HOUSE PASSES ENERGY & WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL - CUTS $700 MILLION FROM EM CLEANUP PROGRAM

The House passed the (FY) 2026 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill, H.R. 4553 in a 214-213 vote on September 4. The $57.3 billion package would cut hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of programs for the Department of Energy (DOE), including over $700 million to the Office of Environmental Management. The bill includes numerous provisions to fund programs to develop and deploy nuclear energy and technology. See the details of these cuts below:

*FY2025 Enacted topline not available for all Offices

**NDAA only applies to Office and Programs that require authorization for Defense spending

***NNSA & DOE Discretionary total does not include $4.782 billion in Reconciliation resources for NNSA.

The Senate has yet to release Bill text for their version of the Energy and Water Bill, with the Senate Appropriations Committee at an impasse over funding increases. The Senate Bill is not expected to make cuts as large as the House Bill. 

The current continuing resolution (CR) extending FY2025 appropriations expires at the end of the month on September 30 meaning lawmakers must pass all of the appropriations bills or extend the CR to avoid a government shutdown on October 1. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (OK) said lawmakers are considering the latter option, mulling an extension of the CR that could potentially fall between November 6 and November 20. However, other lawmakers and Administration officials are proposing a CR extension that would last into December and even January. 

The Appropriations Bills can only allocate funding below or equal to the ceiling the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Senate Armed Services Committee Chair, Roger Wicker (AL) said that the Senate could look to pass its version of the NDAA S.2296, by next week, with debate opening on the Senate Floor later today (September 4, at 1:30pm). 

The House version of the NDAA (H.R. 3838) will likely be considered on the House floor next week, with the House Rules Committee looking to meet September 8 to consider the Act. 

ECA looks forward to discussing Energy and Water Appropriations, the CR, and more pertaining to the future of the EM Cleanup Program at the National Cleanup Workshop, held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington Virginia from September 24-25. To learn more about the Workshop and to register, click here! 

ECA will continue to provide updates on these items as they develop, and will provide and in-depth look at the House Energy and Water Bill later. For more information, check out our website, or review this report from the Congressional Research Service comparing the previous years’ Energy and Water enacted levels with H.R. 4553 and the President’s request.