Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Chairman Mike Simpson
2007 Rayburn House Office Building
(202) 225-3081
Majority | Minority |
| Mike Simpson – Chair | Chellie Pingree – Ranking Member |
| Mark Amodei | Betty McCollum |
| Guy Reschenthaler | Josh Harder |
| Michael Cloud | James E. Clyburn |
| Ryan Zinke | |
| Jake Ellzey | |
| Celeste Maloy – Vice Chair |
FY26 Outside Witness Testimony Instructions - American Indian and Alaska Native FY26 Outside Witness Testimony Instructions - All Groups FY26 Member Day Hearing Instructions
Recent Activity
Good afternoon, everyone. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Indian Health Service Acting Director Benjamin Smith. Thank you for your leadership of the IHS, and for being with us today to discuss the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request.
I would also like to welcome and thank Congressman Tom Cole for joining us today in his role as full committee chair. Chairman Cole is the first Native American to ever chair the Appropriations Committee, and is a champion for Indian Country, ensuring that Tribes receive the resources they need to take care of their communities.
Thank you, Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Pingree.
Administrator Zeldin, welcome back to the House. It is great to have you testify before this subcommittee on the Environmental Protection Agency’s goals for the upcoming fiscal year.
As you well know, I am proud to represent the Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma.
For over 50 years, the Kerr Lab – which leads the U.S. in research and advancements on groundwater, aquifer recharge, and agriculture soil health – has established itself to be a premier EPA research center.
Kerr’s record of scientific achievements proves that the lab is well positioned to take on additional research opportunities to address growing environmental challenges and statutory mandates from Congress.
The Committee will come to order. This morning I’d like to welcome the 17th Administrator of the EPA, Lee Zeldin. Administrator Zeldin, welcome back to the House. I’m sure it feels different to sit on the other side of the witness table.
We are here to discuss the FY 2026 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA has ballooned in size over the last several years because the agency received $100 billion in supplemental funding outside of the annual appropriations process. That’s more than 10 times the annual funding of the entire Agency.
And we are now starting to learn from your work, Administrator Zeldin, that there are serious questions about where some of this funding has gone.
