heading ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Energy 
     Efficiency and Renewable Energy'' provided to implement 
     sections 40208, 40314, 40511(a), and 40541 of such Act;
       (2) $981,479,556 from the unobligated balances under the 
     heading ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Nuclear 
     Energy'';
       (3) $1,000,000,000 from the unobligated balances under the 
     heading ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Fossil 
     Energy and Carbon Management'' provided to implement section 
     40308 of division D of such Act;
       (4) $1,500,000,000 from the unobligated balances under the 
     heading ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Carbon 
     Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 
     Program Account'';
       (5) $950,000,000 from the unobligated balances under the 
     heading ``Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Office of 
     Clean Energy Demonstrations'' provided to implement sections 
     41004(a) and 41004(b) of such Act:
       Provided,  That amounts transferred pursuant to this 
     section shall continue to be treated as amounts specified in 
     section 103(b) of division A of Public Law 118-5.

                                TITLE IV

                          INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

                    Appalachian Regional Commission

       For expenses necessary to carry out the programs authorized 
     by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, as 
     amended, and for expenses necessary for the Federal Co-
     Chairman and the Alternate on the Appalachian Regional 
     Commission, for payment of the Federal share of the 
     administrative expenses of the Commission, including services 
     as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, and hire of passenger motor 
     vehicles, $162,535,255, to remain available until expended.

                Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

                         salaries and expenses

       For expenses necessary for the Defense Nuclear Facilities 
     Safety Board in carrying out activities authorized by the 
     Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by Public Law 100-456, 
     section 1441, $45,000,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2027, of which not to exceed $1,000 shall be 
     available for official reception and representation expenses.

                        Delta Regional Authority

                         salaries and expenses

       For expenses necessary for the Delta Regional Authority and 
     to carry out its activities, as authorized by the Delta 
     Regional Authority Act of 2000, notwithstanding sections 
     382F(d), 382M, and 382N of said Act, $25,274,232, to remain 
     available until expended.

                           Denali Commission

       For expenses necessary for the Denali Commission including 
     the purchase, construction, and acquisition of plant and 
     capital equipment as necessary and other expenses, 
     $13,815,497, to remain available until expended, 
     notwithstanding the limitations contained in section 306(g) 
     of the Denali Commission Act of 1998:  Provided, That funds 
     shall be available for construction projects for which the 
     Denali Commission is the sole or primary funding source in an 
     amount not to exceed 80 percent of total project cost for 
     distressed communities, as defined by section 307 of the 
     Denali Commission Act of 1998 (division C, title III, Public 
     Law 105-277), as amended by section 701 of appendix D, title 
     VII, Public Law 106-113 (113 Stat. 1501A-280), and for Indian 
     Tribes, as defined by section 5304(e) of title 25, United 
     States Code, and in an amount not to exceed 50 percent for 
     non-distressed communities:  Provided further, That 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding payment 
     of a non-Federal share in connection with a grant-in-aid 
     program, amounts under this heading shall be available for 
     the payment of such a non-Federal share for any project for 
     which the Denali Commission is not the sole or primary 
     funding source, provided that such project is consistent with 
     the purposes of the Commission.

                  Northern Border Regional Commission

       For expenses necessary for the Northern Border Regional 
     Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle 
     V of title 40, United States Code, $33,319,727, to remain 
     available until expended:  Provided, That such amounts shall 
     be available for administrative expenses, notwithstanding 
     section 15751(b) of title 40, United States Code.

                 Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

       For expenses necessary for the Southeast Crescent Regional 
     Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle 
     V of title 40, United States Code, $16,253,526, to remain 
     available until expended.

                  Southwest Border Regional Commission

       For expenses necessary for the Southwest Border Regional 
     Commission in carrying out activities authorized by subtitle 
     V of title 40, United States Code, $4,063,381, to remain 
     available until expended.

                         Great Lakes Authority

       For expenses necessary for the Great Lakes Authority in 
     carrying out activities authorized by subtitle V of title 40, 
     United States Code, $4,063,381, to remain available until 
     expended.

                     Nuclear Regulatory Commission

                         salaries and expenses

       For expenses necessary for the Commission in carrying out 
     the purposes of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and the 
     Atomic Energy Act of 1954, $952,700,000, including official 
     representation expenses not to exceed $30,000, to remain 
     available until expended:  Provided, That of the amount 
     appropriated herein, not more than $11,494,000 may be made 
     available for salaries, travel, and other support costs for 
     the Office of the Commission, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2027:  Provided further, That revenues from 
     licensing fees, inspection services, and other services and 
     collections estimated at $804,509,977 in fiscal year 2026 
     shall be retained and used for necessary salaries and 
     expenses in this account, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302, and 
     shall remain available until expended:  Provided further, 
     That the sum herein appropriated shall be reduced by the 
     amount of revenues received during fiscal year 2026 so as to 
     result in a final fiscal year 2026 appropriation estimated at 
     not more than $148,190,023.

                      office of inspector general

       For expenses necessary for the Office of Inspector General 
     in carrying out the provisions of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978, $18,795,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2027:  Provided, That revenues from licensing fees, 
     inspection services, and other services and collections 
     estimated at $14,885,000 in fiscal year 2026 shall be 
     retained and be available until September 30, 2027, for 
     necessary salaries and expenses in this account, 
     notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code: 
      Provided further, That the sum herein appropriated shall be 
     reduced by the amount of revenues received during fiscal year 
     2026 so as to result in a final fiscal year 2026 
     appropriation estimated at not more than $3,910,000:  
     Provided further, That of the amounts appropriated under this 
     heading, $1,572,000 shall be for Inspector General services 
     for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

                  Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

                         salaries and expenses

       For expenses necessary for the Nuclear Waste Technical 
     Review Board, as authorized by Public Law 100-203, section 
     5051, $4,000,000, to be derived from the Nuclear Waste Fund, 
     to remain available until September 30, 2027.

                GENERAL PROVISIONS--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

       Sec. 401.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall comply 
     with the July 5, 2011, version of Chapter VI of its Internal 
     Commission Procedures when responding to Congressional 
     requests for information, consistent with Department of 
     Justice guidance for all Federal agencies.

[[Page H3807]]

       Sec. 402. (a) The amounts made available by this title for 
     the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be reprogrammed for any 
     program, project, or activity, and the Commission shall 
     notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of 
     Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed 
     reprogramming that would cause any program funding level to 
     increase or decrease by more than $500,000 or 10 percent, 
     whichever is less, during the time period covered by this 
     Act.
       (b)(1) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may waive the 
     notification requirement in subsection (a) if compliance with 
     such requirement would pose a substantial risk to human 
     health, the environment, welfare, or national security.
       (2) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall notify the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of 
     any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but 
     not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which 
     a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied. 
     Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial 
     risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver and shall 
     provide a detailed report to the Committees of such waiver 
     and changes to funding levels to programs, projects, or 
     activities.
       (c) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b), and (d), 
     the amounts made available by this title for ``Nuclear 
     Regulatory Commission--Salaries and Expenses'' shall be 
     expended as directed in the report accompanying this Act.
       (d) None of the funds provided for the Nuclear Regulatory 
     Commission shall be available for obligation or expenditure 
     through a reprogramming of funds that increases funds or 
     personnel for any program, project, or activity for which 
     funds are denied or restricted by this Act.
       (e) The Commission shall provide a monthly report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, 
     which includes the following for each program, project, or 
     activity, including any prior year appropriations--
       (1) total budget authority;
       (2) total unobligated balances; and
       (3) total unliquidated obligations.

