Fedorchak votes to fund key FY26 energy, public safety, and national security priorities

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) voted to advance a package of FY26 appropriations bills funding Energy and Water Development, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Interior-Environment programs. The package advances House Republicans' efforts to complete government funding through regular order and is estimated to lower FY26 spending by nearly $2B from current levels. Among other provisions, the package includes the largest investment in critical minerals extraction, reverses Second Amendment overreach, supports tribal communities, and continues modernizing our nuclear stockpile.

"This funding package strengthens nuclear energy, reliable baseload power, and grid security while delivering real support for law enforcement, public safety, and access to our public lands," Fedorchak said."Importantly, it advances our appropriations work through regular order-without a bloated omnibus-and reflects a more disciplined and transparent approach to government funding."

Key provisions include:

Energy wins

• Supports one of the largest investments in mining production technologies for critical minerals extraction in decades, reducing reliance on foreign sources.
• Funds small modular reactor and advanced reactor demonstration projects and increases funding for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speed up the review, licensing, and oversight of new nuclear reactors.
• These investments are key to regaining international dominance in the nuclear market and achieving the Trump administration's goal to expand nuclear energy capacity from 100 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by 2050.
• Increases investments in new baseload geothermal energy technologies to capitalize on our vast domestic resources.
• Funds cybersecurity efforts to secure the electric grid.
• Increases funding for new oil and gas production research
• Reduces our reliance on foreign countries by prioritizing reviews of domestic mining claims.
• Increases funding to permit onshore and offshore energy development at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Land Management.
• Encourages the administration's ongoing review of costly and burdensome Biden-era rulemakings that hinder manufacturing and energy development and prevent access to our public lands.
• Prevents an Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of sage-grouse to enable continued energy and mineral development across the West.
• Eliminates the Biden-era Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
• Includes zero funds for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Justice and Equity.
• Eliminates funding for environmental justice.

Public lands wins

• Prevents attempts to delay access to public lands for grazing.
• Prevents additional regulations on ammunition, ammunition components, or fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act or any other law.
• Fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which addresses budget shortfalls caused by nontaxable federal lands in 49 states, to support essential local services like education and public safety.
• Increases funding for law enforcement to protect the public on lands within National Wildlife Refuges and the Bureau of Land Management.
• Funds wildland firefighter pay to protect communities from catastrophic wildfires.
• Increases available funding to respond to emergencies in national parks.
• Exempts farmers and livestock producers from burdensome greenhouse gas permitting and reporting requirements.

Indigenous wins

• Increases funding to support the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women program.
• Increases funding throughout Indian Country to further the federal commitment to uphold trust and treaty responsibilities.

Second Amendment wins

• Reverses anti-Second Amendment overreach by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) by reducing overall funding by $40 million.
• Maintains longstanding 2nd Amendment riders, including:
• A prohibition on the use of funds to require certain export licenses for firearms.
• A prohibition on the use of funds to deny, or fail to act on, applications to import U.S.-origin "Curio & Relic" (C&R) firearms, parts, or ammunition.
• A prohibition on the use of funds to deny the import of shotgun models for sporting purposes.

National security wins

• Funds the continued modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and infrastructure.
• Provides funding to support the U.S. Navy's nuclear fleet.
• Provides funds to reduce the danger of hostile nations or terrorist groups acquiring nuclear weapons.
• Prohibits the sale of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the Chinese Communist Party.
• Prohibits access to U.S. nuclear weapons production facilities by citizens of China and Russia.
• Prohibits the Department of Energy from providing financial assistance to any foreign entity of concern.
• Combats the malign activities of foreign adversaries by increasing funding to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) by $44 million.

Law enforcement and justice wins

• Expands upon efforts created under the first Trump administration through the DOI Opioid Reduction Task Force to disrupt the illegal narcotics trade and address the opioid crisis.
• Increases funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) by $63 million to end the scourge of fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
• Supports DOJ grant funding for programs that assist law enforcement in addressing the opioid crisis, combat child exploitation, eliminate the rape kit backlog, and prevent school violence.
• Enhances multi-agency efforts to combat transnational organized crime and reduce the availability of illicit drugs.
• Mandates that the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) increase immigration adjudications and hold immigration judges accountable.
• Maintains strong support for state and local law enforcement through robust funding for Byrne JAG formula grants and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring grants.

AI, science, and research wins

• Invests in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum, and advanced manufacturing.
• Supports the critical NASA Artemis program to advance American leadership in space and counter the CCP's malign ambitions.
• Supports the American research enterprise to counter China's increasing investments in basic research and technology development.
• Increases funding for the National Weather Service to protect everyday Americans from severe weather.

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