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Here's a look at documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate
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Coast Guard Adm. Lunday Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security released the following testimony by Coast Guard Adm. Kevin E. Lunday from an April 16, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget:* * *
Chairman Amodei, Ranking Member Cuellar, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget and the historic results the Coast Guard is delivering for the American people.
The Coast Guard is a vital instrument of national power. We save lives. We control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritime ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security released the following testimony by Coast Guard Adm. Kevin E. Lunday from an April 16, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget: * * * Chairman Amodei, Ranking Member Cuellar, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget and the historic results the Coast Guard is delivering for the American people. The Coast Guard is a vital instrument of national power. We save lives. We control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritimeapproaches; facilitate the safe and secure flow of maritime commerce that is vital to our economic prosperity and strategic mobility; and respond to crises and contingencies. As a key member of both the Department of Homeland Security and the Joint Force, every mission we execute delivers proven value to our Nation. The American people depend on the Coast Guard, and we provide a remarkable return on their investment.
The Coast Guard is in greater demand now more than ever before. We are at the forefront of advancing U.S. national strategies in an era of persistent Great Power competition. To win, we must modernize and innovate. The President's National Security Strategy calls for a more robust Coast Guard presence to control vital sea lanes, combat illegal migration, and disrupt drug trafficking. The Coast Guard also directly advances the National Defense Strategy by defending the Homeland and deterring threats in the Indo-Pacific. Furthermore, we have a central role in restoring America's maritime dominance by increasing our presence in the Arctic, expanding our icebreaking capabilities, and rebuilding our maritime industrial base.
Under the leadership of President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, and with the support of Congress, the Coast Guard is emerging from a decades-long readiness crisis. A landmark $24.6 billion capital investment from the Working Families Tax Cut Act is fueling the most significant modernization in a century, transforming our Service into a more agile, capable, and responsive force equipped to confront the challenges and risks in this era of competition.
However, this historic investment is only a start. To complete this transformation, we require consistent, predictable annual top-line growth. The Fiscal Year 2027 Budget is the next critical step to support our people, grow our workforce, and expand our capabilities.
A Clear Return on Investment
In 2025, the Coast Guard demonstrated its extraordinary value as we fought to protect our Nation.
We seized a record-breaking 511,000 pounds of cocaine, preventing over 193 million lethal doses from reaching our communities and averting an estimated $2.3 billion in related healthcare costs.
Our search and rescue operations saved 5,220 lives and assisted over 19,000 people.
We launched three major operations to secure our borders:
* Operation Border Trident: Achieved operational control of the California coastal region, increasing interdictions by 44% over 2024.
* Operation Pacific Viper: Seized over 200,000 pounds of narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.
* Operation River Wall: Secured 260 miles of the Rio Grande River.
Last summer, we commissioned the Cutter Storis, our first new icebreaker in over 25 years. In a clear demonstration of our resolve, Cutters Storis, Healy, and Waesche intercepted and chased away five Chinese research vessels operating over the U.S. extended continental shelf in the Arctic.
Simultaneously, we facilitated a 13 percent increase in maritime commerce, ensuring the safe movement of 1.8 billion tons of cargo. From conducting high-profile boardings of illicit oil tankers to ensuring the security of our ports, the men and women of the Coast Guard execute our missions with unmatched excellence. In these dangerous and unforgiving environments, we lead our crews to conduct disciplined operations to get the mission done and safely return.
These successes were achieved by a force that in recent years has been stretched to its breaking point. To sustain this performance--and to meet the growing threats to our Nation--we must increase the investment in our readiness, workforce, and capabilities now.
Rebuilding the Readiness of the Service
Service readiness starts with the readiness of every Coast Guard man and woman, and their families. Upon that cornerstone we build the readiness of our crews and the entire force. Our people are our greatest treasure, and we must provide them with quality housing, childcare, medical services, and support systems they deserve.
The Fiscal Year 2027 Budget prioritizes these investments. It funds a pay raise for military Service members, with a targeted increase for our most junior members. It expands childcare services, funding a $35 million increase in subsidies to finally provide our members parity with their Department of War counterparts, and staffs two new Child Development Centers. Furthermore, we will strategically expand medical and logistics support at 35 Sectors, 24 Air Stations, and 22 Bases to ensure our people and assets are always ready. To enhance mission readiness, the budget allocates $124 million to address maintenance backlogs and provides critical parts to sustain current operations.
Growing our Workforce
To restore readiness and outpace our adversaries, the Coast Guard must grow by at least 15,000 military members. In 2025, we achieved our best recruiting gains since 1991, and our successes continue. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget builds on this momentum, requesting an increase of 5,768 positions, including $136 million and over 700 positions dedicated to expanding recruiting and training capacity.
To support national strategies, the budget adds 2,676 positions to bolster our frontline operators.
We will establish two new Cyber Protection Teams to safeguard our Nation's critical maritime infrastructure and expand our new Robotics Mission Specialist rating by 284 positions.
Additionally, we will begin to crew the assets funded by the Working Families Tax Cut Act, allocating 864 positions for new assets, including Arctic Security Cutters arriving in 2028.
Expanding our Capabilities
To navigate the Service into the future, we must equip our people with modern, capable assets.
The Fiscal Year 2027 budget continues and expands on recent capital investments, including $204 million to initiate the third stage of the Offshore Patrol Cutter acquisition--the future backbone of our surface fleet.
However, acquiring assets is only the beginning. The nearly 100 new assets funded by reconciliation require homeports, hangars, and infrastructure. This budget funds the necessary planning and design of these facilities and provides $306 million to begin constructing the infrastructure for the first two Arctic Security Cutters' homeports.
To enhance maritime dominance, we are embracing innovation. The budget invests $221 million in unmanned systems and counter-unmanned systems to provide persistent airborne and surface surveillance and reconnaissance. Additionally, it funds $50 million to deploy Coastal Sentinel--a suite of advanced sensors, networked communications, and analytic tools to defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches. Pairing our recapitalized fleet with these advanced capabilities will maximize our operational effectiveness.
The Way Forward: Securing America's Future
As the longest shutdown in history continues, the Coast Guard implores the House to pass the Senate DHS funding bill and work expeditiously to enact a second reconciliation measure by June 1st to provide sustained funding to ICE and Border Patrol.
Looking to the horizon, we are filled with certain hope. If our distinguished history proves one thing, it is this: with a ready Coast Guard crew and the strong support of the American people, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. With your continued support, and with the funding requested in the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, we will ensure enduring Coast Guard mission success for decades to come.
Semper Paratus.
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Original text here: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP15/20260416/119152/HHRG-119-AP15-Wstate-LundayK-20260416.pdf
Co-Chairman Smith Issues Opening Statement at Congressional-Executive Commission on China Hearing
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 16, 2026:* * *
Opening statement of Co-Chairman Smith at CECC hearing
Dark Nets, Illicit Labor--Confronting China's IUU Fishing and Seafood Supply
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The following are excerpts of Co-Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ)'s opening statement at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)'s April 16th hearing, entitled "Dark Nets, Illicit Labor--Confronting China's IUU Fishing and Seafood Supply Chain":
I want to recognize and thank Co-Chair Sullivan for his leadership on this issue and his long ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 16, 2026: * * * Opening statement of Co-Chairman Smith at CECC hearing Dark Nets, Illicit Labor--Confronting China's IUU Fishing and Seafood Supply * The following are excerpts of Co-Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ)'s opening statement at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)'s April 16th hearing, entitled "Dark Nets, Illicit Labor--Confronting China's IUU Fishing and Seafood Supply Chain": I want to recognize and thank Co-Chair Sullivan for his leadership on this issue and his longrecord of fighting to protect the American seafood industry and American fishermen.
In fact, on March 24, 2026, the Senate unanimously passed Co-Chair Sullivan's FISH Act--his comprehensive legislation to combat foreign illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Sullivan FISH Act will blacklist offenders from U.S. ports; bolster the U.S. Coast Guard's enforcement capabilities; and advance international and bilateral negotiations to achieve enforceable agreements. I am working with like-minded members of the House and our leadership to help ensure that Senator Sullivan's outstanding bill soon becomes law.
It is also important to note that last year's NDAA included a sweeping Sullivan amendment to prohibited Pentagon commissaries from serving Chinese seafood to our men and women in uniform. This is an important and giant step forward--exactly the kind of serious leadership required to address the challenge of Chinese IUU fishing.
From the earliest days of seafaring, the oceans have been governed not only by currents and commerce, but by rules--rules that distinguish lawful navigation from piracy, fair trade from exploitation, and order from lawlessness.
Today, we are confronted with a disturbing modern version of that lawlessness: a system of dark fleets, opaque supply chains, illegal fishing, and coerced labor that threatens not only American workers, but also human rights, the rule of law, and our national security.
Credible reporting and investigative findings have exposed deeply troubling practices within China's distant-water fishing fleet and seafood processing industry. These include widespread illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing--known as IUU fishing--as well as serious human rights abuses, including forced labor.
As our Commission heard in 2023 during the hearing I chaired, "From Bait to Plate: How Forced Labor in China Taints America's Seafood Supply Chain," a significant portion of China's distant-water fleet has been linked to labor exploitation, illegal incursions into the sovereign waters of other nations, and exploitation of workers.
These abuses do not end at sea.
