Newhouse Votes for American Energy Dominance, Increased Hanford Funding

Press Release 
For Immediate Release: January 8, 2026
Contact: Matt Reed, (202) 713-7750 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement upon House passage of H.R. 6938, the conferenced Energy and Water Development, Interior and Environment, and Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act of 2026.  

"As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, my immediate focus in the new year is passing our remaining government funding legislation and avoiding another costly shutdown," said Rep. Newhouse. "This package gets us closer to that goal, with half of the bills having now been passed by the House. We worked hard over the last year crafting common-sense, conservative policies that rein in bloated spending, refocus taxpayer dollars on programs that support the federal government’s responsibilities, and bring home millions of dollars to Central Washington for essential projects." 

"I thank Chairman Cole and the Subcommittee Chairs for their leadership in getting this legislation across the finish line, and I urge the Senate to act swiftly and send this package to the President’s desk." 

Rep. Newhouse secured the following funding for projects in Central Washington. 

City of Oroville for Water System Improvement Project 

Amount: $1,400,000 

Project Description: The project will provide new water pipes that ensure safe and reliable water transmission to service the “North End” of the City’s water system. The City’s plan is to replace existing, undersized transmission mains with 12-inch transmission mains along 20th from Main St. to Juniper St., and along Juniper St. and Main St. from 20th St. to 23rd St. The project will also replace existing, undersized water transmission mains with 8-inch transmission mains along Deerpath Dr. from 21st St. to 23rd St., and along 23rd St from Deerpath Dr. to Westlake Ave.  

City of Othello for Regional Water Supply Project

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: The City of Othello has developed an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) strategy to mitigate declining water levels in the Wanapum Basalt aquifer. The ASR method has proven to be effective, and the City has progressed to the stage of predesign. This project will assistance with the next phase of design to build a permanent solution that will result in a sustainable, reliable, environmentally responsible water supply plan for the Othello region.

Town of Winthrop for Water Source and Distribution System Improvements 

Amount: $1,500,000 

Project Description: The proposed project will improve the reliability of the Town of Winthrop’s water source and distribution system. Specifically, the project will rehabilitate Well #2 for regular use that includes a new pump, motor, piping, electrical/controls, generator backup, and well house. It will also help make repairs to the Town’s East Reservoir, including waterproofing, concrete repairs, and altitude valve replacement. 

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT 

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $57.300 billion, which is $766.4 million below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level. The defense portion of the allocation is $33.223 billion, and the non-defense portion of the allocation is $24.077 billion. The bill prioritizes funding for agencies and programs that safeguard U.S. national security, unleash American energy dominance, and advance economic competitiveness.

Key Takeaways 

America’s Nuclear Deterrent and National Security: Provides funding for the continued modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and infrastructure, to support the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet, and to reduce the danger of hostile nations or terrorist groups acquiring nuclear weapons.

American Energy Dominance and Bolstering the National Economy: Invests in mining production technologies for critical minerals extraction to reduce reliance on foreign sources, invests in small modular and advanced reactor demonstration projects, facilitates the efficient transport of goods along America’s ports and waterways, maintains funding for cybersecurity efforts to protect the grid, and increases investments in new baseload geothermal energy sources.

Bill Highlights  

Army Corps of Engineers: $10.4 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which includes funding for operation and maintenance of the Lower Snake River Dams and USACE dams along the Columbia River. This also includes $3.5 billion for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

Hanford: $3.2 billion for Hanford cleanup activities, a $200 million increase from the previously enacted level. 

PNNL: 

• $8.4 billion for the Office of Science, which is $160 million above the enacted level. This account funds science activities within several national laboratories, including PNNL.
• $96 million for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility and $65 million for the Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory.
• $2.37 billion for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN).
• $2.9 billion for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Yakima-Tieton Canal: Requires the Bureau of Reclamation to determine whether the current wildfire-damaged and landslide imperiled state of the Yakima-Tieron Main Canal is an emergency within 30 days of enactment. Should Reclamation determine it is an emergency within 30 days of enactment, funding shall be provided within 30 days of the determination to the work operator of the canal.

INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES ACT 

The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $38.6 billion. The bill prioritizes unleashing American energy, ensuring access to public lands, promoting the reversal of harmful Biden-era rulemakings that have hamstrung farmers and industries, and rightsizing agency funding levels, including a $320 million reduction to the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, estimated at $550 million, and prioritizes funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management.  

Key Takeaways 

Bolsters U.S. national security and border protections by:  

• Reducing our reliance on foreign countries by prioritizing reviews of domestic mining claims.
• Increasing funding for oil and gas development to unleash American energy.
• Ensures funding to support wildland firefighters pay to protect communities from catastrophic wildfires.
• Providing $570.06 million for Tribal Public Safety and Justice programs, which is a $14.5 million increase over the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level, to support Tribal law enforcement.
• Expanding upon the efforts created under the first Trump Administration through the DOI Opioid Reduction Task Force to disrupt the illegal narcotics trade and address the opioid crisis, a program that had been eliminated by the Biden Administration.  
• Providing $18.5 million, an increase of $2 million above the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level, to support the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women program.
• Increasing funding for law enforcement to protect the public on lands within National Wildlife Refuges and the Bureau of Land Management.
• Increasing the funding available to respond to emergency situations in national parks.  

Champions American energy dominance and reduces regulatory burdens by: 

• Increasing funding for onshore oil and gas development at the Bureau of Land Management by $7.4 million.  
• Increasing funding for offshore conventional energy development by $11.2 million at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
• Encouraging the Administration’s ongoing review of costly and burdensome Biden-era rulemakings that hinder manufacturing and energy development and prevent access to our public lands.  

Bill Highlights 

Department of the Interior: Provides $14.54 billion for the Department of the Interior.

• Bureau of Land Management: Provides $1.34 billion for the Bureau of Land 
  Management.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Provides $1.65 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• National Park Service: Provides $3.27 billion for the National Park Service.

Environmental Protection Agency: Provides $8.816 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, which is $320 million below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level.

U.S. Forest Service: Provides $8.61 billion for the U.S. Forest Service.

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT 

The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provide a total discretionary allocation of $78.011 billion. The bill provides a non-defense discretionary total of $71.407 billion and a defense discretionary total of $6.604 billion. This represents an over decrease of 1.2 percent compared to the total effective spending of the fiscal year 2025 enacted level. The bill aims to focus agencies on their core mission by directing funds to support the fight against fentanyl, boost funds for state and local law enforcement, and invest in efforts to counter the Communist Republic of China.

Key Takeaways 

Bolsters U.S. national security by: 

• Supporting the American research enterprise to counter China’s increasing investments in basic research and technology development, and investing in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum, and advanced manufacturing.
• Enhancing multi-agency efforts to combat transnational organized crime and reduce the availability of illicit drugs – particularly fentanyl – by increasing funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) by $63 million.

Boosts programs that support everyday Americans and reflect American values by: 

• Maintaining strong support for state and local law enforcement formula grants and DOJ grant funding for programs that assist law enforcement in addressing the opioid crisis, combat child exploitation, eliminate the rape kit backlog, and prevent school violence.
• Leveling the economic playing field for everyday Americans by increasing funding to the United States Trade Representative by 18 percent to hold other nations accountable for decades of unfair trade practices.
• Including longstanding riders that support the 2nd Amendment and pro-life polices. 

Bill Highlights 

Department of Commerce: Provides a discretionary total of $10.514 billion for the Department of Commerce, which is 1.2 percent below the FY25 enacted level.

Department of Justice: Provides a discretionary total of $37.049 billion for the Department of Justice, which is 0.4 percent above the FY25 enacted level.  

Science: Provides a discretionary total of $33.196 billion for Science, which is 2 percent below the FY25 enacted level. 

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Provides $24.438 billion for NASA, which is 1.6 percent below the FY25 enacted level.
• National Science Foundation: Provides $8.750 billion for NSF, which is 3.4 percent below the FY25 enacted level.

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