Fleischmann Remarks at FY27 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill Full Committee Markup

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present to the Committee the Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

I’d like to thank Chairman Cole for his leadership and his commitment to moving the Fiscal Year 2027 process forward. 

I’d also like to thank Ranking Member DeLauro and my good friend and Ranking Member of the Energy and Water subcommittee, Ms. Kaptur, for their continued partnership. I value the conversations Ms. Kaptur and I have shared, and although we don’t see eye-to-eye on every aspect of the bill, I’m confident we’re closer to agreement than today’s debate might suggest.

I’d also like to extend my appreciation to all my colleagues for their engagement on this bill before us. Most notably, I would like to recognize my distinguished Vice Chair, Mr. Cloud, for his invaluable support and input in helping to shape this bill.

The FY27 Energy and Water bill provides $58.5 billion to uphold our commitment to safeguarding U.S. national security, unleashing American energy dominance, and advancing our economic prosperity. 

The bill delivers a historic investment in our national defense by providing $27.1 billion—an increase of $1.7 billion above FY26—for the National Nuclear Security Administration, prioritizing the modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and the U.S. Navy nuclear fleet.

We continue to fulfill our responsibilities to remediate legacy contaminated sites by funding Department of Energy cleanup activities. 

The bill strengthens our nation’s energy security by prioritizing research and development efforts on baseload energy sources and maintaining funding for programs that deliver affordable energy prices, a secure grid, and long-term energy stability for all Americans.

We continue our support for the Trump Administration’s efforts to expand domestic nuclear power capacity and advance American leadership in civil nuclear energy around the world. The bill also makes investments to secure our domestic supply chain of critical minerals and reduce reliance on China and other foreign adversaries. 

To ensure America remains at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation, the bill includes $8.5 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. This includes support for the Trump Administration’s Genesis Mission, which will harness our high-performance computing capabilities and leverage AI to help address our greatest scientific challenges.

America’s network of coastal and inland waterways facilitates transportation, commerce, and recreation across all states and territories, and connects us with the wider world. This bill advances our economic prosperity and promotes public safety, providing $9.8 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, including full funding of Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities, and funding for the highest priority construction projects on the inland waterways system. These improvements to our ports and channels will enable the United States to remain the most dominant energy producer and exporter in the world. 

Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation is prioritized for projects that increase water supply, assist in drought resilience, and support rural America. 

Mr. Chairman, this is a fiscally responsible bill that will strengthen our national security, advance our energy independence, and deliver reliable, affordable energy for the American people. I urge my colleagues to support it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.