The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing this week to examine the current state and work of the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, the department’s research and development arm.
But despite the stated focus, the hearing shapes up to be a prime opportunity for Democrats to express their concerns and get more details about White House-mandated spending freezes.
Since President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing spending, particularly on climate and renewable energy programs, Democrats have mobilized to defend Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure law mandates. They also worry about other DOE research activities.
In a letter last week, Senate Appropriations ranking member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), the Democrats’ top energy appropriator in the House, asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright about the status of the labs.