On land, there are grave concerns about the use of forced labor--including Uyghur and North Korean labor--in seafood processing facilities tied to global supply chains. Products processed under these conditions can make their way into international markets, including the United States, raising urgent legal, moral, and national security concerns.
We are joined again today by Mr. Ian Urbina, founder of the Outlaw Ocean Project, whose reporting has helped expose these abuses to the world. His work, and the work of others, has made one thing unmistakably clear: this is not a series of isolated incidents. It is a pattern. And it demands a response equal to its scale and seriousness.
Ian's testimony at our 2023 hearing told of North Korean laborers in Chinese seafood processing facilities whose products entered the U.S. market.
We have also recently learned that North Koreans are being employed on Chinese-flagged tuna longliners, with evidence of forced labor that included debt bondage, physical and verbal abuse, and excessive overtime.
That is not just a labor abuse. It is a sanctions evasion issue, a human rights issue, and a national security issue.
With Senator Merkley and Senator Sullivan, I have called on the Departments of State and Homeland Security to coordinate and act swiftly to address forced labor in China's seafood industry. We raised a particularly alarming possibility: that seafood consumed in the United States could be indirectly funding North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Our message was simple. The United States must not allow its consumers, its taxpayers, or its government procurement systems to become unwitting participants in forced labor or sanctions evasion.
That means stronger enforcement to stop tainted seafood at the border, and it means ensuring that no federal procurement system--including military bases, school meal programs, or other government facilities--relies on products linked to forced labor.
Because let us be clear: China's illegal fishing practices and the use of forced labor in its seafood supply chain are not merely unethical--they are in clear violation of U.S. law, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (which I lead with Senator Rubio and Merkley and McGovern) and the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
We know the administration has said that addressing IUU fishing is a priority. We know Customs and Border Protection has issued withhold release orders on Chinese vessels and barred products from at least one Chinese seafood processor.
We know CBP has the authority to act. What we need to know now is whether that authority is being used with the urgency and rigor this crisis demands.
After our 2023 hearing, Chinese seafood was added to CBP's priority enforcement list. Companies and retailers took notice--Lotte stores in South Korea and McDonalds promised to stop importing Chinese seafood.
We hope today's hearing produces that same kind of impact--but more importantly, we hope it leads to sustained action.
This hearing is about protecting American jobs and protecting national security as well. China's distant-water fishing fleet does not operate in a vacuum. These vessels often advance the Chinese Communist Party's objectives: asserting maritime claims, projecting presence in disputed waters, distorting markets, and exploiting vulnerable workers in service of larger geopolitical ambitions.
So, this is about more than seafood. It is about whether the United States will tolerate a system that rewards coercion, harms American fisherman, weakens sanctions enforcement, creates food insecurity in Africa, and erodes the integrity of global commerce.
That is why we are here today. And that is why this hearing matters.
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Original text here: https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415468
Chief of Naval Personnel Czerewko Testifies Before House Armed Services Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel released the following testimony by Navy Vice Adm. Jeffrey Czerewko, chief of naval personnel, from an April 16, 2026, hearing entitled "Military Department Personnel Chiefs: Personnel Posture":* * *
Good afternoon, Chairman Fallon, Ranking Member Houlahan, and distinguished Members of this Subcommittee. On behalf of the Navy's most vital warfighting asset - our Sailors and their families - it is my honor to be here today. Your bipartisan backing is the critical component of our success, and YOUR Navy is grateful ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel released the following testimony by Navy Vice Adm. Jeffrey Czerewko, chief of naval personnel, from an April 16, 2026, hearing entitled "Military Department Personnel Chiefs: Personnel Posture": * * * Good afternoon, Chairman Fallon, Ranking Member Houlahan, and distinguished Members of this Subcommittee. On behalf of the Navy's most vital warfighting asset - our Sailors and their families - it is my honor to be here today. Your bipartisan backing is the critical component of our success, and YOUR Navy is gratefulfor your commitment to our main mission of increasing the lethality and survivability of the United States Navy.
Your Navy is the most powerful Maritime Force in the world, a fact proven daily from the flight decks of our carriers to the engine rooms of our submarines. Every mission is achieved through the skill, dedication, and fighting spirit of our battle-ready Sailors. My mission is to uphold that readiness and that spirit.
As the Chief of Naval Personnel, I am committed to Sailor and mission success. In alignment with the Chief of Naval Operation's "Sailors First" approach, we are focused on building a cohesive, capable, and merit-based Force where every Sailor can thrive. This requires us to modernize the Sailor experience, ask the hard questions about our processes, and have the courage to fix what does not work. Our adversaries are heavily investing in technology and talent to erode our military advantage. To win, we must out-think and out-maneuver them. That work begins not with steel and fuel, but with our people. The lifeblood of our Navy is the Sailor. Sailors are not a supporting effort--they are the Navy's primary weapon system and the first link in every kill chain. A Navy that cannot recruit, train, support, and retain its people cannot fight, regardless of technology or platforms. Sailors First is therefore not a quality-of-life initiative--it is a warfighting imperative.
RECRUITING THE NATION'S BEST
Our accessions pipeline is built upon a Fleet-aligned talent strategy honed at every stage: recruit, train, retain, repeat.
To find the best, we must tell our story. Our marketing strategy is pivotal in engaging the nation, generating leads that support a range of career opportunities. This approach proved highly effective in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, and to date in FY 2026, these efforts have already sourced over 50% of contracts, ensuring the Navy remains ahead of its recruiting targets. We are on pace to exceed our FY 2026 goal of 45,000 future Sailors. Building upon last year's success - where we beat our goal by nearly 3,500 Sailors - we are making real gains in shrinking operational manning shortfalls, projecting a 30% reduction by the end of this fiscal year.
This isn't about just hitting numbers; it's about finding the intellectual horsepower our Navy needs. We have increased recruiter manning to expand our reach, and with your support, have strengthened our recruiters' access to secondary schools. Enlistment bonuses have proven effective in attracting recruits for critical, hard-to-fill ratings, with Future Sailors eligible to earn up to $140K in bonuses and loan repayments. For our officer candidates, a data-driven engagement strategy yielded significant success, especially in harder-to-fill specialties like Nuclear Propulsion, which saw a year-over-year increase in recruiting.
In alignment with Executive Order 14184, the Navy invited all 1,878 Sailors involuntarily separated for refusing the COVID vaccine to apply for reinstatement. As of April 6, 176 have expressed interest, and we have reinstated 80 Sailors, with many receiving advancements and backpay to restore their expected career trajectory.
FORGING BATTLE-READY WARFIGHTERS
Our record-breaking recruiting success created a positive challenge: a demand for training that exceeds our current capacity. We are aggressively expanding resources and creating efficiencies to meet this surge, ensuring every new Sailor is forged into a battle-ready warfighter.
Within the CNO's framework, our training commands serve as our cognitive foundry. This is where we forge an inherent intellectual advantage. One advantage is the Navy's Future Sailor Preparatory Course (FSPC). FSPC's mission is to increase the fitness and academic performance of potential recruits to meet or exceed Navy accession standards upon entry into Basic Military Training (BMT). It is a force multiplier that increases the fitness and academic performance of potential recruits. This program does not lower our standards; it raises the capabilities of motivated applicants to meet and exceed them. Graduates of the FSPC-Academic program increased their test scores by an average of 35 points, expanding their career options into our most advanced specialties. FSPC-Fitness participants accounted for 10% of the Navy's nuclear recruiting mission and 12% of the Navy's advanced electronics career field mission. To date, over 8,900 recruits have joined FSPC and advanced to Basic Military Training, where they are thriving. In FY 2025, 16 BMT Honor Graduates were FSPC participants and many more held leadership positions throughout the course.
The Navy NROTC program, hosted at 169 colleges and universities, builds the bench of tomorrow's officers, while our Navy JROTC program mentors over 82,000 cadets, with approximately 56% of graduating seniors intending to enter military service. To win the future fight, we mandate that 65% of all NROTC scholarship commissions graduate with STEM degrees, ensuring the next generation possesses the technical expertise to dominate in an increasingly complex battlespace. In addition, Officer Training Command commissions approximately 1,000 Naval officers annually, after an intensive 13-week program.
Our standards are unwavering. Every Sailor who graduates from our training commands or learning centers is - and will continue to be - fully qualified, disciplined, and ready to contribute from Day One.
RETAINING FLEET EXPERIENCE
We are in a true growth mode. Supported by your authorities, the Navy exceeded retention goals in FY 2025 by retaining 37,000 separation-eligible Sailors, and we are on track to exceed that this year. This net gain results in a more experienced, more lethal Force. The hallmark of our retention is purposeful engagement that highlights rewarding career paths and advancement opportunities. Our latest initiative, Full Power Navy, directly engaged Sailors at career crossroads, successfully prompting over 3,200 who planned to separate to Stay Navy. Our enlisted retention remains high, with rates as of January 31 at 112.1% in Zone A (0-6 years), 119.9% in Zone B (610 years), and 107.9% in Zone C (10-14 years). Overall officer continuation topped 91% in FY 2025 - a steady increase over the previous three years.
While we leverage monetary bonuses, we continue to face retention challenges in specific, high-demand fields. Therefore, we appreciate your continued support of our budget, which preserves the incentives necessary to keep our most talented and experienced warfighters in uniform.