                                TITLE V

                           GENERAL PROVISIONS

                     (including transfer of funds)

       Sec. 501.  None of the funds appropriated by this Act may 
     be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence 
     congressional action on any legislation or appropriation 
     matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate to 
     Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.
       Sec. 502. (a) None of the funds made available in title III 
     of this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or 
     instrumentality of the United States Government, except 
     pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer authority provided 
     in this Act or any other appropriations Act for any fiscal 
     year, transfer authority referenced in the report 
     accompanying this Act, or any authority whereby a department, 
     agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government 
     may provide goods or services to another department, agency, 
     or instrumentality.
       (b) None of the funds made available for any department, 
     agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government 
     may be transferred to accounts funded in title III of this 
     Act, except pursuant to a transfer made by or transfer 
     authority provided in this Act or any other appropriations 
     Act for any fiscal year, transfer authority referenced in the 
     report accompanying this Act, or any authority whereby a 
     department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States 
     Government may provide goods or services to another 
     department, agency, or instrumentality.
       (c) The head of any relevant department or agency funded in 
     this Act utilizing any transfer authority shall submit to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a 
     semiannual report detailing the transfer authorities, except 
     for any authority whereby a department, agency, or 
     instrumentality of the United States Government may provide 
     goods or services to another department, agency, or 
     instrumentality, used in the previous 6 months and in the 
     year-to-date. This report shall include the amounts 
     transferred and the purposes for which they were transferred, 
     and shall not replace or modify existing notification 
     requirements for each authority.
       Sec. 503. (a) None of the funds made available in this Act 
     may be used to maintain or establish a computer network 
     unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and 
     exchanging of pornography.
       (b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds 
     necessary for any Federal, State, Tribal, or local law 
     enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal 
     investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.
       Sec. 504. (a) No federal monies shall be expended in 
     furtherance of any agreement among private entities for 
     consolidated interim storage of spent nuclear fuel that is 
     not specifically authorized under federal law until such time 
     that host state and local governments and any affected Indian 
     tribes have formalized their consent.
       (b) Provided that the prohibition provided for in this 
     section shall not apply to facilities presently storing 
     commercial spent nuclear fuel, pursuant to a license issued 
     by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       (c) For purposes of this section, ``spent nuclear fuel'' 
     shall have the same meaning as provided in section 2 of the 
     Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101).
       Sec. 505.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, 
     training, programs, offices, officers, policies, or other 
     executive agency functions, or to carry out any program, 
     project, or activity that promotes or advances Critical Race 
     Theory or any concept associated with Critical Race Theory.
       Sec. 506. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 7 of 
     title 1, United States Code, section 1738C of title 28, 
     United States Code, or any other provision of law, none of 
     the funds provided by this Act, or previous appropriations 
     Acts, shall be used in whole or in part to take any 
     discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially, 
     on the basis that such person speaks, or acts, in accordance 
     with a sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction, 
     that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one 
     man and one woman.
       (b) Discriminatory Action Defined.--As used in subsection 
     (a), a discriminatory action means any action taken by the 
     Federal Government to--
       (1) alter in any way the Federal tax treatment of, or cause 
     any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, 
     delay, or revoke an exemption from taxation under section 
     501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 of, any person 
     referred to in subsection (a);
       (2) disallow a deduction for Federal tax purposes of any 
     charitable contribution made to or by such person;
       (3) withhold, reduce the amount or funding for, exclude, 
     terminate, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, any Federal 
     grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, 
     guarantee, loan, scholarship, license, certification, 
     accreditation, employment, or other similar position or 
     status from or to such person;
       (4) withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise make 
     unavailable or deny, any entitlement or benefit under a 
     Federal benefit program, including admission to, equal 
     treatment in, or eligibility for a degree from an educational 
     program, from or to such person; or
       (5) withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise make 
     unavailable or deny access or an entitlement to Federal 
     property, facilities, educational institutions, speech fora 
     (including traditional, limited, and nonpublic fora), or 
     charitable fundraising campaigns from or to such person.
       (c) Accreditation; Licensure; Certification.--The Federal 
     Government shall consider accredited, licensed, or certified 
     for purposes of Federal law any person that would be 
     accredited, licensed, or certified, respectively, for such 
     purposes but for a determination against such person wholly 
     or partially on the basis that the person speaks, or acts, in 
     accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral 
     conviction described in subsection (a).
       Sec. 507.  None of the funds made available by this Act or 
     any other Act may be used to implement, administer, or 
     enforce any COVID-19 mask or vaccine mandates.
       Sec. 508.  None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act may be used to fly or display a flag 
     over or within a facility of the federal government other 
     than the flag of the United States, flag bearing an official 
     U.S. Government seal or insignia, or POW/MIA flag.
       Sec. 509.  None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act may be made available to finalize any 
     rule or regulation that meets the definition of section 
     804(2)(A) of title 5, United States Code.
       Sec. 510.  None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this Act or any other Act may be available to 
     classify or facilitate the classification of any 
     communications by a United States person as mis-, 
     dis-, or mal-information; or partner with or fund nonprofit 
     or other organizations that pressure or recommend private 
     companies to censor lawful and constitutionally protected 
     speech of United States persons, including recommending the 
     censoring or removal of content on social media platforms.
       Sec. 511.  Section 225(c)(2)(A)(ii) of the Water Resources 
     Development Act of 1992 (33 U.S.C. 2328(c)(2)(A)(ii)) is 
     amended by striking ``at recreation site at which the fee is 
     collected'' and inserting ``at any recreation site or 
     facility that is located at the civil works project at which 
     the fee is collected''.

                       spending reduction account

       Sec. 512.  $0.
       This Act may be cited as the ``Energy and Water Development 
     and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026''.

  The CHAIR. All points of order against provisions in the bill are 
waived. No amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed 
in House Report 119-232, amendments en bloc described in section 3 of 
House Resolution 672, and pro forma amendments described in section 4 
of that resolution.
  Each amendment printed in the report shall be considered only in the 
order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated 
in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the 
time specified in the report equally divided and

[[Page H3808]]

controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to 
amendment except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 672, and 
shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
  It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on 
Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting 
of amendments printed in the report not earlier disposed of. Amendments 
en bloc shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees, shall not be 
subject to amendment, except as provided by section 4 of House 
Resolution 672, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of 
the question.
  During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective 
designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for 
the purpose of debate.


       Amendments En Bloc Offered by Mr. Fleischmann of Tennessee

  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I offer 
amendments en bloc as designee of Chairman Cole.
  The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
  Amendments en bloc consisting of amendment Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 34, 35, and 36, printed 
in House Report 119-232, offered by Mr. Fleischmann of Tennessee:

           Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Arrington of Texas

       Page 28, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $50,000,000) (increased by $50,000,000)''.


           Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mrs. Cammack of Florida

       Page 38, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $2,500,000)''.
       Page 7, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $2,500,000)''.


            Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Dexter of Oregon

       Page 27, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.


          Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Fry of South Carolina

       Page 33, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $5,000,000) (reduced by $5,000,000)''.


        Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas

       Page 3, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $40,000,000) (reduced by $40,000,000)''.


        amendment no. 6 offered by mr. vicente gonzalez of texas

       Page 3, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $27,000,000) (reduced by $27,000,000)''.


        amendment no. 9 offered by mr. hernandez of puerto rico

       Page 27, line 13, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $75,000,000)(increased by $75,000,000)''.


        Amendment no. 10 Offered by Mr. Hernandez of Puerto Rico

       Page 3, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $35,000,000) (reduced by $35,000,000)''.


          amendment no. 11 offered by mr. higgins of louisiana

       Page 5, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $50,000,000) (increased by $50,000,000)''.


            Amendment no. 12 Offered by Mr. Hill of Arkansas

       Page 5, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $3,000,000) (increased by $3,000,000)''.


          Amendment No. 13 offered by Mrs. Houchin of Indiana

       Page 38, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.


          Amendment No. 14 offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

       Page 28, line 21, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.


          Amendment No. 15 offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

       On page 7, line 10, after the dollar amount insert 
     ``(increased by $1,000,000) (reduced by $1,000,000)''.


          Amendment No. 16 offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

       Page 5, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.


          Amendment No. 17 offered by Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia

       Page 28, line 9, after the dollar amount insert ``(reduced 
     by $1,000,000) (increased by $1,000,000)''.


         Amendment No. 18 Offered by Mr. LaMalfa of California

       Page 5, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $3,000,000)''.
       Page 38, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $3,000,000)''.


         Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mr. LaMalfa of California

       Page 3, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $2,000,000)''.
       Page 38, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $2,000,000)''.


         Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Langworthy of New York

       Page 3, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $500,000) (reduced by $500,000)''.


        Amendment No. 22 Offered by Mr. Moulton of Massachusetts

       Page 5, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $3,000,000) (increased by $3,000,000)''.


           Amendment No. 34 Offered by Mr. Scott of Virginia

       Page 32, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $11,000,000) (reduced by $11,000,000)''.


           Amendment No. 35 Offered by Mr. Steube of Florida

       Page 3, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $100,000,000) (increased by $100,000,000)''.


