Senator Murray Chairs Hearing on Department of Energy’s Budget, Underscores: We Cannot Cut Investments Without Ceding Ground

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s questioning of Secretary Granholm***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, led a hearing on the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE)—at which she underscored the need for robust nondefense funding to continue propelling all of the Department’s vital work driving innovation, spurring clean energy solutions, and strengthening our national security.

“DOE’s work has a direct bearing on our national security, international competitiveness, and our ability to tackle the climate crisis. The investments we make at DOE protect our energy grid, drive down our dependence on foreign energy, drive down energy prices, and drive forward innovation in clean energy—and so much more,” said Senator Murray in her opening remarks. “At the Pacific Northwest National Lab in Washington state, we are always seeing how these investments fuel cutting-edge research. But this is a constant race against the clock that is the climate crisis, and against our competitors.”

“We cannot cut investments without ceding ground. We have to make sure breakthroughs in AI, quantum computing, clean energy, and so much else are happening here in America. And while we’re at it—we have to make sure the jobs that follow are staying in America too,” continued Senator Murray. “Unfortunately, House Republicans are already once again planning to ignore the bipartisan deal they cut last year on toplines and now push through drastic spending cuts to nondefense that are going nowhere. But, just like last year, we can choose a different path here in the Senate.”

Senator Murray asked Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm about how DOE will meet its obligations under the holistic agreement just struck for the management of tank waste at the Hanford nuclear site, stating: “I fought really hard to make sure the FY24 bill provided record funding for the Hanford Site in Washington state. So I want to reiterate how pleased I am that DOE, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and EPA have reached this holistic agreement now for the management of Hanford's tank waste. I understand the FY25 budget request has incorporated now that holistic agreement. We know the future holds some pretty steep increases to maintain compliance. How do you plan to meet the obligations that they just agreed to in that holistic agreement, particularly for the high-level waste facility?”

Secretary Granholm responded: “The good news is that the agreement incorporates—with timelines—the movement forward on the high-level waste treatment via direct feed. The agreement also makes sure we've got a strong path for out-of-state grout disposal, for example—the construction of additional million-dollar capacity for tank waste storage as well. We're excited to see this agreement, and we're excited to help fund it this year—obviously, to make that request. Thank you so much for your leadership in that. We also recognize we're going to need additional funding in years ahead if we are really to live up to the agreement and the path that set forward. So we look forward to working with you on that for next year's budget.”

Separately, Senator Murray asked Secretary Granholm about how the Department is incorporating feedback from the Tri-Cities community in Washington state as it implements its Cleanup to Clean Energy Initiative, which will use underutilize Hanford land for clean energy projects.

Secretary Granholm replied: “We have a number of Cleanup to Clean Energy sites because of course the legacy waste management issues—responsibilities that we have. We have met with the Tri-Cities, and we are going to continue to meet with the Tri-Cities. We know, and we're in constant contact with them about what they would like to see happen with the land. We know that there's an opportunity to have a partnership between what they would like to see on economic development and on powering that economic development with clean energy. The land has such potential for obviously solar, and we're excited about that. We've been meeting with the Tribes as well as the community on this. We think it's really important in all of these sites that the communities are hand-in-glove with us on it. And we will continue, obviously, to meet with the Tri-Cities area. Tomorrow, for example, we're meeting in Savannah River at that site with the community. We have informational meetings. We have direct meetings with the communities that are adjacent, and the Tribes that are adjacent, to make sure we have their input. So we will continue working with the community at Hanford.”

Senator Murray has worked tirelessly to support Hanford workers and ensure the federal government lives up to its cleanup obligations at Hanford throughout her time in Congress—beating back efforts by multiple administrations to underfund the Hanford cleanup. Murray secured a record $3.035 billion for the Hanford cleanup—$191.4 million above the fiscal year 2023 funding level in the fiscal year 2024 government funding package she negotiated and passed through Congress as Appropriations Chair, which was signed into law on March 9^th. With significant input from Senator Murray, the President’s budget for fiscal year 2025 requests $3.108 billion for Hanford cleanup—a $72.2 million increase above the record funding level enacted in March. In December 2023, Murray’s Beryllium Testing Fairness Act, to help Hanford workers suffering from toxic beryllium exposure, was signed into law by President Biden.

Senator Murray also asked Senator Granholm about the importance of funding for the Office of Science in supporting innovation across critical technologies like clean energy and AI.

Secretary Granholm noted: “On the earlier part of the spectrum, we think that quantum, AI, fusion, all of these advanced technologies have to be funded because we are facing global competition. We are number one. We're not going to lose that spot, and that's why the support from Congress to be able to fund that basic research is so important. The 17 National Labs are our jewels, as you know—you've got one in your state. The tools that are in those labs are essential for us to continue to move forward. The exascale computers for example—we continue to be number one. We have the top two exascale computers in the world, and we want to continue to have that and those are obviously important for AI as well. So on the earlier side of the spectrum, super important. You move across the spectrum from demonstration to deployment. Those are also important for us to be in the lead. We are not in the lead on deployment, but we can be. And that's why continuing to move across the spectrum is important. As you are aware, we have these joint strategy teams inside of the Department to make sure that both the research and development as well as the demonstration and deployment are all speaking to one another so that we are deploying with an eye to the future. And all of that is part of the strategy of how we reorganized the Department of Energy after BIL [the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law] and IRA [the Inflation Reduction Act] were passed.”