MODERNIZING THE SAILOR EXPERIENCE
This brings me to a concept that must become the lifeblood of our service: an innately ingrained focus on continuous improvement. It is the disciplined, relentless work of making our Navy better, one process at a time.
We are developing a more flexible and responsive enlisted talent marketplace through Billet-Based Advancement (BBA). This merit-based process shifts from a vacancy-driven advancement system to a billet-based model, aligning a Sailor's skills with Fleet manning priorities. This is not just an administrative change; it is how we solve problems at their root. By closing supervisor gaps and paygrade misalignments, we ensure our teams are led by the right experienced leaders. As of the end of FY 2025, over 94% of Master Chief Petty Officer billets were filled at grade, compared to historic lows around 40%.
Modernizing the Sailor experience also means modernizing our personnel systems. It is a readiness imperative. When Sailors are distracted by administrative friction, readiness suffers. Our path forwardwill establish one secure, digital record for every Sailor. Too often, we are tempted to treat symptoms instead of digging deeper. By leveraging proven commercial solutions, we can fix flaws in the process and automate outdated systems. Addressing the root cause, not only prevents future failures; it enables Sailors to leverage more of their time, energy, and their focus toward the warfighting tasks that matter. We are focused on outcomes--ensuring every Sailor is supported, connected, and ready to fight.
CONCLUSION
Building upon a 250-year legacy, the Navy is forging a culture of warfighting readiness and continuous improvement. We are committed to developing Sailors at every phase, building their connectedness through trust and shared purpose, and preparing them to serve as ambassadors for our Navy.
We are committed to building a more capable, lethal, and survivable Naval Force, ready to deter aggression and win our Nation's wars. We are committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining the talented warfighters required to maintain our advantage at sea. Most importantly, we are committed to prioritizing the Sailors and Civilians who serve our country.
The challenges ahead are immense, but my confidence in our future is absolute because of them. I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure our Sailors, their families, and the Nation remain ready. With unity of effort and a relentless focus on warfighting outcomes, we will deliver a dominant Navy for our Nation. On behalf of our more than 600,000 active and reserve Sailors, Navy Civilians, and Navy families, I am grateful to this committee for your steadfast commitment to the United States Navy.
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Original text here: https://armedservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20260416-hs-hasc-p-military_personnel_posture-cnp_final.pdf
Chairman Latta Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on DOE FY 2027 Budget
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, issued the following opening statement on April 16, 2026, at a hearing on the Department of Energy's fiscal 2027 budget:* * *
"Welcome to today's hearing on the Department of Energy's Fiscal Year 2027 budget and welcome back, Secretary Chris Wright, to the Energy Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
"Almost 14 months ago, you inherited a department that was not serving the strategic energy needs of the nation.
"The previous Administration lacked a realistic national ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, issued the following opening statement on April 16, 2026, at a hearing on the Department of Energy's fiscal 2027 budget: * * * "Welcome to today's hearing on the Department of Energy's Fiscal Year 2027 budget and welcome back, Secretary Chris Wright, to the Energy Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. "Almost 14 months ago, you inherited a department that was not serving the strategic energy needs of the nation. "The previous Administration lacked a realistic nationalenergy security strategy. They wasted billions of taxpayer dollars reducing reliable energy and making our energy systems ill-prepared to meet this historic moment of the next generation economy.
"After more than a year at the helm of our Energy Department, things look very different.
"Under your leadership, our nation's energy strategy prioritizes core responsibilities of energy and national security, reliable power, affordability, and economic growth.
"You've charted a path to ensure U.S. leadership in future technologies that are reshaping the global order.
"Finite taxpayer resources have been shifted to focus on abundant, reliable energy expansion. You've harnessed DOE's computing power to put AI to use for societal benefit.
"You've accelerated work on nuclear technologies, increased collaboration to secure the grid during emergencies, and increased resources on our nuclear deterrent.
"You've also refocused the Department's loan program on energy expansion and reliability.
"Most of these actions are reflected in DOE's proposed budget.
"These efforts couldn't come at a more important time.
"International conflicts and decisive military actions by the Trump Administration to protect our country have put increased pressure on ensuring a secure and reliable energy system.
While DOE has diligently worked to focus on essential energy and security priorities, more work remains.
"Affordability continues to be a key concern facing American families.
"We'd like to get your perspective on the impacts on oil prices from the conflict with Iran, and what the prospects for more stable supplies would mean.
"And we should also unpack the forces behind higher energy costs.
"Average utility bills rose by 11 percent in 2025 after increasing by 29 percent in the four years prior, and substantially higher across our nation's bluest states.
"In fact, recent reports from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab confirm far-left policies are driving price increases that are burdening households and businesses.
"We should examine how misguided policies leave our communities vulnerable when they need electricity the most, and what DOE is doing about that.
"Recent weather events during Winter Storm Fern exposed the risks of overreliance on weather dependent energy.
"DOE's decisive 202(c) orders and effective emergency planning were critical to protect against blackouts, ultimately saving lives and preventing billions of dollars in economic damage.
"While mismanaged public policies disrupt our power sector, historic projections of demand growth from data centers and reshoring manufacturing continue to climb.
"Data centers alone could consume up to 17 percent of total electricity, which is also 60 percent higher than estimates projected in 2024.
"Importantly, DOE has taken several steps to ensure data centers can connect to the grid in a way that drives prices down and does not burden ratepayers with additional costs.
"This subcommittee has spent considerable time examining this historic load growth and what type of energy system is needed to fuel data center demand.
"Without fail, experts across the field have testified that the answer is dispatchable, reliable, and affordable supplies of baseload power.
"In recognition of these needs, the Department has prioritized dispatchable resources that can power next-generation technologies and keep the lights on when we need it most.
"Alongside these efforts, the Department has focused on ushering in a nuclear renaissance.
"This ranges from your work to accelerate the development of American nuclear fuel infrastructure and of reprocessing used fuel to your work to demonstrate more new reactor designs.
"We should examine how your work will dovetail with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission commercial licensing to provide a robust safety process for nuclear expansion.
"While the previous Administration sought to end the use of fossil fuels, your Department has unleashed American energy, like liquefied natural gas, and reversed unnecessary regulations that attack fossil fuel use.
"I look forward to a discussion on how your energy and technology priorities will benefit the American people.
"I yield back the balance of my time."
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Original text here: https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chairman-latta-delivers-opening-statement-at-subcommittee-on-the-department-of-energy-fy-2027-budget
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water & Science Travnicek Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek from an April 16, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget request:* * *
Thank you, Chairman Fleischmann, Ranking Member Kaptur, and members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify in support of President Trump's Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project and discuss the President's vision to make America safer, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek from an April 16, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Thank you, Chairman Fleischmann, Ranking Member Kaptur, and members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify in support of President Trump's Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project and discuss the President's vision to make America safer,stronger, and more prosperous through the delivery of water and power. I am Andrea Travnicek, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.
The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation manages and delivers water for agricultural, municipal, and industrial uses; supports flood control and recreation; and produces hydropower across the Western United States. Reclamation projects and programs serve as the backbone of the West's water and power infrastructure and are a driver of economic activity across hundreds of river basins. Reclamation's activities support economic output valued at approximately $34 billion annually and sustain more than 450,000 jobs. Each year, Reclamation delivers roughly 10 trillion gallons of water, irrigates approximately 10 million acres of farmland--supporting about 25 percent of the Nation's fruit and nut production and 60 percent of its vegetable harvest--and generates reliable hydropower that supports regional electric grids.
Reclamation's core mission is grounded in maintaining assets that provide safe, reliable, and efficient management of water resources throughout the western United States. Specifically, Reclamation's work includes the operation and maintenance of Federal water and power infrastructure; the responsible management of natural resources; the application of sound science and engineering to inform operational decision making; and the execution of Congressionally authorized programs in accordance with Federal and State law. Reclamation carries out these responsibilities across 17 Western States--Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming--and works closely with water and power customers, tribes, states, and local partners to deliver authorized benefits efficiently and cost effectively, with priority given to contractual obligations to our stakeholders as well as efforts required by law.
Reclamation's FY 2027 Budget advances the Trump Administration's goals of improving water access, reliability, and affordability for farmers across the Western states. Moreover, the Administration remains committed to ensuring reliable and affordable hydropower rates for power users. Reclamation continues to seriously engage with stakeholders along the Colorado River and other key basins, and Reclamation continues to explore how best to utilize resources in support of these goals.
For FY 2027, Reclamation requests $1,274,951,000 in gross discretionary appropriations. Of this total, $1,112,000,000 is requested for the Water and Related Resources account, $64,000,000 for the Policy and Administration account, and $32,000,000 for the California Bay Delta account.
The request also includes $66,951,000 for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund.
Discretionary appropriations are supplemented by non discretionary and partner funding that supports the execution of authorized projects and programs.
In addition to the request for Reclamation, the FY 2027 Budget requests $17 million for the Central Utah Project Completion Act program. The Budget supports funding for continued construction of the Utah Lake Drainage Basin and Delivery System, the final component of the project. The funding supports continued construction of the Spanish Fork-Santaquin Pipeline and design of the Santaquin - Mona Pipeline. Funding is also provided for the Mitigation Commission for the purpose of continued implementation of mitigation commitments for fish, wildlife, and recreation as identified in project planning documents and Title III of CUPCA.
