Newhouse Votes to Boost Nuclear Energy, Achieve Energy Dominance

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement upon committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

"The United States is at a critical point regarding the future of domestic energy production, and this legislation makes clear the prominent role nuclear energy and small modular reactors will play as we work to become truly energy dominant," said Rep. Newhouse.

Newhouse continues, "It also makes new investments into the Office of Science, which supports the mission at PNNL, and delivers the necessary resources to the Army Corps of Engineers to manage and maintain our critical hydroelectric dams. While there are further changes and funding increases that I would like to see in this legislation, specifically for Hanford and for PNNL, it serves as a strong starting point as we prepare to work with the Senate to support our nation's energy needs."

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $57.300 billion, which is $766.4 million below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level. The defense portion of the allocation is $33.223 billion, and the non-defense portion of the allocation is $24.077 billion.

The bill prioritizes funding for agencies and programs that safeguard U.S. national security, unleash American energy dominance, and advance economic competitiveness.

American Energy

• Supports one of the largest investments focused on mining production technologies
  for critical minerals extraction in decades, reducing reliance on foreign sources.
• Robustly funds small modular reactor and advanced reactor demonstration projects, as well as increases funding for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to expand capacity for the review, licensing, and oversight of new nuclear reactors.
• Facilitates the efficient transport of goods and commodities through improvements
  and maintenance of America's ports and waterways.
• Increases investments to develop new baseload geothermal energy sources to capitalize on our vast domestic resources.
• Maintains funding for cybersecurity efforts that enable a resilient, reliable, and secure electric grid.

Nuclear Deterrent and National Security

• Provides $20.662 billion for the continued modernization of the nuclear weapons
  stockpile and infrastructure.
• Provides $2.171 billion to support the U.S. Navy's nuclear fleet by investing in
  infrastructure and new technologies to maintain America's advantage over our adversaries.
• Provides $1.984 billion 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.
• Prohibits the purchase of technology and telecommunications equipment from China and other adversaries.

Bill text before amendments can be found here.(link is external)

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