Finally, Senator Murray noted that the Treasure Department’s proposed 45-V rulemaking relating to DOE’s Hydrogen Hubs has thrown up serious roadblocks and need to be revised in order for the Hydrogen Hubs and other clean hydrogen projects to succeed as Congress envisioned—something Senator Murray wrote to the Departments of Treasury and Energy on late last year. The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub was selected for a $1 billion award alongside six other states. Senator Murray stated: “All seven of the hydrogen hubs have now made it clear that those rules need revisions for them to work. Major companies in this space have already announced that they're going to pull back hydrogen investments unless there are changes. You're not in charge of Treasury, but their final rule will affect the success of these hydrogen hubs and I wanted to ask you, are you working with the Administration to make sure that the final 45-V rule helps rather than hinders in this process?”

In response, Secretary Granholm said: “Yes we are. Very important—I mean your point is super important and that's why those 20,000 comments that we received, they are painstakingly being reviewed and we just got to make sure these work.”

Senator Murray’s full opening remarks, as delivered, are below:

“We are here today to discuss President Biden’s fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Department of Energy, including the National Nuclear Security Administration.

“DOE’s work has a direct bearing on our national security, international competitiveness, and our ability to tackle the climate crisis.

“The investments we make at DOE protect our energy grid, drive down our dependence on foreign energy, drive down energy prices, and drive forward innovation in clean energy—and so much more.

“At the Pacific Northwest National Lab in Washington state, we are always seeing how these investments fuel cutting-edge research.

“But this is a constant race against the clock that is the climate crisis, and against our competitors!

“We cannot cut investments without ceding ground. We have to make sure breakthroughs in AI, quantum computing, clean energy, and so much else are happening here in America. And while we’re at it—we have to make sure the jobs that follow are staying in America too.

“But it’s not just our economy that is at stake in the Department’s work—it’s our national security as well.

“For one thing, the climate crisis is more than a rolling series of devastating weather disasters, it is also an economic threat, and a national security threat—as our generals have warned us.

“Then, of course—DOE’s management of our nuclear activities has enormous stakes for our national security.

“And for the sake of our families—we have to take a balanced approach where we are investing not just in weapons, but in nonproliferation work, and environmental clean-up efforts.

“So while I appreciate the targeted increases in the President’s budget for non-defense programs like improving our grid and existing energy infrastructure, developing and deploying new energy technologies, lowering our emissions and tackling the climate crisis, and funding our scientific research enterprise, I have to say, I want to see a better balance than increasing nuclear weapons activities by 4% to nearly $20 billion, while decreasing nuclear nonproliferation and clean up by 4.5% and over 2%, respectively.

“Now, we proved last year, that when we set partisanship aside—we are capable of working through these issues in a productive way.

“We wrote solid, bipartisan bills for fiscal year 24 under some really tough toplines. 

“And, I even made sure we included historic funding for the Hanford nuclear clean-up in Washington state.

“That was huge progress—and I am pleased to see that this budget request includes funding to meet the obligations in the holistic agreement between the Department of Energy, EPA, and the Washington State Department of Ecology, because we do have a moral and legal responsibility to do right by our Hanford workers and the Tri-Cities communities—and I will not rest until we have lived up to that.

“I hope we can once again make good, bipartisan progress on that issue and many others.

“And I will remind my colleagues—the only way we are going to make that happen—is by working together, in good faith, and unfortunately, House Republicans are already once again planning to ignore the bipartisan deal they cut last year on toplines and now push through drastic spending cuts to nondefense that are going nowhere.

“But, just like last year, we can choose a different path here in the Senate—a bipartisan one.

“I know there are members on both sides who are concerned about how these tight caps will undermine our nation’s strength.

“And, as I have said from the start—I share those concerns and have made clear that any additional resources must be provided equally between the defense and nondefense sides of the ledger.

“Because, as we’ll talk more about today, both play a vital role in securing our nation’s future!

“Our measure of success should be: What does it take to stay ahead of competitors like China and lead the industries of the future? What does it take to keep our economy strong, create jobs, and lower prices? And what does it take to keep our nation safe?

“In other words: What does it take to actually meet the challenges we have before us?

“And hearings like this, are a crucial opportunity to help answer those questions.

“So I look forward to discussing these issues today with our witnesses and working with Ranking Member Kennedy and our colleagues to deliver the resources DOE needs to keep us on the forefront of innovation and progress and to keep America safe.”

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