Water Supply Management and Conservation
Reclamation works with states, tribes, irrigation districts, and municipalities to improve water management efficiency and address imbalances between water supply and demand. Activities include cost shared planning, design, and construction of water management improvements; water reuse and recycling projects; basin level studies; and drought planning and response actions. These efforts are focused on improving system performance, reducing operational risk, and supporting reliable water deliveries under a wide range of hydrologic conditions.
In addition to the FY 2027 Budget, Reclamation continues to utilize existing resources to support its water supply management and conservation activities. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Trump, Public Law 119-21, provided $1 billion to Reclamation for construction of water storage and conveyance facilities. To date, Reclamation has allocated $889 million to support modernizing western water infrastructure and improving storage capacity, including $540 million for California, $100 million for Utah, and $30 million for Idaho. One notable example is the $40 million specifically dedicated to planning and preconstruction activities associated with raising Shasta Dam. Moreover, funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will also be used to construct a conveyance and pump storage project for the Lewiston 3
Orchards area in northern Idaho, t for, and to replace the 110-year-old Strawberry Highline Canal in South Utah County, Utah with an enclosed pipeline to improve safety and water delivery efficiency.
Also, Reclamation continues to execute balances from prior year funding to bolster conservation activities in the Colorado River, including efforts which have resulted in at least 3.4-million-acre feet of additional water in Lake Mead.
Additionally, Reclamation funds are being applied to infrastructure projects that address deferred maintenance, improve water delivery reliability, enhance dam safety, and strengthen system performance. Reclamation has selected hundreds of projects nationwide and is implementing them through established program authorities.
Reclamation is also implementing drought related funding. These resources support near term and medium term actions to stabilize water supplies in drought affected basins, including voluntary conservation agreements, water management improvements, and infrastructure investments. In the Colorado River Basin, Reclamation has executed agreements with water delivery contractors and entitlement holders that have resulted in measurable reductions in system demand and improved operational flexibility at critical reservoirs. Reclamation continues to focus these resources on actions that deliver measurable operational benefits and protect existing Federal investments.
Tribal Programs
Reclamation administers a range of Congressionally authorized programs that support tribal access to reliable drinking water, as well as long-term water management capacity. Reclamation continues to coordinate closely with tribes, states, and other stakeholders on these activities, ensuring successful and durable impacts for communities.
Dam Safety
Reclamation owns and manages extensive water and power infrastructure across the West, including reservoirs, canals, pumping plants, and hydroelectric facilities. Maintaining the safety, reliability, and performance of these assets is a core Federal responsibility. Notably, Reclamation manages 491 dams, including 364 dams classified as high or significant hazard. Many of these facilities were constructed prior to the adoption of modern engineering standards. Through its Dam Safety Program, Reclamation conducts continuous monitoring, risk assessment, and corrective actions to ensure risks remain within Federal safety guidelines. The Budget funds work on Reclamation's planned dam safety projects, such as at the B.F. Sisk dam within the Central Valley Project, to reduce the most significant risks. These investments protect downstream communities, safeguard water supplies, and preserve hydropower generation capabilities.
Reclamation continues to prioritize Dam Safety investments using a risk-informed framework that focuses funding on facilities with the greatest potential consequences to public safety, water supply reliability, and the Federal hydropower system. This approach ensures that resources are applied where they provide the greatest risk-reduction benefit while maintaining compliance with Federal dam safety guidelines.
Facilities Maintenance and Rehabilitation
Reclamation's maintenance and facility rehabilitation activities address aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance across both reserved works and transferred works facilities. Funding decisions are informed by condition assessments, performance metrics, and asset management data. These investments extend asset life, reduce long term costs, and ensure continued delivery of authorized project benefits.
Reclamation reports its Major Rehabilitation and Replacement activities to Congress through the biennial Reclamation Asset Management Report. The most recent report, provided to Congress in March 2025, identified over 2,400 such activities planned over the next 30 years.
Aging Infrastructure Account
The Aging Infrastructure Account supports partnerships with non Federal operating entities to rehabilitate Federal infrastructure through extended repayment mechanisms. Funds repaid to the account are available for expenditure without further appropriation to support future infrastructure rehabilitation while protecting Federal ownership interests.
Hydropower and Energy Operations
Reclamation owns 77 hydroelectric power plants and operates 53 of those facilities, producing approximately 14 percent of the Nation's hydroelectric generation. Annual generation averages roughly 40 million megawatt hours, producing more than $1 billion in gross power revenues for the Federal Government. Reclamation's power operations support electric reliability across the West and provide cost based power to preference customers. Reclamation's power operations support electric reliability across the West and provide cost based power to preference customers. Funding supports operations, maintenance, and compliance activities necessary to sustain hydropower performance. Reclamation is implementing the Hydropower Action Plan developed in 2025 that prioritizes capital improvements at hydropower facilities, efforts to simplify and streamline permitting for federal and non-federal projects, and the use of advanced monitoring and analytics to reduce downtime and increase output. Collectively, these actions aim to expand hydropower capacity, reduce costs, and strengthen grid resilience. Reclamation also works with partners to implement non-Federal hydropower projects where the development doesn't conflict with current facility authorized purposes and resultant operations.
Environmental Compliance Responsibilities
Reclamation carries out its operations in compliance with Federal environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. These activities are statutorily required for the continued operation of authorized water and power projects. Funding supports required recovery and compliance programs associated with major water projects such as the Central Valley Project, the Colorado River system, and Columbia and Snake River facilities. These activities are integral to continued project operations and the delivery of authorized water and power benefits.
Account Level Overview
The FY 2027 budget allocates resources based on objective, performance based criteria to support Reclamation's operation and maintenance of its highest priority water infrastructure.
Water and Related Resources: $1,112,000,000
The Water and Related Resources account supports five major program areas, organized under Resources Management and Development and Operations, Maintenance and Rehabilitation.
Resources Management and Development (RMD)
* Water and Energy Management and Development supports the management, development, and implementation of water supplies and hydropower resources, including water delivery operations, drought response activities, and applied science and engineering. In FY 2027, $19.5 million under RMD supports implementation of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, including authorized water supply reliability actions and basin-scale management activities associated with the Yakima Integrated Plan. Also, $31.5 million supports
Reclamation's role as water master, including development of annual operating plans, coordination of Lake Powell and Lake Mead operations, administration of shortage and surplus determinations, and implementation of drought contingency and conservation actions.
* Land Management and Development supports stewardship and management of Reclamation-administered lands and real property interests, including land use planning, cultural and natural resource protection, land records management, and compliance with applicable Federal requirements.
* Fish and Wildlife Management and Development supports environmental compliance and implementation of Congressionally authorized fish and wildlife mitigation, restoration, and recovery activities necessary to sustain continued operation of Reclamation projects. In the Columbia and Snake River basins, $13.0 million supports fish and wildlife mitigation and recovery activities associated with Reclamation facilities, including efforts to address impacts to anadromous fish populations. For the Central Valley Project, $37.3 million supports CVP,
Environmental Compliance and Ecosystem Development program activities required to operate CVP facilities in accordance with biological opinions and other regulatory requirements. These activities include implementation of habitat restoration, fish passage and screening measures, flow and operational actions, monitoring, and coordination with Federal and State resource agencies to sustain project operations while protecting listed species.
Operations, Maintenance and Rehabilitation
* Facility Operations funds the operation of Reclamation's water and power infrastructure and supports the Federal workforce required to deliver authorized water, power, flood control, recreation, and environmental benefits in compliance with law. For the Central Valley Project, $79.7 million supports facility operations, including execution of water service and power contracts, operation of conveyance and storage facilities, and operation of fisheries laboratories and monitoring facilities required to support environmental compliance and project operations. Funding ensures continuous coordination of water deliveries and operational responsiveness across the CVP system. On the Lower Colorado River, $53.1 million supports operation of dams, diversion structures, and related facilities that deliver water to entitlement holders in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Activities include routine operations, inspection and maintenance of facilities, and support for system-wide coordination necessary to meet interstate and international delivery obligations.
* Facility Maintenance and Rehabilitation supports extraordinary maintenance, major rehabilitation, and replacement activities to address aging infrastructure, reduce risk, and ensure the long-term safety and reliability of Reclamation facilities. Dam Safety is a principal driver within this program area. $147.3 million supports Reclamation's Dam Safety Program, including $44.0 million for Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams, $102.0 million to initiate and advance corrective action projects, and $1.3 million for participation in the Department of the Interior Dam Safety Program. These activities focus on identifying, prioritizing, and reducing risk at high- and significant-hazard dams, ensuring continued compliance with Federal safety standards and protection of downstream communities, water supplies, and economic activity. Reclamation continues to prioritize dam safety activities using risk-informed decision-making and will advance corrective actions at the highest-risk facilities as resources allow.
Together, these activities support the safe, reliable, and legally compliant operation of Federal water and power infrastructure. Water and Related Resources represents Reclamation's largest principal operating account for discretionary resources.
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (CVPRF): $66,951,000
This fund was established by the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Title XXXIV of P.L. 102-575, October 30, 1992, to protect, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and associated habitats in the Central Valley and Trinity River Basins of California and to mitigate impacts of the Central Valley Project. The budget of $66.951 million is expected to be offset by discretionary receipts based on what can be collected from project beneficiaries under provisions of Section 3407(d) of the Act. The discretionary receipts are not to exceed $30.0 million (October 1992 price levels) on a three-year rolling average basis. The budget was developed after considering the effects of the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act (P.L. 111-11, March 30, 2009), which redirects certain fees, estimated at $2.0 million in FY 2027, collected from the Friant Division water users to the San Joaquin Restoration Fund.
