Fleischmann Remarks at Budget Hearing on the Department of Energy

I would like to welcome Secretary Chris Wright to the Energy and Water Subcommittee this morning. Secretary Wright, thank you for joining us today to discuss the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Energy. Before I go into my prepared remarks, I’d like to express my sincere appreciation for your recent visit to the Oak Ridge Reservation in my district. I’d also like to thank you for maintaining an open line of communication, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with you through this process as we develop our fiscal year 2026 bill.

Mr. Secretary, you’ve had a busy 100 days. From ending the reckless pause on LNG exports on day one, to reversing extreme energy efficiency standards that would significantly increase prices for American consumers, to restarting decommissioned nuclear power plants, we have already seen the Trump Administration’s firm commitment to reverse the harmful policies and regulatory overreach of the previous Administration in order to unleash American energy dominance. The Department of Energy plays a critical role in ensuring America’s security and prosperity, and I strongly support many of the Department’s programs and activities. However, I applaud Secretary Wright and his team for working to find efficiencies and streamline operations.

While we are still awaiting the full details of the President’s fiscal year 2026 budget request, I am concerned to see such a significant reduction for the Office of Science. However, I’m pleased to see the Department plans to prioritize research in high-performance computing, AI, quantum, fusion, and critical minerals. The National Labs will continue to drive American scientific and technological leadership and ensure our nation remains at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation. The research done at our National Labs is essential to rebuilding our domestic critical materials production capacity, expanding American energy production, enhancing our national security, and competing with our adversaries like Russia and China. 

In addition to my support for the important work done by our National Labs, most people recognize me as a strong advocate for nuclear energy. Make no mistake, I am an advocate for an all-of-the-above energy strategy—to include natural gas and coal—because all facets of modern society benefit when there is abundant, affordable energy. But nuclear must be a foundational part of our energy strategy. So, while I’m glad to see the Department plans to focus on developing innovative concepts for nuclear reactors and researching advanced nuclear fuels, I do have some concerns with the proposed reduction to Nuclear Energy. 

We are at a pivotal moment in the development of nuclear energy technologies in the United States—the success of which are critical to regaining international dominance in the nuclear market and for our own domestic energy security. The previous Administration gave lip service to civil nuclear but ultimately failed to request the funding and resources required for its success. I expect to see a resurgence in civil nuclear power under the Trump Administration—and Federal investment is essential to ensure the successful demonstration of these first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear technologies for commercial deployment in the United States.

I’m pleased to see the budget request includes strong support for the National Nuclear Security Administration—but I would like to see more resources requested in NNSA’s base discretionary budget request, rather than assumed via reconciliation. The global strategic environment is rapidly changing. Our Nation’s nuclear deterrent is vital to our national defense, and NNSA is responsible for ensuring the United States maintains a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear stockpile. We spent two decades after the Cold War deferring any decisions about the future of our nuclear deterrent and, after decades of significant underinvestment, we were left with a nuclear security enterprise primarily working in facilities dating back to the Cold War and in some cases even the Manhattan Project.

Today, we are nearly fifteen years into the modernization and recapitalization of our Nation’s nuclear triad and entire nuclear security enterprise. It is imperative that we fully commit to the continued modernization of our nuclear weapons complex in order to rebuild our capacity, increase our capability, and respond more quickly to today’s global security landscape. We cannot take this incredible enterprise that has maintained peace and stability for eighty years for granted. 

Secretary Wright, I appreciate you being here today and I look forward to working together with you and my colleagues to develop a fiscally responsible bill that will strengthen our national security and advance our energy independence.