Ranking Member Lofgren Criticizes Republican Majority for Thwarting US Competitiveness with Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—Yesterday, H.R. 4394, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act passed the House of Representatives. This bill will decide how much funding the Department of Energy (DOE) will receive in the FY 2024 budget. The bill lacks support for areas that are critical to the competitiveness of our nation, including fusion energy research and development.

“The Republicans’ Energy and Water Appropriations bill that moved through the House yesterday is a huge blow to our clean energy future,” said Ranking Member Lofgren (D-CA). “This bill undermines the bipartisan progress we made in the 116^th and 117^th Congress. It will increase energy costs for American families, hamstring the growth and modernization of our energy infrastructure, and weaken our national security. Extreme MAGA Republicans have substantially cut clean energy research and development programs at DOE, even as Americans across the nation face the dangerous impacts of the climate crisis and call for climate solutions

The Ranking Member continued, “MAGA Republicans also continue to ignore the bipartisan calls to advance the commercialization of fusion energy. Fusion is limitless and emission-free. We can choose to make strategic investments to ensure its success and set a strong path forward for a clean energy future, or we can watch as yet another technology invented in America gets brought to market by our competitors. The stakes couldn’t be higher.”

A fact sheet on the bill, prepared by the Democratic House Appropriations Committee, can be found here.

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