California Bay-Delta Restoration Fund: $32,000,000
The California Bay-Delta Restoration Fund supports Reclamation's California Bay-Delta Restoration Program that focuses on improving water supply reliability and restoring ecosystems within the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and its tributaries. This program is a key component of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program authorized by the CALFED Bay-Delta Restoration Act (P.L. 108-361), as amended. Multiple Federal agencies participate in the implementation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program as outlined in the August 28, 2000, Record of Decision (ROD) for the CALFED Bay-Delta Program Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report. The FY 2027 Budget continues to support Reclamation's activities in improving water supply reliability and restoring the Delta ecosystem.
Policy and Administration: $64,000,000
Policy and Administration (P&A) supports centralized implementation of bureau-wide policy, oversight, and administrative functions that cannot be efficiently or appropriately charged to individual projects or program accounts. This funding supports consistent implementation of laws, regulations, and performance management requirements across Reclamation's regional, area, and program offices, as well as shared services across the Bureau. These activities ensure sound stewardship of taxpayer resources and strengthen internal controls and oversight of the agency's execution of its Congressionally authorized water and power programs.
Thank you for the opportunity to summarize the President's FY 2027 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation.
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Original text here: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP10/20260416/119147/HHRG-119-AP10-Wstate-TravnicekA-20260416.pdf
Assistant Secretary of Army for Civil Works Telle Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Adam R. Telle, assistant secretary of Army for Civil Works from an April 16, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request:* * *
Chairman Fleischmann, Ranking Member Kaptur and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss the President's Budget request for the Army Civil Works program.
As you know, the President's discretionary funding request for Fiscal Year 2027 was submitted to Congress ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies released the following written testimony by Adam R. Telle, assistant secretary of Army for Civil Works from an April 16, 2026, hearing on fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman Fleischmann, Ranking Member Kaptur and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss the President's Budget request for the Army Civil Works program. As you know, the President's discretionary funding request for Fiscal Year 2027 was submitted to Congressearlier this month.
That request laid out the President's priorities for discretionary funding with recommendations to reach balance and restore confidence in America's fiscal management.
The President's topline discretionary funding request for Fiscal Year 2027 includes $6.663 billion for the Army Civil Works program. The Civil Works program is dedicated to its primary missions of commercial navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration. The Budget focuses on opportunities to support these missions that provide a high return to the American public, such as by facilitating maritime commerce and addressing the most significant flood risks facing communities.
In support of these missions, the Budget includes $2.06 billion for commercial navigation, including $133.76 million for Upper Ohio, Allegheny and Beaver Counties, Pennsylvania for the completion of Montgomery Lock. Additionally, the Budget includes $931 million for flood and storm damage reduction, including $420 million for Prado Dam, California Dam Safety Project. The Budget also contains $410 million for aquatic ecosystem restoration, including sufficient amounts for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration program to help support the expedited completion of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir by 2029.
The Budget also focuses on greater transparency and realigning incentives in how funds are expended in the Civil Works program.
A central feature of this year's Budget is the "District Salary Transparency" initiative, a significant policy change designed to increase emphasis on delivery as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages and reports project costs. The previous accounting framework inadvertently created an incentive for projects to be unnecessarily extended, as a Corps district office's ability to pay employee salaries and cover its overhead was tied to its ability to continue ongoing projects and studies or generate new business. This system also made it difficult to distinguish the actual cost of personnel and overhead expenses, thereby obscuring how federal and non-federal funds were being utilized.
To address this issue, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will now separate employee salaries and overhead costs from direct project costs. While this budget includes the same types of resources proposed in previous budgets, all salary and overhead costs will be identified and reported separately from a project's line-item costs. This change is a key component of the Administration's effort to promote greater transparency and accountability within the Army's Civil Works program. The benefits of this new approach will realign incentives to focus on building infrastructure on time and within budget, rather than sustaining Corps districts and producing paperwork.
The FY2027 Budget is an historic effort by the Trump Administration to improve transparency in the Civil Works program and propel project delivery by removing perverse incentive structures within the program.
Thank you all for inviting me here today. I look forward to your questions.
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Original text here: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP10/20260416/119147/HHRG-119-AP10-Wstate-TelleA-20260416.pdf
All Banking Committee Democrats Call for Delay of Warsh Hearing As Trump Attempts to Take Over Fed
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, posted the following news release on April 16, 2026:* * *
All Banking Committee Democrats Call for Delay of Warsh Hearing As Trump Attempts to Take Over Fed
Call for public hearing on President Trump's involvement in directing criminal investigations into Fed Chair Powell and Fed Governor Lisa Cook
*
Today, all eleven Democratic Members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs sent a letter to Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) calling for ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, posted the following news release on April 16, 2026: * * * All Banking Committee Democrats Call for Delay of Warsh Hearing As Trump Attempts to Take Over Fed Call for public hearing on President Trump's involvement in directing criminal investigations into Fed Chair Powell and Fed Governor Lisa Cook * Today, all eleven Democratic Members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs sent a letter to Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) calling forthe delay of any nomination proceedings for Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee to serve as the next Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Fed), until the pretextual investigations into Chair Powell and Governor Lisa Cook are closed. They called for the Committee to instead hold a public hearing to assess President Trump's involvement in directing these criminal investigations. Today's letter reiterates the Banking Democrats' unified call from February ahead of a hearing with Mr. Warsh that the Chairman has now scheduled for Tuesday, April 21.
Signers of the letter to Chairman Scott include Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-Mary.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Wanock (D-GA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Mary.).
"(I)n January 2026, the Justice Department sent grand jury subpoenas to the Federal Reserve as part of a criminal investigation into Chair Powell," wrote the Senators. "The Trump Administration has also opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook for alleged mortgage fraud, just weeks after President Trump moved to illegally fire her from the Board. Both investigations appear to be part of the Trump Administration's broader effort to take control of the Fed."
"As we wrote to you previously, it would be 'absurd on its face to allow President Trump to handpick the next Chair of the Federal Reserve as his Department of Justice actively pursues criminal investigations of not one, but two sitting members of the Federal Reserve Board,'" wrote the Senators. "It would also be inappropriate to move forward with Mr. Warsh's nomination as the President publicly threatens the federal judge who found the DOJ's probe to lack merit."
The Senators concluded: "Therefore, we ask that you delay any nomination proceedings for Mr. Warsh until the pretextual criminal investigations against Chair Powell and other Fed board members have been closed. We also ask that, in the interim, and before moving forward with Mr. Warsh's nomination, you hold public hearings to assess the extent to which President Trump is directing these investigations."
* * *
April 16, 2026
The Honorable Tim Scott
Chairman
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
534 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Scott:
We write to reiterate that no nomination proceedings for Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee to serve as the next Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Fed or Federal Reserve), should be held until the pretextual investigations into Chair Powell and Governor Lisa Cook are closed./1 In the interim, we ask that you instead hold public hearings to assess President Trump's involvement in directing these criminal investigations.
On February 3, 2026, we asked you to delay any nomination proceedings for Mr. Warsh./2 As you know, in January 2026, the Justice Department sent grand jury subpoenas to the Federal Reserve as part of a criminal investigation into Chair Powell, allegedly related to his June 2025 testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs about building renovations at the Fed./3 The Trump Administration has also opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook for alleged mortgage fraud, just weeks after President Trump moved to illegally fire her from the Board./4
Both investigations appear to be part of the Trump Administration's broader effort to take control of the Fed. Throughout 2025, for example, President Trump repeatedly threatened to remove Chair Powell over his unwillingness to bow to the President's demands and lower interest rates as requested by the President./5 We appreciated your public assertion on February 4, 2026, that you did "not believe [Powell] committed a crime" while testifying before the Committee./6
In the weeks since, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia also ruled that the DOJ, in trying to justify grand-jury subpoenas as part of the investigation into Chair Powell, "offered no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the President."/7 The Court quashed the subpoenas, finding that there was "abundant evidence that the subpoenas' dominant (if not sole) purpose [wa]s to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will."/8 The Court called the "asserted justifications" for the subpoenas were "mere pretexts."/9 The Trump Administration unsuccessfully sought to convince the court to reconsider its decision./10 Although the Court's ruling provided a clear reason for the DOJ to close the investigation into Chair Powell, the DOJ has yet to close the case./11 President Trump has personally weighed in on the criminal investigation. When the Department's investigation into Chair Powell was first announced, President Trump dubiously asserted that he did not "know anything" about the probe./12
Yet just days after the federal district court's decision in March, President Trump "lashed out" at the judge who blocked the DOJ's investigation, stating on Truth Social that he "should...suffer serious disciplinary action."/13 In the same post, the President stated that Chair Powell "should...be heavily investigated."/14
As the district court explained at length, citing what it called a "mountain of evidence," "Trump has specifically aimed his anger at Chair Powell. For years, he has berated Powell, threatened him, ordered him to lower rates, or done all three at once."/15
As we wrote to you previously, it would be "absurd on its face to allow President Trump to handpick the next Chair of the Federal Reserve as his Department of Justice actively pursues criminal investigations of not one, but two sitting members of the Federal Reserve Board."/16
It would also be inappropriate to move forward with Mr. Warsh's nomination as the President publicly threatens the federal judge who found the DOJ's probe to lack merit. Furthermore, it would be unreasonable to take the President at his word and assume - despite all of his thinlyveiled assertions to the contrary - that he is uninvolved in the prosecution of Chair Powell.
