Committee Approves FY24 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill

WASHINGTON – Today, the Full Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2024 bill for the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 34 to 24.

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies bill provides $57.958 billion in discretionary spending, which is $1.963 billion below the FY24 President’s Budget Request. The bill provides $32.513 billion in defense spending, which is an increase of $1.113 billion above the FY23 enacted level, and provides $25.445 billion in non-defense spending, which is an increase of $143 million above the FY23 enacted level and $1.63 billion below the President’s Budget Request. The Subcommittee’s non-defense allocation is $19.865 billion, and the House bill includes $5.58 billion that is offset by clawing back the Democrats’ wasteful spending over the last two years. The bill prioritizes funding for agencies and programs that bolsters our national security, energy security, and economic competitiveness.

Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill

• Supports a strong national security by:
  • Providing $19.114 billion for the continued modernization of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and infrastructure;
  • Providing $1.946 billion for Naval Reactors to support the operational nuclear fleet, Columbia-class submarine reactor development, and research and development for current and future generations of nuclear-powered warships; and
  • Providing $2.38 billion for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation to reduce the danger of hostile nations or terrorist groups acquiring nuclear devices, radiological dispersal devices, weapons-usable material, and nuclear expertise.
• Prioritizes energy security and economic competitiveness by:
  • Supporting domestic uranium enrichment capabilities, including high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) availability, which is essential to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign uranium sources to power current and future commercial nuclear reactors;
  • Advancing small modular reactor and advanced reactor demonstration projects;
  • Providing more than $200 million for the production of critical minerals;
  • Requiring funds to be used by the Department of Energy (DOE) in a manner consistent with the research security provisions of the CHIPS and Science Act;
  • Prohibiting oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to be sold to any entity owned by or under the control or influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or to any other entity that intends to export to China; and
  • Investing in construction, operation, and maintenance of our nation’s ports and inland waterways to ensure goods can be moved safely to and from global markets.
• Reins in wasteful Washington spending by:
  • Rescinding $5.58 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

A summary of the bill is available here.

During the markup, Committee Republicans rejected amendments offered by the Democrats that would have:

• Continued wasteful funding for projects under the Title 17 loan authority and climate initiatives within the Inflation Reduction Act;
• Funded unnecessary and polarizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives;
• Promoted or advanced Critical Race Theory; and
• Exposed Americans to religious discrimination.

In addition, Republicans adopted the following amendments:

• Fleischmann (Manager’s Amendment) – makes technical changes to the report.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Newhouse – prohibits funds for DOE to finalize, implement, or enforce an energy standard on gas stoves.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Moolenaar – prohibits funds for DOE to finalize, implement, or enforce an energy standard on washing machines.
  • The amendment was adopted by a voice vote.
• Clyde – prohibits funding for any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office, training, or program.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 23.
• Clyde #2 – prohibits funds to be used for the renaming of Army Corps civil works projects.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 30 to 26.
• Moolenaar #2 – prohibits funds to entities that enter into, or maintain, partnerships or agreements with entities of concern, including those affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Cline – prohibits DOE funds to certain state-owned enterprises, including those owned by PRC.
  • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Chairwoman Kay Granger’s opening remarks are available here.
Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann’s opening remarks are available here.

Bill text is available here.
Bill report, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

Source