Newhouse Commends Trump Action on Lower Snake River Dams

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement on President Donald Trump's memorandum revoking the Biden administration's executive actions targeting the Lower Snake River dams.

"Throughout my time in Congress, I have stood firm in my support for the Lower Snake River Dams and the critical role they play in our region's economy," said Rep. Newhouse.

"Today's action by President Trump reverses the efforts by the Biden administration and extreme environmental activists to remove the dams, which would have threatened the reliability of our power grid, raised energy prices, and decimated our ability to export grain to foreign markets. I want to thank the President for his decisive action to protect our dams, and I look forward to continuing to work with the administration for the benefit of the Fourth District."

The Memorandum signed today revokes the Biden Administration's "Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin" Memorandum.

This Memorandum directs the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to withdraw from agreements stemming from Biden's misguided executive action, including the December 14, 2023, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) filed in connection with related litigation.

The specified agencies will coordinate with the Council on Environmental Quality to review and revise environmental review processes related to the matters in the MOU, save federal funds, and withdraw from the MOU.

See the full announcement here.(link is external)

Background

During his tenure in Congress, Newhouse has led the charge in combating efforts to breach the four Lower Snake River dams.

In March of this year, Newhouse led a coalition(link is external)of lawmakers from the Pacific Northwest, backed by regional stakeholders, in introducing a package of legislation to protect the Lower Snake River dams and strengthen hydropower as a reliable, affordable source of base load energy.

In January of this year, Newhouse and Senator Jim Risch of Idaho introduced the Northwest Energy Security Act (link is external)to require the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure the Lower Snake River dams remain operational and continue to support the region's energy needs.

In October 2024, Newhouse criticized the Biden administration(link is external)for wasting taxpayer dollars on more studies to find ways to replace the energy produced by the dams.

In June 2024, Newhouse opposed the Biden administration's creation of a politically motivated Columbia River Taskforce(link is external), made up only of administration officials, to find ways to breach the dams.

In March 2024, Newhouse called out Secretary Jennifer Granholm(link is external)in a hearing for refusing to acknowledge the long-term implications of the Columbia River Systems Operation Agreement are a de-facto breach of the Snake River Dams.

In December 2023, Newhouse slammed the Biden administration's announcement of a package of actions and commitments(link is external)in the Columbia River System Operations (CRSO) mediation.

In September 2023, Newhouse led a letter(link is external)to then-Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallary addressing the lack of public and stakeholder input throughout the mediation process of the four Lower Snake River dams.

In June 2023, Newhouse hosted the House Natural Resources Committee(link is external)for a field hearing in Pasco, Washington on the importance of protecting the dams on the Snake River.

In August 2022, Newhouse held a rally(link is external)with over 100 community members from the Tri-Cities in Howard Amon Park to show support for the Lower Snake River Dams.

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