Therefore, we ask that you delay any nomination proceedings for Mr. Warsh until the pretextual criminal investigations against Chair Powell and other Fed board members have been closed. We also ask that, in the interim, and before moving forward with Mr. Warsh's nomination, you hold public hearings to assess the extent to which President Trump is directing these investigations.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Warren Ranking Member Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Jack Reed, United States Senator
Mark R. Warner, United States Senator
Chris Van Hollen, United States Senator
Catherine Cortez Masto, United States Senator
Tina Smith, United States Senator
Raphael Warnock, United States Senator
Andy Kim, United States Senator
Ruben Gallego, United States Senator
Lisa Blunt Rochester, United States Senator
Angela D. Alsobrooks, United States Senator
* * *
1 Letter from Ranking Member Warren and Senators Reed, Warner, Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Smith, Warnock, Kim, Gallego, Blunt Rochester, and Alsobrooks to Chairman Scott, February 3, 2026, https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/bhua_dems_letter_to_scott_re_delaying_fed_nomination.pdf.
2 Id.
3 New York Times, "Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell," Glenn Thrush and Colby Smith, January 11, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/politics/jerome-powell-fed-inquiry-trump.html.
4 Reuters, "US Justice Department opens criminal mortgage fraud probe into Fed Governor Cook," Sarah N. Lynch, September 4, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-justice-department-opens-criminal-mortgagefraud- probe-into-fed-governor-cook-2025-09-04/; Letter from President Trump to Governor Lisa Cook, August 25, 2025, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/letter-federal-reserve-governor-lisa-cook-notifying-her-herdismissal- from-office.
5 New York Times, "Trump Has Draft of Letter to Fire Fed Chair. He Asked Republicans if He Should Send It." Maggie Haberman and Colby Smith, July 16, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/us/politics/trump-powellfiring- letter.html; BBC, "Fed chair Powell hits out at 'unprecedented' probe by US justice department," Ana Faguy and Osmond Chia, January 12, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c801k7rkkd7o.
6 Politico, "Tim Scott on DOJ probe into Powell: 'I do not believe that he committed a crime' in Fed HQ testimony," Victoria Guida, February 4, 2026, https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/04/congress/scott-powell-dojprobe- 00764230.
7 Politico, "Court blocks probe of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, DOJ to appeal," Sam Sutton, Josh Gerstein, and Jasper Goodman, March 13, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/13/court-blocks-dojs-probe-of-fed-chairjerome- powell-00828448.
8 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Memorandum Opinion, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. United States of America, filed March 13, 2026, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962.23.0_6.pdf.
9 Id.
10 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Memorandum Opinion, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. United States of America, filed March 13, 2026, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962.23.0_6.pdf; U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Memorandum Opinion and Order, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. United States of America, filed April 3, 2026, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962.33.0.pdf.
11 Id.; CBS News, "Prosecutors from Jeanine Pirro's office tried to access Federal Reserve headquarters, but were turned away," Sarah N. Lynch and Jacob Rosen, April 15, 2026, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prosecutorsjeanine- pirro-office-visit-federal-reserve-headquarters-jerome-powell/.
12 New York Times, "Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell," Glenn Thrush and Colby Smith, January 11, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/politics/jerome-powell-fed-inquiry-trump.html.
13 Truth Social, @realDonaldTrump, March 15, 2026, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116236850873003597; The New York Times, "Justice Dept. Struggles to Take Basic Steps in Targeting Trump's Rivals," Michael S. Schmidt and Alan Feuer, March 16, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/us/politics/trump-justice-department-investigations.html.
14 Truth Social, @realDonaldTrump, March 15, 2026, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116236850873003597.
15 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Memorandum Opinion, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. United States of America, filed March 13, 2026, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962/gov.uscourts.dcd.288962.23.0_6.pdf.
16 Letter from Ranking Member Warren and Senators Reed, Warner, Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Smith, Warnock, Kim, Gallego, Blunt Rochester, and Alsobrooks to Chairman Scott, February 3, 2026, https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/bhua_dems_letter_to_scott_re_delaying_fed_nomination.pdf.
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Original text here: https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/all-banking-committee-democrats-call-for-delay-of-warsh-hearing-as-trump-attempts-to-take-over-fed
Airbus Space Likely Provided Satellite Imagery of U.S. Military Assets to China Before Operation Epic Fury
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, issued the following news release:* * *
Airbus Space Likely Provided Satellite Imagery of U.S. Military Assets to China Before Operation Epic Fury
Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar has sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth concerning the operations of Airbus Space due to its role in likely providing satellite imagery of U.S. military assets to MizarVision, a Chinese entity, days before the commencement ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, issued the following news release: * * * Airbus Space Likely Provided Satellite Imagery of U.S. Military Assets to China Before Operation Epic Fury Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar has sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth concerning the operations of Airbus Space due to its role in likely providing satellite imagery of U.S. military assets to MizarVision, a Chinese entity, days before the commencementof Operation Epic Fury.
"While commercial satellite imagery may serve public interest purposes in some cases, unconstrained imagery provision exposing U.S. forces to heightened risk crosses a dangerous threshold," Moolenaar begins in the letter. "Near-real-time publication of precise, annotated imagery identifying the exact type, number, and location of specific high-value military assets at an active forward operating base--while those assets are actively engaged in combat operations--is targeting data for enemy forces."
"The Select Committee's independent analysis tracked the positions and flight paths of four Airbus satellites over the area of interest across a 48-hour window. For each moment in that window, three conditions had to be met for collection to be considered feasible: (1) the satellite had to be in the right position to see the area, (2) its camera had to be capable of pointing in the right direction, and (3) there had to be enough daylight to take an optical photograph. Moments that passed all three tests were flagged as plausible collection opportunities," he continues.
"These documented facts present a troubling scenario: 1. A Chinese firm with undisclosed satellite sourcing published precise, annotated imagery of U.S. military assets at a specific base. 2. That imagery identified the exact aircraft types that were subsequently destroyed in a precise Iranian strike. 3. A technical analysis suggests Airbus Space satellites were the most plausible sources for that imagery," concludes Moolenaar.
The Select Committee has previously investigated aerospace companies' ties to China. In December, Moolenaar wrote a letter to Hegseth concerning Airbus's role in advancing China's military-civil fusion.
* * *
April 13, 2026
Pete Hegseth
Secretary of War
1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301
Dear Secretary Hegseth,
I write to seek your assurance that Airbus Space and Defense Systems (Airbus Space) has ceased providing satellite imagery in ways that could further endanger American troops and assets in the Middle East involved in Operation Epic Fury. A recent analysis indicates a high likelihood that, in the days before the Iran conflict, Airbus Space provided imagery of U.S. military assets in the Middle East to a People's Republic of China (PRC) entity, Mi Entropy Technology Co., Ltd. (MizarVision). Since the conflict began, leading space imagery companies such as Planet Labs have confirmed publicly that they are voluntarily withholding imagery from the region in response to a request from the U.S. Government.1 Given the extraordinary circumstances and risk to American service members, Airbus Space - a company holding active contracts with the Department of War - should follow suit.
1. Airbus' Practice Is to Share Close-in-Time Satellite Photos for Public Consumption
Since Operation Epic Fury commenced, analysis indicates that Airbus Space likely shared close-in-time satellite imagery, including images showing destruction of U.S. military positions.2 While commercial satellite imagery may serve public interest purposes in some cases, unconstrained imagery provision exposing U.S. forces to heightened risk crosses a dangerous threshold. Near-real-time publication of precise, annotated imagery identifying the exact type, number, and location of specific high-value military assets at an active forward operating base--while those assets are actively engaged in combat operations--is targeting data for enemy forces.
2. One Simulation Concludes Airbus' Satellites Likely Published U.S. Asset Locations
The Select Committee worked with a Ph.D. researcher and expert in satellite systems to develop a simulation to determine whether Airbus Space's satellites were responsible for the photos taken before the conflict began and then posted by MizarVision (included as Attachment A).3 The simulation, based on an image published and annotated by MizarVision, showed that Airbus Space satellites were positioned and had ample opportunity to take photos of U.S. troop positions. MizarVision is a Hangzhou, China-based company that makes AI software to analyze satellite photos. MizarVision does not indicate which company provided each individual satellite photo. Beginning before Operation Epic Fury, MizarVision began publishing real-time, high-quality satellite imagery of U.S. military positions throughout the Middle East region.4 These publications included the below photo.5
Publishing such high-quality images in near real-time provides direct intelligence to Iranian military forces, enabling them to target, launch, and strike American positions throughout the Middle East. Hu Bo, Director of the South China Sea Probing Initiative at Peking University, and one of China's foremost satellite imagery analysts, stated publicly that he is "100% sure" the MizarVision imagery of U.S. military assets did not originate from Chinese satellites.6 Given the information available about the optics on Chinese satellites, it is unlikely that they are capable of generating imagery with the resolution that was present in the image published by MizarVision.7 According to Planet Labs, MizarVision is not a client and the images posted by the firm during the Iran conflict were not sourced from its satellites.8 The further narrowing of imagery providers, based on technical analysis in consultation with a satellite imagery expert, leads to Airbus Space.