             Amendment No. 36 Offered by Mr. Taylor of Ohio

       Page 60, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $500,000) (increased by $500,000)''.
  The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) 
each will control 10 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, this bipartisan en bloc amendment was 
developed in coordination with the minority. It contains 
noncontroversial amendments addressing important issues at agencies 
funded in this bill. These amendments have been agreed to by both 
sides.
  Mr. Chair, I respectfully support its adoption, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bipartisan amendment 
and offer the comment that I wish all legislation could be accomplished 
in this manner.
  This en bloc contains noncontroversial amendments from Members of 
both parties. I have no objections and urge support of the amendment.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Taylor), my friend.
  Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment, which 
would require the Appalachian Regional Commission to conduct the study 
on the inclusion of low Earth orbit satellites to be used for economic 
development.
  The United States should be encouraging and embracing new 
technological advances that help bridge the broadband gap across rural 
regions, ensuring all Americans are connected to the modern economy.
  Many towns and communities within my district in southern Ohio still 
lack access to broadband, which, frankly, is unacceptable. Without 
reliable internet access, students face challenges in completing 
homework, patients can't receive telehealth services, businesses are 
less incentivized to invest in their communities, and people can't work 
from home.
  My amendment, which is included in this en bloc, will help show that 
low Earth orbit satellites have the capabilities to provide adequate 
broadband access to communities and create economic development within 
the Appalachian region.
  As a co-chair of the Rural Broadband Caucus, I am committed to 
connecting folks as quickly as possible whether that be through fiber, 
wireless service, or satellites.
  Congress should be implementing a technologically neutral broadband 
approach and the inclusion of this new technology will provide 
additional avenues to provide broadband to people in my district and 
across the Appalachian region and finally give them access to the 
modern economy.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I thank Congressman Taylor for coming to the 
floor, who is a fellow Buckeye. It is great to have southern Ohio and 
northern Ohio on the floor at the same time.
  Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. 
Dexter).

[[Page H3809]]

  

  Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for her time.
  Mr. Chair, data centers are sucking up our most precious resource: 
water.
  Larger data centers can each drink up to 5 million gallons per day or 
about 1.8 billion gallons annually, usage equivalent to a town of 
10,000 to 50,000 people.
  At a time when the climate crisis is driving water scarcity even in 
places not used to shortages, we cannot afford to ignore this grave 
threat. As the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Subcommittee 
on Oversight and Investigations, I am not ignoring this threat.
  Today, I am grateful for the inclusion of my amendment in the en bloc 
that gives the Federal Government the tools it needs to understand and 
address how new technological demands are straining our communities' 
water. It is a simple, commonsense step, and in the face of an 
otherwise catastrophic bill that slashes clean energy incentives and 
raises prices, I am grateful to find consensus around safeguarding 
water for our communities.
  This amendment is one small step in the right direction. I will not 
stop fighting to protect water, to protect our children's future, and 
to protect our planet.
  Mr. Chair, I urge the adoption of this amendment en bloc.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), my friend and also the chairman of 
the House Financial Services Committee.

                              {time}  1650

  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Chair, I first say thanks to the 
distinguished chair and thanks to Members on both sides of the aisle 
for bringing this important bill to the floor, H.R. 4553, our Energy 
and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
  Mr. Chair, my amendment today includes funding to the operations and 
management account under title I of this bill, which is the funding for 
the Army Corps of Engineers.
  Specifically, I would like to highlight my application that the 
Little Rock Army Corps has submitted on behalf of a river in my 
district, the Little Red River, for the Sustainable Rivers Program.
  Mr. Chair, the Little Red River has become home to a sizable and 
attractive wild brown trout population. It is a regional mecca for 
trout fishing in the mid-South.
  For example, the Little Red River is home to the former world record 
40-pound brown trout. Over 25 miles of fly-fishing water and over 1,000 
fish per square mile brings anglers of all sizes, types, and ages to 
Arkansas.
  Mr. Chair, because of Arkansas' many rivers, lakes, and other natural 
beauties, recreational fishing that is done on the Little Red River now 
contributes $1.2 billion and 10,000 jobs to the Arkansas economy. 
However, despite this beloved place in Arkansas' heritage, this river's 
existing tail water trout fishery has been struggling for years.
  After careful conversations with the Arkansas Game and Fish 
Commission, the Little Rock Army Corps of Engineers, and groups 
representing recreational fishing, I want to voice my support for the 
Little Red River's application to the Sustainable Rivers Program.
  The Sustainable Rivers Program would allow the Little Rock Army Corps 
to plan effectively for the environmental stewardship that correctly 
assesses water trends and helps the Little Rock Corps decisionmakers 
make good, low-risk decisions for the benefit of this trout fishery.
  It also prevents the need for new and required equipment, 
environmental reviews, such as those required under the National 
Environmental Protection Act, and changes to the current water control 
plan.
  The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Arkansas.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Chair, additionally, this program would 
build upon the previous success that the Arkansas delegation achieved 
in the last Congress for the White River Basin Comprehensive Study.
  Mr. Chair, I thank the leadership of the committee, I thank the Rules 
Committee, and Chair Foxx for adding this amendment under consideration 
for the floor today and approved by the Rules Committee. I urge a 
``yes'' vote.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Representing the largest fishery on the Great Lakes where 
we have white fish, perch, and pickerel, I would be very interested in 
the gentleman letting us know how long brown fish grow. What is their 
length?
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Well, a 40-pound trout is not anything like the 
deep freshwater fish of the Great Lakes, but if you had a 26-inch fish, 
that is a huge brown trout. I was fortunate enough to be out in Wyoming 
looking for rainbow trout, and if you found one that was 15 inches, you 
would be flabbergasted. I am proud that Arkansas held the record for 
the brown trout for about 25 years.
  This Sustainable Rivers Program is an important program through the 
Corps of Engineers for our freshwater fishery in Arkansas and across 
the country, and I thank the gentlewoman for the consideration.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, we ought to have a fish day up here on Capitol 
Hill to make everybody feel better.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), my friend.
  Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Chair, my amendment increases and 
decreases $50 million for the Corps of Engineers in order for me to 
bring attention to the failure of the Corps of Engineers to dredge a 
particular section of river that winds through the heart of my 
district.
  The Vermilion River, for a 17-mile stretch, is prone to flood. The 
Flood Control Act of 1941 established that this river should be 
maintained at 9-feet deep and 100-feet wide.
  In 1956, the Army Corps of Engineers classified the project as an 
operation and management project to be maintained at 9-feet deep and 
100-feet wide for a 17-mile stretch of a river that runs through a 
density of population and has never been maintained. The river has been 
dredged one time in that period of time. In 1997, they dredged 1 mile.
  When I came into office, I focused on getting it done. The Corps said 
they needed money. I asked how much. They said: Well, we really need 
science first. We need to study it first.
  All right. How much do you need for studying it?
  I got them that, a quarter of a million. They had data done by a top 
IT university in the entire world with 500,000 data points. Across 17 
miles of river, it was determined that dredging needed to happen, so 
the Corps of Engineers said: Okay, we need $50 million to accomplish 
this.
  I got them the $50 million. They have been sitting on that money, Mr. 
Chair, for 4 years, and we have had enough. I believe the Corps of 
Engineers is not in compliance with Federal law nor are they in 
compliance with the will of this body nor are they performing according 
to the funding of this body, and I intend to do something about it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Arrington), the chairman 
of the House Budget Committee and my dear friend.

  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Chairman, my amendment makes good on President 
Trump's executive order to supercharge U.S. energy dominance by 
harnessing advanced nuclear technologies.
  In the heart of west Texas, at Abilene Christian University, we are 
building a first-of-its-kind molten salt research reactor, a game 
changer, no doubt, for making nuclear energy safer, more efficient, and 
deployable.
  This project, Mr. Chair, isn't just pie in the sky. It has generated 
over $110 million in private investment, $112 million from the State of 
Texas, and just last month, thanks to the leadership and vision of 
Secretary Chris Wright, has received a conditional commitment from DOE 
to provide its fuel.
  This is the only molten salt reactor to ever receive a construction 
permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the first research 
reactor to

[[Page H3810]]

receive an NRC construction permit in over 30 years. All that is needed 
now for this reactor to become operational is for the Federal 
Government to do what it has always done for every research reactor in 
the country for decades, which is to provide the fuel at no cost to the 
university. That is to those reactors that have met those stringent 
requirements.
  Mr. Chair, this advanced nuclear technology is the best chance for 
America to beat China in the very important nuclear power race and 
secure our Nation's future energy security.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
  God bless west Texas, and go Wildcats.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cloud), who also is the vice chairman of this 
Appropriations subcommittee.
  Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Chairman, I thank our chairman for his great work on 
this bill. I am happy to say that this bill supports the much-needed 
transition away from the policies of the previous administration in 
regard to energy and water and puts us on the right path, which is much 
needed, to support the President's agenda.
  It does this in a few ways. It cuts waste, fraud, and abuse. It 
preserves our nuclear stockpiles so America can continue the 
President's mandate of peace through strength, and it works to restore 
our energy dominance and security that President Trump accomplished in 
his first administration. Yet, the Biden administration worked to 
undermine us at every step along the way.
  Mr. Chair, $5.1 billion in green new energy scam funds are being 
transferred to various nuclear programs, including the Advanced Reactor 
Demonstration Program, which helps companies get closer to building 
nuclear facilities. This is extremely important.
  We saw how the EV mandates and the policies of the previous 
administration spent billions and billions building only a handful of 
charging stations, again undermining America's energy dominance.
  In the base of this bill, there is $50 million for the ARDP 
demonstration programs and $77 million for risk-reduction projects. We 
secured close to $5 billion in Army Corps projects that improve 
navigation and operating waterways for vessels which strengthens our 
economy, helps us to export, and helps us to lead on the world stage.
  Projects like the Matagorda and Corpus Christi Ship Channel projects 
provide waterways for imports and exports, resources like LNG, crude 
oil, fertilizers, chemicals, and petrochemicals. The Corpus Christi 
Ship Channel alone exports the highest amount of crude oil in the 
country and is one of the top exporters of LNG to our allies and 
friends around the world, being the number one energy export port in 
the world.

