Committee Fights Trump's Cuts to Energy Science

Why It Matters

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development is set to mark up the FY2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill on Friday, May 15, a spending bill that will determine funding levels for the Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation at a moment when all three are under significant strain from the Trump administration's proposed cuts and DOGE-driven restructuring.

The administration's FY2027 budget request proposes a 10 percent overall increase for DOE, but that increase is almost entirely driven by nuclear weapons spending. The Office of Science faces substantial cuts, with the American Chemical Society reporting an 11.2 percent reduction for non-weapons DOE operations.

The Army Corps of Engineers is already operating with more than $2 billion less than it received in each of the prior two fiscal years. And Congress is not expected to complete the FY2027 process before October 1, making this markup a critical early step in what is likely to be a prolonged fight.

A Budget Shaped by Weapons and Workforce Cuts

The DOE's FY2027 Budget in Brief puts total discretionary spending at $53.91 billion, an increase of $4.81 billion over the prior year. But the composition of that request is generating friction. The administration is proposing a 12.4 percent increase for nuclear weaponry while cutting the rest of DOE's operations, a trade-off that has alarmed the research community and set up a clash between the Republican-led subcommittee and Democrats who want to defend science funding.

The Energy Department identified thousands of nonessential positions at risk of DOGE cuts, and employees have described the internal atmosphere as "like a hostile takeover," with DOGE reportedly pledging to keep cutting until "the screaming starts."

DOE Secretary Wright also shared the results of a review of more than 20,000 grants with Congress on April 15, with more than 80 percent of grantees receiving notice to retain or modify their awards. Wright also defended the restructuring or cancellation of tens of billions of dollars in loan commitments from the department's Office of Energy Dominance Financing.

Subcommittee Chair Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) will preside over the markup. Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) has been direct about her concerns, warning at a prior hearing that proposed cuts to the Army Corps and Bureau of Reclamation are "not just misguided - they are dangerous," adding that "slashing their budgets and eroding their workforce endangers people's lives and public safety."

Water Development Funding and the Army Corps Shortfall

The Army Corps of Engineers' situation is particularly acute heading into this water development funding bill markup. According to the Congressional Research Service, the FY2026 budget request proposed $6.66 billion for USACE, $2.04 billion less than the roughly $8.70 billion provided in each of FY2024 and FY2025. The FY2027 outlook remains uncertain, and state and local water authorities have been lobbying aggressively to protect their projects.

The North Carolina State Ports Authority has spent $150,000 lobbying on FY2027 Energy and Water appropriations and Water Resources Development Act issues. The California Department of Water Resources has engaged in flood control and water infrastructure, including the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. The California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference has been pressing for Army Corps navigation budget support in both the FY2026 and FY2027 appropriations cycles.

Industry Lobbying

The breadth of lobbying activity tied to this energy appropriations committee markup reflects how many sectors have direct financial exposure to the bill's outcome.

The Solar Energy Industries Association leads all disclosed spenders with $1.36 million in lobbying on DOE solar programs and renewable energy policy. Nuclear sector interests (spanning weapons modernization, small modular reactors, uranium enrichment, and fusion research) account for roughly $1.175 million in combined lobbying.

The Southeastern Universities Research Association has spent $320,000 advocating for the Office of Science and nuclear physics funding at DOE's Thomas Jefferson Lab. Orano USA has filed $310,000 in disclosures focused on uranium enrichment and the nuclear fuel cycle.

On the research infrastructure side, Fermi Forward Discovery Group has specifically flagged the FY2027 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill in its most recent filing, lobbying on DOE Office of Science funding, high-energy physics, and lab infrastructure.

X-Bow Launch Systems disclosed $140,000 in lobbying directly tied to the FY2027 Energy and Water Development bill, focused on nuclear modernization testing. Framatome Inc. has lobbied on both FY2026 and FY2027 energy and water appropriations, with a focus on advanced nuclear fuel.

Multiple companies with exposure to DOE's loan portfolio (including Gevo Inc., which has spent $200,000 across five consecutive quarters) have maintained consistent lobbying on the DOE Loan Programs Office, now rebranded as the Office of Energy Dominance Financing, amid the restructuring Secretary Wright has defended before Congress.

The Computing Research Association noted on May 8 that a final FY2027 budget is unlikely before the November midterm elections, meaning whatever the subcommittee produces Friday will be the opening bid in a months-long negotiation.

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