MizarVision published the photo depicted above of American aircraft positioned at Prince Sultan Air Base, which was analyzed using modeling and simulation techniques to determine the position of the satellite that took the image. The analysis tracked the positions and flight paths of four Airbus satellites over the area of interest across a 48-hour window. For each moment in that window, three conditions had to be met for collection to be considered feasible: (1) the satellite had to be in the right position to see the area, (2) its camera had to be capable of pointing in the right direction, and (3) there had to be enough daylight to take an optical photograph. Moments that passed all three tests were flagged as plausible collection opportunities.
The results identified two daily windows--each roughly 10 hours long--during which at least one of the four Airbus commercial satellites met all criteria, and at certain moments as many as three could simultaneously have captured the image of Prince Sultan Air Base. The full results of the simulation are detailed in Attachment A.
In addition to these satellite collection results, there are business relationships linking Airbus Space to MizarVision. Airbus Space supports China's satellite program through its joint venture with the Chinese Academy of Sciences called Beijing Spot Image Co. Ltd., which has supplied satellite imagery to Chinese government agencies for over two decades.9 Beijing Spot Image Company operates as a joint venture between Airbus Space and the Chinese Aerospace Information Research Institute within the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Aerospace Research Institute).10 In 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security blacklisted the Chinese Aerospace Research Institute for its links to China's High-Altitude Balloon program.11
Research by Kharon shows the Chinese Aerospace Research Institute has ties to MizarVision through a company called Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company (Chang Guang Satellite). Chang Guang Satellite is a Chinese company focused on space-based imaging and remote sensing.12 It has been noted that Chang Guang Satellite supplies MizarVision with imagery.13 Chang Guang Satellite's business includes the development of satellites and satellite components, ultimately building towards a 300-satellite constellation in orbit.14 According to Chang Guang Satellite's public filings, it purchased data-related services from the Chinese Aerospace Research Institute in 2021.15 That financial relationship demonstrates an operational link between a Commerce Department-blacklisted entity and the satellite company whose imagery chain reaches MizarVision.
The national security implications of these connections are compounded by Chang Guang Satellite's status as a designated entity on the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. Chang Guang Satellite was sanctioned by the U.S. Government in 2023 for providing satellite imagery support to the Russian mercenary organization PMC Wagner.16 Therefore, Airbus Space --a company that holds active contracts with the U.S. Department of War -- sits in the same corporate network as a U.S.-designated entity whose business model centers on sharing satellite intelligence with adversarial armed groups.
3. The March 27 Attack on Prince Sultan Air Base Raises Serious Questions About the Role of Commercial Satellite Imagery
According to public reports, on March 27, 2026, Iran launched a coordinated ballistic missile and drone strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, wounding at least twelve U.S. service members--two critically--and damaging multiple high-value U.S. aircraft, including at least five KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft and a U.S. Air Force E-3G Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.17 The destruction of the E-3G Sentry marks the first combat loss of that aircraft type in its 47-year operational history and removes an irreplaceable asset from a fleet of only 15 remaining aircraft.18
Beginning in late February 2026--the same period studied in the simulation detailed in Section 2 of this letter--MizarVision publicly posted high-resolution satellite imagery of Prince Sultan Air Base identifying by type and location specific U.S. aircraft, including seven E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft and over a dozen KC-135 tankers.19 That imagery was published publicly on social media, where it was accessible to any actor, including Iran and its proxies. Operation Epic Fury commenced approximately 24 hours after MizarVision's initial publications identifying U.S. assets at the base.20 In subsequent weeks, MizarVision continued to publish updated imagery of the base.21 Prince Sultan Air Base was then struck with precision on March 27, with Iran targeting the same aircraft types--the E-3 AWACS and KC-135 tankers--that had been identified and annotated in MizarVision's public posts.
These documented facts present a troubling scenario:
1. A Chinese firm with undisclosed satellite sourcing published precise, annotated imagery of U.S. military assets at a specific base.
2. That imagery identified the exact aircraft types that were subsequently destroyed in a precise Iranian strike.
3. A technical analysis suggests Airbus Space satellites were the most plausible sources for that imagery.
I appreciate your steadfast dedication to and support for our troops. The potential of commercial satellite imagery exploited by China to enable the targeting of U.S. forces and the loss of American lives is an urgent threat. Securing voluntary limitations from Airbus Space to deny Chinese entities imagery that puts our forces at risk is critical. I stand ready to support the Administration in protecting our service members in combat.
Sincerely,
John Moolenaar
Chairman
Enclosure: Attachment A - Airbus Satellite Image Generation Feasibility Analysis
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Original text here: https://chinaselectcommittee.house.gov/media/press-releases/airbus-space-likely-provided-satellite-imagery-of-us-military-assets-to-china-before-operation-epic-fury
Agriculture Secretary Rollins Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration released the following testimony by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins from an April 16, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget:* * *
Chairman Harris, Ranking Member Bishop, and members of this Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to be back before you to provide an update on the Department of Agriculture: the challenges we inherited, what we've accomplished so far, and where we are heading under President Trump's bold leadership.
In his second letter to Timothy, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration released the following testimony by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins from an April 16, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget: * * * Chairman Harris, Ranking Member Bishop, and members of this Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to be back before you to provide an update on the Department of Agriculture: the challenges we inherited, what we've accomplished so far, and where we are heading under President Trump's bold leadership. In his second letter to Timothy,the Apostle Paul reminds us that "It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops." Of course he's right. And I've yet to meet a farmer that is not hardworking. But today's farmers and ranchers have struggled to see the fruits of their labor in recent years. The Trump Administration inherited a farm economy that saw the cost of doing business skyrocket. Commodity prices plummeted from 30-year highs. And farm income experienced historic declines. And our farmers saw zero new trade deals and inherited a forecasted $50 billion U.S. agricultural trade deficit.
While we've already made substantial progress in reversing this trajectory for American agriculture over the past year, I want to acknowledge such a seismic reroute cannot happen overnight. Which is why it is so important our work continues, because U.S. food security remains a matter of national security.
Under President Trump's leadership, we are putting our patriot farmers and ranchers first.
We're restoring their rightful place at the center of the national conversation on policies of global and national significance. And it's been a pleasure getting to know several of you as we undertake this important work.
In fact, last August in Maryland, Dr. Harris and I announced $6 million in grant funding for seafood processors to expand operations and create new and better markets for the processing of invasive, wild-caught catfish. We also launched a pilot program to purchase up to $2 million through Section 32 of Chesapeake Bay blue catfish. I've also had the pleasure of joining Representative Moolenaar to discuss sugar policy and providing relief to farmers by reforming the H-2A wage rate, Representative Letlow at a great event at the White House, and Representative Franklin for our Florida natural disaster designation in the wake of this year's freeze. For those of you I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit with, I look forward to doing so in the coming year.
When I appeared before you last year, Americans were understandably concerned about the high price of eggs. From my first day in office, we went to work on an aggressive, fivepronged approach to combat avian flu and bring costs down. Our comprehensive $1 billion plan is working. We have doubled down on biosecurity and have invested $100 million in innovative solutions through our HPAI Grand Challenge to see what additional tools we might be able to add to the toolbox to combat this disease. Compared to this time last year HPAI cases in commercial poultry and turkey flocks have decreased by 61% with affected birds being reduced by 46%. That's a big deal to farmers who need certainty their flocks won't get sick, and American families who need affordable food. And speaking of affordability, the cost of other staples has continued to go down as well for everyday Americans, including the cost of dairy items, potatoes, and many more.
Over the past year we have also worked at warp speed to ward off another major threat to our livestock producers: the New World Screwworm. Since I was last before this committee, USDA has made substantial progress across both our offensive and defensive New World screwworm strategies. We have significantly expanded sterile fly dispersal capacity, advanced next generation tools, strengthened surveillance with more than 7,000 traps and more than 43,000 screenings along the border, secured new Emergency Use Authorizations for prevention and treatment, and completed audits and rapid response actions inside Mexico. In February, I was with Governor Abbot to open a sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas. And tomorrow we are officially breaking ground on a new sterile fly production facility in Texas. Finally, we are working with our partners across the government to do everything we can to manage and monitor the wildlife movement from Mexico into the United States. This is the last piece of our New World Screwworm response. More on that plan soon.
And not only are we protecting our producers from threats here at home, we are also promoting homegrown American meat, poultry, and egg products. Last month USDA also launched a national public awareness campaign to promote the voluntary "Product of the USA" label that went into effect on January 1, 2026. Now when consumers see this label on a meat, poultry, or egg product, they will know it was entirely born, raised, and processed here in the United States. No shortcuts. No exceptions. No confusion. This is another important step toward leveling the playing field for our ranchers and producers.
We are also working nonstop to ensure our farmers can compete and win in global markets through America First trade policies that level the playing field. I am pleased to report USDA, after inheriting a nearly $50 billion forecast agricultural trade deficit and zero new trade deals under the last Administration, predicts that the agricultural trade deficit will decrease by 42%. President Trump has signed 9 new agreements on reciprocal trade, successfully securing zero-tariff access for U.S. products in a handful of countries like Indonesia; purchase agreements for cotton, soybeans, and wheat in markets like Bangladesh; and billions of dollars' worth of investment commitments from places like Japan.