                              {time}  1700

  Water is going to be a major issue as we continue to go forward and 
develop. There is language in here that points to desalination projects 
to help receive research and development funds so we can continue to 
lead, grow, and develop, and it contains language for the Bureau of 
Reclamation to develop seawater desalination facilities as we continue 
to move forward.
  Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this and for 
the great work in supporting the President's agenda.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Mackenzie). The gentlewoman has the only time 
remaining.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I thank the Chair for his good measure today.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered 
by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).
  The en bloc amendments were agreed to.
  The Chair understands that amendment No. 7 will not be offered.


                Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Griffith

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, 
amendment No. 8.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Page 29, line 18, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $6,875,000)''.
       Page 38, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $6,875,000)''.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Griffith) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a necessary amendment. It 
addresses the importance of all types of energy research and 
development, R&D, funding at the Department of Energy, DOE, 
specifically, the energy research being conducted at the Office of 
Fossil Energy.
  Any effective plan to handle increased energy demand must take into 
account our Nation's vast supply of coal and natural gas and our talent 
for technological innovation.
  Artificial intelligence and the data centers to support it are going 
to require a boatload of additional power. While we don't know the 
exact amount of electricity we need, we know it is going to be a lot 
more than we have today because our country is facing increased 
electricity demand for the first time in 10 years. The appetite of AI 
and data centers is enormous. AI needs to be developed, controlled, and 
led by the United States of America, not an adversarial or competitive 
nation like China.
  China is projected to increase its emissions for the foreseeable 
future and reportedly began construction in 2024 on coal units 
equivalent to 94.5 gigawatts of power. That is a lot, Mr. Chairman.
  Additionally, China is financing a number of coal-fired plants in 
Africa and other countries with emerging economies. China is 
responsible for 93 percent of new coal power plant construction, and I 
don't believe that we should let our expertise and our vast amounts of 
coal in this country, good, clean coal, wither.
  As I have said before, in the developing world, more energy means 
more hope and less poverty, and that helps us, as well. We take for 
granted, in this case, that our lights are going to come on when we hit 
that switch and turn it on. That is not always going to be the case if 
we don't continue to use all-of-the-above energy strategies.
  Developing countries don't want to force their people to live in 
poverty because of a lack of energy, so they are going to use coal. 
What we can do is produce that coal. We can help them if we unleash our 
technological advantages and help find better ways to use coal and 
natural gas more cleanly. We should use our expertise in finding ways 
to control emissions with carbon capture and other pollution control 
technologies.
  That is why DOE funding for fossil and renewable research is vital. 
We need to produce and then export the best, cleanest, and efficient 
energy technology to the world. It helps us, and it helps places like 
India and sub-Saharan Africa, where many of their people don't have a 
steady supply of electricity. Nobody can blame them for using dirty 
coal and those Chinese technology plants, which are not as good as the 
U.S. plants, because they want to make sure their people have a chance 
at prosperity, as well.
  DOE plays an important role in this R&D, but we can do a lot more for 
fossil energy innovation and exploration. That is what the amendment 
does.
  In the past few fiscal years, the delta between renewable energy 
research and fossil energy has really widened for the research that we 
are doing.
  I am advocating with this amendment that we shouldn't ignore our 
fossil fuel efficiency and carbon mitigation research.
  My amendment increases the fossil energy account by $6,875,000, or 1 
percent, with an offset from the departmental expenses account.
  To be clear, I am not against renewable energy research. I just 
believe we shouldn't be putting all of our eggs in one basket.
  I urge my colleagues to support an all-of-the-above energy policy 
and,

[[Page H3811]]

more importantly, an all-of-the-above research policy at DOE so that we 
can expand our ability to deal with the energy demand increases and 
that we can have research for a commodity that we have the world's 
greatest supply of, coal and natural gas.
  We ought to use it. God blessed us with this resource. We ought to 
use it. We ought to use it cleanly. We ought to use it responsibly. We 
ought to be able to export our technologies to the rest of the world. 
If we don't do the research, we can't do it.
  I ask everybody to support this all-of-the-above policy plan and 
support my amendment.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith).
  The amendment was agreed to.


               Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mr. McCormick

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       Sec. ___.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used to close the Toto Creek, Bolding Mill, Duckett Mill, 
     Old Federal, Van Pugh South Campground, Sawnee, or Bald Ridge 
     Creek campgrounds located at Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. McCormick) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 4553.
  Mr. Chair, my amendment No. 21 is to the Energy and Water Development 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026.
  My amendment No. 21 prevents the Army Corps of Engineers from closing 
campgrounds around Lake Lanier. My amendment will ensure that these 
campgrounds are open for my constituents and people from all over the 
country to enjoy the outdoors in Georgia's Seventh District.
  Lake Lanier is the most visited lake of 464 federally operated lakes 
in the United States, with well over 10 million annual visitors from 
all over the country. The Army Corps runs the lake and the campgrounds 
and parks surrounding it.
  This summer, the Corps closed many of the campgrounds around the 
lake, citing a lack of manpower and resources. Congress had provided 
$8.7 billion in annual appropriations for 2025, which was actually $1.5 
billion more than the agency's own requested budget. They cited safety 
concerns and manning issues, which we addressed appropriately, although 
they announced the closures after they actually did it.
  Thanks to the efforts of myself, Congressman Clyde, and our amazing 
local officials, State legislators, and county commissioners, we were 
able to reverse most of these closures and keep almost all of our parks 
open under the control of our local governments.
  Congressman Clyde and I also introduced the Lanier Parks Local Access 
Act to cut red tape and allow local partners to efficiently allocate 
budgetary resources properly across all campgrounds.
  Nevertheless, the Army Corps of Engineers should never be able to 
shut down our facilities without any accountability.
  In today's day and age, where people are hooked on their cell phones 
and electronics, it is more important than ever to protect our outdoors 
so that our constituents can touch grass instead of a computer screen.
  In short, citizens should never be denied access to the very parks 
that they fund.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1710

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, in rising in opposition to this amendment, I 
do so because the amendment prohibits funds provided by this act from 
being used to close campgrounds or parks operated by the Army Corps of 
Engineers that are located at or around Lake Sidney Lanier in Georgia.
  I can certainly understand the strong interest in preventing the 
Corps from closing campgrounds and parks in any particular area and 
certainly this one. The Corps is one of the Nation's leading Federal 
providers of outdoor recreation. They do not provide it in my district, 
though it would be nice if they did.
  In this place, the Corps' recreation sites receive more than 260 
million visits each year and include more than 400 lake and river 
projects in 43 States. They have a very broad reach.
  Unfortunately, the Corps of Engineers' recreation funding has 
declined in recent years, and I support the notion that we do not want 
the Corps to close recreation sites due to lack of funding.
  However, this is an issue that affects hundreds of sites across 
dozens of States. Then there are places like I represent where we don't 
have any Corps sites but we would like one.
  I don't believe we should begin the practice of using funding 
prohibitions to carve out special designations but, instead, should 
develop a comprehensive solution to address the challenge of funding 
Corps recreation sites.
  For this reason, at this moment I oppose the amendment. I look 
forward to working with my colleagues to develop a solution to the 
larger challenge at the Corps. The door is open if we can find other 
sources of funding.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Chair, in order to address my peers' concerns, I 
will restate in the middle of this where I said specifically $8.7 
billion in annual appropriations in 2025, which was $1.5 billion more 
than they requested. This is not underfunded. This is not declining. 
This is actually more than appropriate to keep those parks open.
  They had a manning issue, which was brought on by themselves, by not 
manning when they had the appropriate funds. Then when the President 
put a limitation on that, we addressed that. It was opened up again. We 
actually helped them recruit and staff. We actually opened up to local 
governance, as well. It is not like we didn't provide multiple 
solutions to keep those campgrounds open.
  They also have objections to safety issues because of the inability 
of safety vehicles getting to those places. Ironically, by limiting the 
access, the traffic is more congested and is made more unsafe.
  I happen to be a safety officer, trained in Monterey in the military, 
to ensure these kinds of things were actually addressed. I want to make 
sure they are not only funded but also very safe and manned 
appropriately.
  Mr. Chair, all those issues were actually taken into consideration. I 
don't think this is a partisan issue at all. I definitely want to see 
people have access to those very funded things. This actually produces 
funds. This actually is a moneymaker for the government and is well-
funded and should be well-staffed.
  There shouldn't be any objections to this from the standpoint of the 
concerns that my colleague has. I think we did address those things 
appropriately.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. McCormick).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                 Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 23 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       Sec. __.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used to implement or enforce the final rule entitled 
     ``Comprehensive Plan and Special Regulations With Respect to 
     High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing; Rules of Practice and 
     Procedure Regarding Project Review Classifications and Fees'' 
     published by the Delaware River Basin Commission on April 21, 
     2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 20628).

