Washington, D.C. – Today, the full House Committee on Appropriations met to consider Energy and Water Chairman Chuck Fleischmann’s (TN-03) Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The committee passed Chairman Fleischmann’s FY25 Energy and Water bill, a critical next step before the full House can vote to enact Chairman Fleischmann’s Energy and Water bill into law.
Energy and Water Appropriations Chairman Chuck Fleischmann said: “The American people and the world are looking to our leaders for vision and strength. I am proud that the Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water bill invests in our long-term energy security, strengthens our economic competitiveness, counters national security threats from Russia and China, and keeps America as the world’s leading scientific power. The FY25 Energy and Water bill is a win for fiscal responsibility, a win for national security, and a win for America. I am glad to see the bill pass out of the full Appropriations Committee today, and I thank my colleagues for their support and Chairman Cole for his leadership.”
Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole said: “Today, we’ve advanced an energy strategy that makes us safer and stronger in the future. We prioritize defense programs that modernize our nuclear weapons stockpile and capabilities and take action to reduce our supply chain vulnerabilities. America’s water resources, including waterways critical to commerce, and the vital work of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation are supported. We reject the Biden Administration’s work to stifle domestic production and further progressive activism at agencies. Chairman Fleischmann delivered a strong measure that reinforces the defense, economic, energy, and navigation sectors of the United States.”
Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Fleischmann’s full opening remarks are available HERE.
Appropriations Chairman Cole’s full opening remarks are available HERE.
Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill:
The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $59.190 billion, which is $999 million (1.7%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level and $139 million (-0.2%) below the President’s Budget Request including emergency amounts requested.
The defense portion of the allocation is $34.193 billion, which is $906 million (2.7%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level and $214 million (0.6%) above the President’s Budget Request. The non-defense portion of the allocation is $24.997 billion, which is $93 million (0.4%) above the FY24 enacted level and $353 million (1.4%) below the President’s Budget Request.
The bill prioritizes funding for agencies and programs that bolster our national security, energy security, and economic competitiveness.
Key Takeaways
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Bolsters our national security by upholding the nation’s nuclear deterrence posture, including:
- $20.339 billion for the continued modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and infrastructure.
- $2.119 billion to support the operational nuclear naval fleet, Columbia-class submarine reactor development, and research and development for current and future generations of nuclear-powered warships.
- $2.445 billion to reduce the danger of hostile nations or terrorist groups acquiring nuclear devices, radiological dispersal devices, weapons-usable material, and nuclear expertise.
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Strengthens our energy security and the national economy by:
- Robustly funding small modular reactor and advanced reactor demonstration projects, key to regaining international dominance in the nuclear market.
- Supporting one of the largest investments specifically focused on mining production technologies for critical minerals extraction in decades, reducing reliance on foreign sources.
- Rejecting the Biden Administration’s harmful pause on new LNG exports by removing the Department of Energy’s role in the LNG export application review process.
- Prohibiting modifications to Corps of Engineers nationwide permits critical for oil and gas development.
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Safeguarding energy and technology assets from being used by foreign adversaries, such as Russia and China.
- Prohibiting the Administration from selling crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the Chinese Communist Party.
- Prohibiting the Department of Energy from providing financial assistance to any entity of concern.
- Prohibiting access to U.S. nuclear weapons production facilities by citizens of China and Russia.
- Prohibiting the procurement of office equipment manufactured by Chinese companies.
- Facilitating the efficient transport of goods and commodities through improvements and maintenance of ports and waterways.
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Focuses the Executive Branch on its core responsibilities by:
- Mandating transparency from the Biden Administration in its implementation of the revised definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA.
- Rejecting the Biden Administration’s efforts to undermine water supply security in California.
- Rejecting the Biden Administration’s wasteful spending on climate change programs and prohibiting implementation of costly and impractical clean energy mandates.
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Supports American values and principles by:
- Allowing for the lawful carry of firearms on Corps of Engineers land in a manner consistent with state law and consistent with existing rules for other public land management agencies.
- Prohibiting the Biden Administration’s executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Prohibiting funds to promote or advance critical race theory.
- Allowing only the American flag and other official flags to be flown over federal government facilities.
- Prohibiting funds to implement COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates.
A complete summary of the FY25 Energy and Water bill is available HERE.
During the committee markup, Appropriations Republicans refused amendments offered by Democrats that would have:
- Reduced investments in nuclear demonstration projects, weakening our energy security and global competitiveness.
- Promoted or advanced critical race theory (CRT).
- Funded unnecessary and polarizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
- Allowed unapproved flags to be flown over federal facilities.
- Exposed Americans to religious discrimination.
Adopted Amendments
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Fleischmann #1 (Manager’s Amendment) – Makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
- The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
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Fleischmann #2 (En Bloc) –
- Extends authorities for the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act’s western water infrastructure programs.
- Prohibits funds for the DOE to finalize, implement, or enforce energy standards on distribution transformers, manufactured housing, air conditioners, and gas stoves.
- The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available HERE. Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available HERE. A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available HERE.
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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://fleischmann.house.gov/media/press-releases/appropriations-committee-approves-chairman-fleischmann-s-fy25-energy-and-water-bill