Working with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, we've supported wins for our producers in the elimination of non-tariff trade barriers. Apple producers from Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia can now sell their apples in Thailand - a $5 million opportunity. Poultry growers in Georgia and Arkansas now have access to the Namibia market - a $15 million opportunity. We convinced Costa Rica to streamline its dairy access, India to cut its bourbon tariff by 50 percent, Japan to streamline import approvals for U.S. almonds and recognize U.S. heat-treated poultry products, and Australia to open the market for U.S. beef for the first time in two decades.
Looking ahead, USDA will continue to build on this momentum, improve foreign market access for U.S. producers, and address the remaining agricultural trade deficit. We still have more to do, but already these trade wins are supporting rural jobs and helping reduce the agricultural trade deficit.
As we build opportunity over the long term, we are also providing our farmers with the short-term support they need now. We've rapidly provided disaster aid, meeting our statutory deadlines, ahead of time. And we've driven historic, targeted, and direct relief to farmers and ranchers through programs like the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, and Emergency Livestock Relief Program. USDA has delivered billions of dollars in assistance and support to American farmers to help them weather rising input costs, devastating storms, unfair trade practices being levied against American producers.
Our farmers deserve timely support and first-rate customer service. But the status quo was slowing things down and driving costs up. The Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area alone was running on over 500 separate outdated systems, managed by more than 1,000 contractors, and costing taxpayers over $1 billion every year for FPAC IT alone. So, we took an assistance application system that was siloed, outdated, and burying our farmers in red tape, and we transformed it with our "One Farmer, One File" initiative that I introduced in February at the Commodity Classic in San Antonio. Now our farmers can utilize a single, streamlined record that follows them -- no matter where they go in the USDA system.
The very first program running fully on this new platform was the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which committed $11 billion in targeted support to American row crop farmers. In the first four days, we saw 50 times more producers sign up online than ECAP did over its entire five-month sign up period last year. Adoption is up over 5,000 percent and several billion dollars have already been obligated, faster than any program ever before.
In partnership with Secretary Kennedy, I am proud to say President Trump is carrying out the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy through the Make America Healthy Agenda.
Through flipping the traditional food pyramid, quite literally, upside down by prioritizing highquality protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and avoiding highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. Our new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), announced this past January, are science-based and entirely devoted to ensuring American producers are at the forefront of providing affordable, nutrient-dense, wholesome foods to our American families.
And the DGA serves as the foundation for the Department of Agriculture's 16 federal nutrition programs.
It is important to remember that USDA's biggest line item by far is what we spend on our nutrition programs. Taken together, USDA spent nearly $400 million dollars a day on its 16 nutrition programs in fiscal year 2025. And in each of these nutrition programs, we will continue to aggressively root out fraud and punish bad actors. For example, over the past year, USDA's Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with Federal law enforcement partners and USDA's own Office of the Inspector General, has conducted operations targeting criminals engaged in defrauding taxpayers by stealing SNAP benefits. In that time, there have already been nearly 700 arrests, over 150 convictions, and $132 million in restitution. In recent weeks, more than $12 million in fraudulent SNAP transactions have been prevented, and to date, the Food and Nutrition Service has disqualified over 1,500 retailers, terminated more than 760 illegal point of sale devices, and prevented a total of nearly $835 million in fraudulent food stamp transactions.
This work, and so much more to come, is highlighted through our partnership with the Eliminating Fraud Task Force the Vice President is leading. As of December 2025, there are 3.3 million fewer Americans on SNAP than when President Trump took office. For the first time since 2020, the SNAP rolls are below 40 million. This positive trend aligns with strong employment numbers, and the reforms found in H.R. 1, or the Working Families Tax Cuts.
The Working Families Tax Cuts goes beyond SNAP. Pro-farmer provisions in the largest working-class tax cuts in history include historic reforms like increasing reference prices for the first time in over a decade, improving crop insurance by enhancing coverage and lowering premiums, making the death tax exemption permanent for 2 million family farms, permanently doubling small business expensing under Section 179, and so much more.
Lower taxes, and fewer regulations. Empowered by President Trump, we are implementing a bold deregulatory agenda for American Agriculture and Consumers. Across government, this Administration has cut 129 regulations for every new one across the Federal government -- netting $211.8 billion in cost savings. Fewer onerous regulations mean our farmers, ranchers, and foresters have more freedom to do what they do best. That's why we've pursued rules to speed up lines at poultry processing plants, streamline the National Environmental Policy Act process from seven to one rulemaking and we are making it easier for livestock to graze on federal lands, which we are executing in partnership with Secretary Burgum and the Department of the Interior. Just to name a few actions in our Deregulatory Agenda for American Agriculture and Consumers.
Input costs remain top of mind for our farmers, and they are top of mind for us at USDA.
In September 2025, USDA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Justice Antitrust Division to ensure that farmers have access to competitive, affordable, inputs.
Recently, we have been working around the clock to harness costs of key inputs like fertilizer.
The 60-day Jones Act waiver President Trump issued boosts shipping flexibility and helps ease short-term supply pressures for this critical agriculture input. President Trump has also directed EPA Administrator Zeldin to revise Diesel Exhaust Fluid regulations to better prioritize farmers' access to fertilizer over climate change mandates. And the Administration has lifted sanctions on Venezuela to catalyze additional investment capacity. Those are meaningful actions here in the short term. But we are also working on a long-term strategy, including opportunities to invest in domestic infrastructure, the amplification of new technologies, and how in crisis, farmers will continue to have secure, accessible options. In addition to input costs, the rising cost of labor under the Biden Administration stretched our farmers' margins even thinner. That's why USDA partnered with Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to craft an Interim Final Rule that reformed the Adverse Effect Wage Rate methodology for the H-2A program.
From Day One I have also been clear that farm security is national security. Our enemies are playing the long game on this, and we are responding in kind. Last summer, we launched our National Farm Security Action Plan that boldly integrates agriculture into a national security strategy for the first time ever. Our plan treats the ownership of farmland, animal disease defense, and strengthened food supply chains as the major national security issues they are. And we are working with our state partners on legislation preventing foreign adversaries from buying up American farmland
In recent years, threats to our farmers have not only come from foreign adversaries, but our own government. The Biden Administration unleashed lawfare on an unprecedented level, including against our farmers and ranchers. Last spring, I worked closely with the Department of Justice to remove politically motivated criminal charges against the Maude family in South Dakota. They were caught up in a Biden-era Forest Service dispute over 25 acres their family had worked for decades. In October, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and I saved Andy Henry's 175-year-old farm in Cranbury, New Jersey from eminent domain as the result of the state's unworkable housing mandate. These were significant victories, but our work isn't finished. We're currently fighting for Wade and Teresa King of Washington State, who have been targeted with $250,000 in fines by senior officials, including a former Biden EPA Official, at the Washington Department of Ecology for normal ranching activities. We are also fighting for the farmers and ranchers in the Potter Valley of California who are facing the loss of two critical PG&E dams should the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission allow their licenses to be surrendered -- another example of lawfare that puts fish before the needs of people. We are also fighting Gavin Newsom and his radical and unconstitutional proposals like his Land Equity Task Force's plans to redistribute farmland in the name of "equity" and DEI. All of this strong work is cataloged as part of my Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework, of which is designed to combat politically motivated instances of lawfare.
Since I was sworn in, USDA has also initiated a comprehensive reorganization of our agency --one that aligns with President Trump's vision to right-size government and put the taxpayer first. USDA's top priority is and always must be supporting American agriculture. This reorganization will allow us to better serve that mission by streamlining runaway bureaucracy and moving core operations closer to the communities we serve. Whether it be the planned disposal of the South Building, or the relocation and realignment of the Forest Service alongside the unification of wildland fire programs into the Department of the Interior, this reorganization is about making structural changes that respond to years of fiscal pressures, workforce constraints, and rising operational demands.
It's no secret that upon my arrival we found a department significantly overstaffed, over budget, and supportive of extraneous diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and climate programs irrelevant to supporting an America First agricultural policy. The prior Administration had been hiring and creating programs with no way to sustain them. The President's 2027 Budget continues to right-size this, and it requests $20.8 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund USDA programs and operating expenses. It will deliver real results for American farmers and rural communities that streamlines duplicity, while also prioritizing farmers and ranchers and a safe, affordable, and nutritious food supply for every household. This budget serves important goals. It meets important needs for our agriculture producers. And it does so in a prudent, fiscally responsible way.
George Washington, our first president, set the tone for the everlasting importance of America's very first industry on the land he worked just 20 miles south of here at Mount Vernon.
In that time and even from before then, our farmers helped carve a great civilization out of untamed wilderness. With hard work and trust in Providence, they turned America into the world's breadbasket. A breadbasket still sustained by men and women who pour every fiber of their being into keeping America and the rest of the world fueled, clothed, and fed. It is an honor to go to work every day on behalf of these indispensable patriots alongside President Trump. And as we celebrate 250 years of our freedom and independence, all of us at the People's Department will continue fighting as hard as we possibly can for the men and women who help make our very freedom possible. I look forward to your questions.
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Original text here: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP01/20260416/119146/HHRG-119-AP01-Wstate-RollinsB-20260416.pdf