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman

[[Page H3812]]

from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, this amendment prohibits the use of funds to 
implement or enforce the Delaware River Basin Commission's rule to ban 
hydraulic fracturing within the Delaware River Basin.
  The best way to combat high energy prices is to produce more energy 
in America and in places like my own Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the 
second largest natural gas producer in the Nation.
  Unfortunately, unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats at the 
Delaware River Basin Commission have instituted a hydraulic fracturing 
ban for a portion of the State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 
stripping away property and mineral rights from Pennsylvanians in 
contravention of the will of the State's own legislature.
  The result is a prohibition on the development of critical shale 
plays in eastern Pennsylvania that can bring desperately needed natural 
gas to market and the unconstitutional taking of the mineral rights of 
Pennsylvanians, all while keeping prices high.
  To be clear, this amendment simply prohibits the Delaware River Basin 
Commission from implementing or enforcing its hydraulic fracturing ban 
but does not impact the ability of the States in the Delaware River 
Basin Commission to regulate hydraulic fracturing as they see fit.
  During previous debates on this issue, mistruths were spread about 
the impact of this policy change on the water reservoirs that serve New 
York City. These claims are false and easily disproven by the facts.
  The safety of hydraulic fracturing has been demonstrated through its 
extensive use across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across the 
country for decades now.
  The Obama-era EPA determined that the practice did not pose a threat 
to drinking water.
  Simple geography and hydrology make this outcome an impossibility. 
All of New York City reservoirs are upriver from Pennsylvania or on the 
Hudson River, which does not connect to Pennsylvania, precluding any 
impact in Pennsylvania from reaching these reservoirs.
  Mr. Chair, the intention of this amendment and its primary impact 
will be unleashing Pennsylvania's full energy potential by allowing 
Pennsylvanians in the river basin to use their property and mineral 
rights as they see fit as free Americans, subject to the laws passed by 
their elected Representatives.
  It is time to stop this underhanded attack on property rights, 
representative government, and State sovereignty and restore American 
security. Opposition to this amendment is support for the hydraulic 
fracturing ban and for higher energy, in particular, natural gas prices 
for our constituents.
  Mr. Chair, I urge passage of this amendment, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition because this amendment, 
as I understand it, creates a funding prohibition related to the 
Delaware River Basin Commission.
  The Delaware River Basin Commission is a Federal interstate compact 
agency charged with managing the water resources of the Delaware River 
Basin on a regional basis without regard to political boundaries.
  As established by law through the Delaware River Basin Compact that 
went into effect in 1961, which is a half century ago, the Commission 
consists of the Army Corps of Engineers and the four basin State 
Governors. Those States include Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and 
New York. Each is a significant place in the union.
  The Corps of Engineers and these States work as equal partners for 
planning, development, and regulatory action for the river basin. Given 
the Commission's statutory mission, it analyzed the risks to water 
resources posed by high-volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal 
drilling techniques.
  We know something about this in Ohio; that is for sure.
  Through a public rulemaking process, the Commission developed 
regulations related to high-volume hydraulic fracturing within the 
Delaware River Basin.
  As a reminder, the Commission consists of the Governors of the four 
basin States--Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York--and the 
North Atlantic Division commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

                              {time}  1720

  It does not strike me as the proper role for Congress, particularly 
through an appropriations rider, to overrun or overrule regional and 
local governments on this matter.
  While the commission's work could be further discussed, I am also 
concerned that this implicates funding provided to the Delaware River 
Basin Commission as community project funding on behalf of a Member of 
this body.
  For those reasons, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to think about all 
this. I will be voting against this amendment, but I think there is a 
little more homework that has to be done on this one.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I have done my homework for years now, and 
it is the same song every time because nothing changes. While I agree 
with the gentlewoman from Ohio--she does know something about this and, 
of course, it is allowed in Ohio, but she said that it is not 
appropriate to overrule regional and local governments, but that is 
exactly what the DRBC does. It overrules regional and local government.
  By the way, it overrules the Commonwealth Government. While the 
Governor has a say, there are four other voting members who can 
overrule that Governor. Quite honestly, what we don't need is somebody 
from another State telling us how to run our business.
  There is no political accountability. We don't vote for people in 
Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. They are wonderful people, and we 
appreciate them, but our job is to represent Pennsylvania. That is what 
I am doing. Pennsylvanians want to have access to their land and to 
their mineral rights, and they should have it, not unelected and 
unaccountable bureaucrats.
  Mr. Chair, I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 24 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 24 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       Sec. __.  None of the funds made available by this Act may 
     be used for the Delaware River Basin Commission.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, this amendment eliminates earmarked funding 
for the Delaware River Basin Commission.
  Unfortunately, this bill includes an earmark providing nearly three-
quarters of a million dollars to the Delaware River Basin Commission, 
marking just the third time the Federal Government has provided the 
DRBC funding since 1998.
  The unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats at the DRBC have 
unilaterally instituted a hydraulic fracturing

[[Page H3813]]

ban for a portion of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, stripping away 
property and mineral rights from Pennsylvanians in direct contravention 
of the will of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth's legislature.
  The result is a prohibition on the development of critical shale 
plays in eastern Pennsylvania that can bring desperately needed natural 
gas to the market and the unconstitutional taking of the mineral rights 
of American citizens.
  This attack on Pennsylvania energy and American energy is at a time 
when residential natural gas prices are near record highs, and my 
friends on the other side of the aisle literally run ads saying that I 
increase their energy prices while they do it every single day and they 
are just about ready to do it again.
  It creates significant inflation for my constituents and the 
constituents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and it empowers our 
enemies abroad.
  The earmark in this bill rewards the radical commissioners with money 
from the very taxpayers and ratepayers the DRBC is attacking.
  Providing funds to such an out-of-control, radical commission is a 
step in the wrong direction that incentivizes others to follow its 
lead, and it keeps our energy costs high.
  This amendment would prohibit Federal funding for the DRBC, ensuring 
that we do not further incentivize this commission to attack American 
energy and the rights of Pennsylvania's citizens.
  Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this 
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, as I am listening to this debate, and I 
haven't studied the maps completely, it sounds like Pennsylvania's 
effluent flows into points east of Pennsylvania.
  Is that correct, Congressman?
  Mr. PERRY. Will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. KAPTUR. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. That is correct.
  Ms. KAPTUR. We understand this challenge from Ohio, Michigan, and 
Indiana. We have our own tristate issues there.
  This amendment prohibits funding for the Delaware River Basin 
Commission. It is hard to oppose the gentleman from Pennsylvania, but 
established by law through the Delaware River Basin Compact that went 
into effect in 1961, the commission consists of the Army Corps of 
Engineers and the four basin State Governors. Those States include 
Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.
  I guess any State could disagree, but the purpose of a commission is 
to try to get people to work together.
  The effluent that is flowing from Pennsylvania into New Jersey may 
have to be tested for its content.
  I don't really know, but the Corps of Engineers in these States work 
as equal partners for planning, development, and regulatory actions for 
the river basin.
  While the commission's work could be further discussed, my strongest 
reason for opposition to this amendment is that the underlying bill 
provides $715,000 to the Delaware River Basin Commission as community 
project funding on behalf of a Member of this body.
  The community project funding process allows Members of Congress to 
request funding for their community to meet urgent needs that they 
identify, and there is a rigorous process for the vetting and inclusion 
of community project funding including strict transparency and 
accountability rules.
  I am a little surprised that one Member would target another Member's 
community project funding through an amendment on the floor.
  Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to work together and to vote 
against this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, the community funding process, just 
understand if you are not familiar with congressional jargon, that 
equals earmark. That is three-quarters of a million dollars to this 
organization that heretofore hasn't needed the money because they 
extort members of the States that they exist in all kinds of fees, 
applications, and licensing agreements from townships and other 
municipalities for private individuals. That is how they are paid for. 
Yet now we are going to pay three-quarters of a million dollars from 
the Federal Government when we are $37 trillion in debt.
  While I am happy to agree that we should test the effluent, I am good 
with that, but apparently we don't care about the effluent from Ohio to 
Pennsylvania or from Pennsylvania to Ohio where we conduct the same 
activity. Oh, by the way, there have been no cases of any issue where 
hydraulic fracturing caused some effluent issue that I know of or that 
I imagine my counterpart on the other side of the aisle can speak to.
  As a matter of fact, I said that the Obama-era EPA said that it was 
completely safe.
  While I agree that we should do those things, and if there is a 
problem we absolutely have to get after it, but we are just throwing 
money at this thing when there is no evidence that there is a problem. 
There is zero evidence that there is a problem, number one, and there 
is zero evidence that they need any of this money, but there is $37 
trillion of evidence that we don't have the money to pay for it.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 25 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 25 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 33, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $350,000,000)''.
       Page 74, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $350,000,000)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would eliminate funding for 
the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, program.
  Modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as 
DARPA, the agency funds research and development of advanced energy 
technologies.
  It sounds like a noble goal.
  Despite a purported goal to identify and promote revolutionary 
advances in energy, the agency is more focused on misguided, 
ineffective climate and so-called green priorities.
  For years, ARPA-E has drifted from its mission and provided grants to 
companies and projects that are neither high risk nor something that 
the private sector cannot and does not support.
  Among recent awards, ARPA-E has supported the Net-Zero Game Changers 
Initiative, which is subsidizing climate-warming refrigerants and 
Jetsons-style electrification of aviation.
  With all due respect, as a member of the Transportation Committee, if 
they want to electrify aviation, God bless them. Let them and the 
Wright brothers from the gentlewoman's great State of Ohio invest. It 
is always better when the private sector invests. It is always more 
efficient, and the outcomes are always better.

                              {time}  1730

  The Trump administration has also called for the elimination of this 
program, and rightly so, recognizing the private sector's primary role 
in taking risks to commercialize breakthrough energy technologies with 
actual, real market potential, not made-up ones by the good idea fairy 
from the Federal Government.

[[Page H3814]]

  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the 
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, my colleague's amendment would eliminate 
the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA-E.
  ARPA-E's mission is to fund projects that are not yet addressed in 
the private sector but can bring about a transformational shift in 
current energy technologies.
  Nearly 75 percent of ARPA-E awards go to small businesses and 
academia. ARPA-E projects have led to over 1,200 patents being issued 
and have attracted more than $14 billion in followup funding from the 
private sector. I have actually witnessed this with many companies, Mr. 
Chair, and this has been a very successful program.
  Perhaps to ease my colleague's concerns and his great desire to 
reduce funding, the bill already includes a 24 percent reduction from 
fiscal year 2025 to ARPA-E funding. Therefore, I must respectfully 
oppose the amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I certainly appreciate the chairman's view. I 
think his view is actually the same as mine, recognizing that it has 
already had a 24 percent reduction. Quite honestly, that is great that 
it has produced all of these patents, but wouldn't it be better if the 
private sector produced those patents? Right now, the American taxpayer 
is paying for those patents, but you know who is not getting any of the 
money, the royalties, or the licensing for those patents? The very 
taxpayers who pay the bill.
  Again, I get that many see this as a great jobs program, and it 
provides a lot of great things for America, but those things should be 
provided by the private sector because we simply cannot afford to pay 
for all of this stuff. Something has to give.
  The private sector wants to make money. It wants to get patents. It 
wants to license things. Good for them. They should do it. The American 
taxpayer doesn't want to pay for it. If they are paying for it, where 
is the return on the investment?
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 26 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 26 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 37, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $13,000,000)''.
       Page 74, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $13,000,000)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, this amendment eliminates funding for the 
Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program and transfers 
that savings to spending reduction. This is another wasteful, so-called 
green energy handout program that should be and must be eliminated.
  The ATVM Loan Program has been plagued by a failure to produce viable 
products, political favoritism, inefficient use of taxpayer funds, a 
failure to create promised jobs, and a significant potential for fraud 
and misrepresentation.
  Unfortunately, this is to be expected from this kind of program. The 
very nature of the program ensures that it will be the government 
selecting winners and losers based on political considerations, as 
opposed to actual marketable technologies.
  Instead, we can and must empower the market to provide consumers with 
products they actually want rather than forcing them to adapt to 
whatever technology the bureaucrats and good idea fairies in 
Washington, D.C., think they want or demand that they want.
  Despite the massive amount of subsidies provided through this program 
and others to electric vehicles, it is clear that the majority of the 
American people do not want them.
  The government-funded EV bubble appears to be deflating. The truth 
is, 98 percent of all cars on the road today are gas-powered, and 97 
percent of all annual car purchases are gas-powered.
  I am not against EVs. If you want to buy one, God bless you, go buy 
one. It is just that the Federal Government should not be involved in 
it. What is the proper role of the Federal Government in buying your 
car? I submit it is not the proper role.
  Despite literally paying folks to produce and buy these cars, overall 
market penetration has been minimal, sales are slowing, and consumer 
sentiment is moving away from EVs.
  According to McKinsey & Company, the place where the last Secretary 
of Transportation worked, 46 percent of current battery electric 
vehicle owners are likely going back to internal combustion engine 
vehicles for their next purchase.
  Consumer Reports found EVs to be associated with 79 percent more 
problems than conventional vehicles. It is absolutely clear that this 
program has failed, and we need to stop the forcing of Americans to 
transition to EVs, even though we think that they should and they don't 
want to.
  It is long past time to finally bring an end to the green new scam 
and defund this misguided program, as well as all the other DOE loan 
programs that pick winners and losers based on politics rather than 
markets.
  Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this 
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I say to the fine gentleman from Pennsylvania 
that I drive a conventionally powered car. I put gasoline in my car. I 
don't have a favorite. I had a brother who was a race car driver, so he 
tried everything.
  This amendment, though, would strike all funding provided in our bill 
to oversee and administer the Advanced Technology Vehicles 
Manufacturing program, ATVM for short.
  All I have to say is that we need lots of hands on deck in inventing 
the new overground transportation systems for this country because, 
globally, we are falling behind, and the companies know it.
  This program is currently responsible for carefully vetting and 
conducting oversight of more than $30 billion in loans that are either 
active or have conditional commitments. There are ATVM loan projects 
across the country, across industrial America--my colleague and I share 
that, both bounty and struggle--in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, 
New York, Michigan, and Indiana. These are projects that support the 
production of advanced vehicles, vehicle components, and critical 
minerals.
  I am actually fast at the task of building a Toledo car because I 
don't want all of those gizmos they put on the cars today. You are 
forced to buy it when you go in, but you don't want it. Then, if it 
breaks, it costs $500 or more to get it fixed. People don't want all of 
that stuff. If they want the stuff, let them select it.
  However, the ATVM program is projected to add almost 40,000 jobs 
nationwide, and we need it. Today, we are faced with an amendment to 
undercut those investments and jobs across our country.
  Even for those who do not support the critical work of this program, 
eliminating this funding is truly cutting off our nose to spite our 
face.
  Mr. Chair, if you want to increase fraud or hinder the ability of the 
Federal Government to interact with private business quickly and 
efficiently,

[[Page H3815]]

then, by all means, vote for this amendment. I, however, will vote 
against it because we must continue to invest in the manufacturing 
expertise of this country. I underline ``manufacturing,'' not 
``copying.'' I mean building, creating, innovating. I want to make sure 
we do so as efficiently and responsibly as possible.
  Without the necessary support to advance and oversee these 
investments, we risk our national security by letting our international 
competitors, China in particular, outpace our efforts at home.
  I urge my colleagues to vote against this misguided amendment.
  I have staff members who drive hybrids. They like those. I don't like 
the particular hybrid one of them drives because it is too close to the 
ground and you feel the road too much.

                              {time}  1740

  We all have opinions based on what size we are and how we can see out 
the windows and all, but I really do think that anything that has to do 
with advanced technology vehicle manufacturing is something I do not 
want to displace in the array of options that we have as a country. 
There is too much at stake here.
  We have just seen the rebirth of the steel industry and are fighting 
for that every day. I was just up at the Soo Locks in Michigan looking 
at our ability to move steel and other material from Duluth all the way 
down through the seaway and then out to the world. We are working very 
hard on reinvesting in manufacturing America.
  Madam Chair, I would not at all support the elimination of this 
program or the cutting short of this program at a time when America 
really needs it. So much of our componentry has been shipped offshore 
because they pay cheap wages. They pay penny wages, and they can move 
componentry.
  Madam Chair, I had something happen to my car, and they took out the 
part. Sure enough, a foreign part failed. I could have been killed. You 
look at this, and I thought: I know this wasn't made in our country. 
Where was it made? You can guess.
  We have to restore American manufacturing. I think that this is one 
way that we can do it.
  We also have to invent new fuels. We, in our region, flew the first 
biofueled F-16 aircraft in this country. It didn't crash. They loved 
it. We are inventing the new fuels of the future, biofuels.
  Half of the corn and soy in my region goes into fuels. It is a good 
thing it does because we have lost our agricultural markets to Brazil 
and Argentina selling to China, so our farmers aren't exporting into 
China anymore because of what is happening globally in the marketplace.
  For manufacturing America, I oppose the amendment because I want 
invention here. I want manufacturing here.
  Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is 
remaining.
  The Acting CHAIR (Mrs. Miller of West Virginia). The gentleman from 
Pennsylvania has 2\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, the gentlewoman from Ohio and I certainly 
agree that we shouldn't be forced to buy things for vehicles that we 
don't want. They are heavier. They are more technologically sensitive. 
I mean, you are essentially driving a computer around. Like the 
gentlewoman said, when it breaks, you are paying through the teeth for 
the whole thing. We certainly agree on that.
  Yet, Madam Chair, that is all being forced on us by Washington, D.C. 
It comes out of this town. That requirement and those mandates come 
from this town.
  To the 40,000 jobs that this supports, Americans are great at 
building cars. I don't care whether you drive a hybrid, an electric 
vehicle, or a traditionally powered vehicle, including diesel. That 
should be your business. Yet, this picks the winner and says: You are 
going to drive an electric vehicle, subsidizes it, subsidizes the 
manufacture of it, and then subsidizes the purchase of it.
  Madam Chair, no one is subsidizing the purchase of my vehicle. It has 
340,000 miles on it.
  Even Elon--I talked to him, once a darling of the left, now much 
supported by the right--agrees that there should be no subsidies for 
these vehicles. He doesn't want subsidies on anything, and I agree with 
him on that.
  As far as being in competition with China, unfortunately, China 
provides the vast majority of what makes these vehicles work. We are 
buying this stuff from our enemies. Let's buy it from Americans and let 
Americans determine what they want. What they have said is that they 
don't want EVs forced down their throats.
  If they want to buy one, they can buy one. If they don't, then they 
can buy whatever they want. I am just saying that the government 
shouldn't be involved in paying for it. It is not fair to people who 
don't buy them and have to pay for them anyhow.
  Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 27 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:
       Page 33, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $35,000,000)''.
       Page 74, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $35,000,000)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, Federal loan guarantee programs transfer the 
risk of the loans to the taxpayer, pure and simple. As with any 
government subsidy, they reduce market discipline of loan recipients. 
You are not worried if you are getting a loan because the taxpayers are 
going to pay it. You don't care whether you produce anything or not.
  The checkered past of the DOE's loan guarantee program demonstrates 
that it is not immune from these concerns. Among the most egregious 
examples of title 17 loan failures are Solyndra, Fisker Automotive, and 
A123 Systems. All three entities received hundreds of millions of 
dollars in loan guarantees, paid for by the taxpayer, before filing for 
bankruptcy and leaving the taxpayer holding the bag and getting nothing 
for it.
  To add insult to injury, A123 Systems and Fisker Automotive were 
purchased by Chinese companies for pennies on the dollar. The taxpayers 
paid, and China was enriched, meaning the CCP was the ultimate 
beneficiary.
  Madam Chair, this is crazy that we are even talking about this. What 
government supports another government that says that they are your 
enemy or that you are their enemy? China has said that we are their 
enemy. Yet, we are selling them, at pennies on the dollar, these 
taxpayer subsidized failures. It is outrageous.
  Madam Chair, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act provides for 
approximately $11.7 billion for the Loan Program Office to issue new 
loans. This additional funding raises significant concerns that the 
program will, once again, be used as a piggy bank for energy sources 
and vehicles that the American people don't want and that drive up 
costs to consumers.
  People will ask why everything costs so much. It is because we are 
subsidizing it. When you are guaranteeing the loan and the loan fails 
and you are on the hook for it, the American taxpayer doesn't know that 
they cosigned these loans, but they did.
  Like I said, to add insult to injury, then China gets the place. It 
is unbelievable that we should even have this conversation, but we do.
  Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

[[Page H3816]]

  The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, this amendment would effectively 
eliminate the administrative expenses for the loan guarantee program.
  That would do two things: First, it would prevent any new loans for 
nuclear projects. Second, it would remove the Department's ability--
this is very important--to conduct oversight for the existing loan 
portfolio. That is moneys that have already been loaned.
  As the Chair may know and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
know, I am a champion for nuclear energy in this great Nation of ours, 
and I am so proud of the way that we are moving forward. This program 
is so critically important to the development of our new nuclear 
technologies.
  The administration is counting on the Department's loan programs to 
revitalize the nuclear industry and deliver advanced reactors to the 
electric grid for years to come.
  Nuclear energy represents our best option to meet our energy demands 
for the future in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective way. This loan 
program will be an important part of that strategy.
  In addition, eliminating the loan program's administrative expenses 
would jeopardize the government's ability, again, to receive loan 
payments and ensure the financial health of the existing portfolio. We 
must ensure proper oversight of taxpayer funding.
  Madam Chair, for these reasons, I must respectfully oppose the 
amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I certainly respect the chairman of the 
committee and his views, and I say this: Next year, when I offer this 
amendment, I will leave some room in there for administrative purposes 
to oversee the loans that are already out there. That is a fair 
argument.
  Yet, I would say this, too: I am the proud Representative of Three 
Mile Island, which is going to be reopened without any government 
assistance. It is privately owned. They made a deal with Microsoft, 
which just proves the point.
  The American taxpayer already pays the rates for electricity. They 
are already paying the investors for the investment in nuclear, and I 
am a great supporter of nuclear. I just don't think it should be the 
position of the Federal Government to take money out of people's 
pockets to pay for these things.

                              {time}  1750

  Madam Chair, maybe you live in an area where you are not serviced by 
nuclear power. Maybe you live in south central Pennsylvania where Three 
Mile Island is going to reopen, but all the money and all the power is 
going to go to Microsoft. Why should the consumer pay for that?
  I am sorry. We have figured out how to do nuclear power and do it 
well in the United States of America. Quite honestly, probably one of 
the only times it is screwed up is when the Federal Government gets 
involved with it. I understand the chairman's position and I appreciate 
it.
  Madam Chair, I still urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 28 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 62, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $13,319,727)''.
       Page 74, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $13,319,727)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I rise to offer this amendment to reduce 
funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission, or the NBRC, to 
fiscal year 2019 levels.
  We are changing up here a little bit. We are looking for ways to 
reduce spending so the American people can keep their money, so we 
don't have to go further into debt. This is just another unnecessary, 
redundant program. Like the other regional commissions, the NBRC 
provides economic development assistance to projects in various States, 
in this case, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.
  These commissions simply serve as a slush fund for parochial and 
regional projects with little to no national nexus. There is no Federal 
connection to these things.
  Let's take a look at some of the funded programs taken from the 2022 
annual report, which is the latest one available: $304,000 to purchase 
a sound system for an auditorium in New Hampshire, over $350,000 to 
expand rail yard capacity in upstate New York, another $350,000 for a 
sailing center on Lake Champlain.
  Madam Chair, these projects are probably awesome. They are probably 
all great. Some of them ought to be funded by private investments and 
others should be funded by States or localities. Instead of pandering 
to special interest groups, we must pare back these wasteful programs 
that only serve as a boondoggle for a limited slice of Americans.
  The sailing center on Lake Champlain sounds awesome, but most south 
central Pennsylvanians aren't going there, but they are paying for it. 
They get to pay.
  Let's be clear: This amendment does not zero out the commission's 
funding. It simply reduces the funding to pre-pandemic, pre-Biden 
spending levels.
  I think most people agree we are spending too much money. Let's start 
there and see how we can do better.
  Madam Chair, I urge adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, the gentleman's amendment reduces funding 
for the Northern Border Regional Commission by $13 million.
  The Northern Border Regional Commission is a Federal-State 
partnership focused on economic and community development within the 
most distressed counties in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New 
York.
  Except for New York--but New York in the north is different than New 
York in the south--many of these States don't have very many Members of 
Congress.
  When you look at Vermont, I actually have more citizens in my 
district than the State of Vermont does in its entirety. The Northern 
Border Commission really does focus on places that often get ignored 
simply because those States don't have enough people in them to warrant 
the kind of attention maybe Pennsylvania gets because of its number of 
people, or California.
  The NBRC was created by Congress in 2008 to provide infrastructure 
and economic development assistance to projects in counties that had 
varying degrees of economic and demographic distress. These investments 
lead to new jobs being created.
  I have seen what it has done, for instance, in the Appalachian 
Regional Commission. It has taken a while, but I think many of our 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle from these States, where 
these commissions function, will agree and say it is the first time 
that kind of help has come in creating new businesses and trying to 
create roads that didn't exist and try to promote economic development 
in really some of the forgotten corners of America.
  It is critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of 
a thriving middle class. In some parts of the country, it is more 
difficult than others.
  I can guarantee where there has been deindustrialization because of 
the outsourcing of production, there ought to

[[Page H3817]]

be a whole separate set of activities that occur in those areas of the 
country, whether it is Kenosha, Wisconsin, whether it is Toledo, Ohio, 
or Flint, Michigan. One of the reasons the public is so unstable 
politically is because they are looking for an answer and neither party 
has been able to fully accommodate the needs of those places.
  I think we are becoming more sensitive to it, and these commissions 
provide us a very important means to do it.
  Madam Chair, I oppose the gentleman's amendment. Actually, I think 
part of Pennsylvania, is it not covered by the Appalachian Regional 
Commission? Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. PERRY. I will get to that one later.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I just think that when you look at some of the money that 
goes out to different places in the country, Pennsylvania hits higher 
than Ohio does actually. For us, the Appalachian Regional Commission in 
southern Ohio has been just terribly important.
  Has it been the most important vehicle for restoring what was lost or 
trying to convert to other economic activities? No. Are we crawling 
forward? Yes. At least we are not falling behind even more.
  Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment, but I 
have to oppose it.
  Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Chair, I certainly appreciate the gentlewoman's 
arguments. I just say that there is a guy named ``Friedman'' who was 
traveling overseas. He came upon a public works project. Everybody was 
down in the ditch with shovels digging--many men digging with shovels, 
and he said to the person running the thing: What is with all of the 
shovels? Why don't you buy them some equipment so they can get this 
work done faster? The guy said: This produces a lot of jobs.
  Mr. Friedman said: Why don't you give them all teaspoons instead and 
you can have even more jobs, or at least the job can last longer.
  Of course, throwing money around produces jobs. As far as it being 
infrastructure, a sound system for an auditorium, while it is 
infrastructure, I don't think--many people think of infrastructure as 
roads, bridges, airports, ports, things like that, not a sound system 
or a sailing center. Those are nice things to have, but those are 
parochial. Those are local interests that should be provided at least 
by the State, not the people in the Federal Government. We have lost 
sight of the role of the Federal Government, which is why this 
amendment is in order.
  Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Rogers of Alabama). The question is on the 
amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 29 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 29 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 63, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $2,063,381)''.
       Page 74, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $2,063,381)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer this amendment to halve the 
funding for the Southwest Border Regional Commission, again trying to 
save some money by not spending money on redundant things.
  Yet again, this commission serves as a duplicative slush fund for 
parochial interests, this time for projects in the southern border 
regions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.
  This commission only had its first chairman confirmed in 2022 and was 
only funded starting in fiscal year 2021, so it is relatively recent.
  Look, I know folks on this side of the aisle care about the border. I 
imagine and hope that folks on the other side of the aisle care about 
the border. However, the answer to solving the border problems is to 
actually enforce our Nation's immigration laws, not to give $4 million 
to a commission that does not even appear to have an operational 
website.
  By the way, this current administration, the Trump administration, is 
handling the border, so we don't need to waste another $4 million on 
this commission.
  The commission received $250,000 in FY21 but is now being funded at 
$4 million in this bill for zero results.
  Can anybody show or tell me what the results of this commission are?
  Again, this amendment simply strikes this figure in half, so even 
though it is wasteful and useless generally speaking, I am only taking 
away half, which is still $2 million.
  I don't care whether you are from Ohio or south central Pennsylvania, 
$2 million is a lot of money.
  Mr. Chair, I urge support of the amendment, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces funding for the 
Southwest Border Regional Commission by $2 million.
  The Southwest Border Regional Commission was established by Congress 
in 2008 to address economic distress along the southern border regions 
of some pretty important places--Arizona, California, New Mexico, and 
Texas. In December 2022, the Senate confirmed the first Federal co-
chair for the commission.
  Think about the delay in the co-chair--that took a large number of 
years--which enables the commission to convene and begin other 
activities. I would place the burden there on the executive branch for 
waiting such a long time to nominate someone and on the Senate to 
actually clear the name.
  These investments lead to new jobs being created, and many of these 
places have very small towns that don't even have parking lots in their 
little bakeries or their restaurants. It is critical to support the 
rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class, 
especially in the forgotten towns and regions of our country.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment on 
behalf of people who are trying to better their way of life, against 
all odds.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, of course, all these States--Arizona, 
California, New Mexico, and Texas--are on the border. If we are funding 
this organization to deal with the border, I don't know what to say 
other than it is duplicative. If you disagree with that, I am not sure 
what to say to anybody about that.
  I have been to each one of these States, and of course, people who 
own a bakery want a parking lot. I had a business, too, and I wanted 
trucks and employees, and I needed tools. Do you know what I didn't do? 
I didn't go to the Federal Government for that. I sucked it up and paid 
into my business from the money that I made conducting my business, and 
I grew my business. That is America, not calling on the Federal 
Government to send a couple of million dollars because I want to make 
things nice for myself. We get it. We hope all Americans can do great 
things and make it nice for themselves.
  Our government is out of money. It is broke, $37 trillion and 
climbing. We don't have any money. All this is borrowed money, Mr. 
Chairman. Every cent of it is borrowed. Who borrows money to do things 
they don't need to do that somebody else in the government is already 
doing?
  Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).

[[Page H3818]]

  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.


                 Amendment No. 30 Offered by Mr. Perry

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 30 
printed in House Report 119-232.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Page 63, line 4, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced 
     by $16,003,526)''.
       Page 74, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $16,003,526)''.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 672, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment to reduce funding for 
the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, the SCRC, to fiscal year 
2019, so not zeroing it out, just taking it back to prepandemic levels, 
so we can try to afford some of the stuff that we are borrowing money, 
again, to pay for.
  Again, this commission serves as a duplicative slush fund for 
parochial interests. People say: Where does all of my tax money go? 
Here is another example. This time, it is for projects in Alabama, 
Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and 
Virginia.
  Again, many of these projects are worthy. The question is, should the 
Federal Government be paying for them, especially when the Federal 
Government doesn't have any money? The commission operates duplicative 
programs that are better addressed at the State and local levels.
  From 2010 to 2020, the SCRC received $250,000 annually, all without 
having an appointed Federal co-chair. Just think about that. I know 
$250,000 is nothing around this place, but there was nobody at the 
wheel that whole time. That number has now ballooned to a whopping 
$16.25 million in this bill.
  There is absolutely no reason for that dramatic increase in funding, 
especially when funding projects with no national nexus, like electric 
vehicle charging stations, stormwater management, and green 
infrastructure, according to their own 2023-2027 strategic plan.
  There is a charging station down the street from me. The owner of the 
place put it in. He probably got money from the Federal Government. 
That is probably why he did it. He probably wouldn't have done it on 
his own. I have to pay for it. How is it fair to me? I don't own an 
electric vehicle. A lot of people don't own one, yet we are paying for 
this one.
  Our constituents simply do not have the money for these projects that 
have no impact on their lives because they don't live there. In many 
cases, it drives up inflationary spending, which is the $37 trillion I 
keep referencing.
  Every time we borrow money here, it makes everybody else's prices go 
up. We have to quit borrowing it, especially to pay for things that we 
can't afford, don't need, and somebody else is already doing.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces funding for the 
Southeast Crescent Regional Commission by $16 million, a commission 
that was established in 2008, but unfortunately, the Governors of the 
respective States did not appoint those who were to manage the 
Southeast Crescent Regional Commission until just a couple of years 
ago, so there was no way that it could get off the ground.
  If you have traveled in that region of America, you would come back a 
different person, so I urge you to do that.
  The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission's mission is to build 
sustainable communities and strengthen economic growth across the 
Southeast region, including places in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The 
Southeast Crescent Regional Commission invests in the region's economic 
future through a grant program, publishing research related to the 
region, and income-producing learning experiences.
  Many people there have never started a business, but they want to. 
You must have had a good father or mother to help you get into 
business--I don't know--but it is important that opportunity be seeded 
in all parts of our country to help communities seize opportunity, 
address economic disparity, and advance prosperity. It is critical to 
support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle 
class, where possible.
  Mr. Chair, I also wanted to mention the gentleman voted for the big 
billionaire bonanza bill that added $4 trillion to the U.S. debt.
  Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this 
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I certainly thank the gentlewoman for her 
viewpoints and comments. I have lived in Florida and Georgia--they are 
wonderful States--and traveled through all the rest.
  I have an awesome mother who helped me in that business and was a 
part of it. I don't know my father. That is American ingenuity. That is 
striving even against all odds, like the government, your taxes, your 
insurance, your payroll, your receivables. We have done it, and we did 
it without the help of the Federal Government. Many people want to do 
it. Some people get help from the Federal Government. It is unfair to 
those who do not.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
will be postponed.

                              {time}  1810

  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Fleischmann) having assumed the chair, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Acting 
Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, 
reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill 
(H.R. 4553) making appropriations for energy and water development and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for 
other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

                          ____________________