Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), ranking member on the Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee, today released the following statement on the draconian cuts President Trump has proposed for the Department of Energy and Army Corps of Engineers:

“The president’s budget is nothing more than broken promises and misplaced priorities. President Trump talked extensively during the campaign about rebuilding our infrastructure and making American businesses more competitive in the world.

“However, his budget cuts $1 billion from the Army Corps, which is responsible for maintaining critical flood protection and navigation infrastructure. It guts funding for basic and applied energy research that has supported groundbreaking scientific advances and new products.

“Slashing in half funding for energy research is disastrously short-sighted and contradictory. Even if you refuse to accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real, it’s still obvious there is an international market for new energy technologies. Cutting off support for clean energy researchers, innovators and manufacturers is the exact opposite of the ‘America First’ rhetoric constantly espoused by President Trump.

“These vital investments in world-leading scientific capabilities will be lost if the federal government backs away from its commitments. I won’t stand by and let the president destroy America’s scientific leadership by gutting the Department of Energy’s funding.”

Cuts to Energy and Water Programs

• Cuts applied energy research and development by 60%. This would reduce funding for critical investments as a share of gross domestic product to the lowest level in the history of the Department of Energy.
• Eliminates funding for the highly successful ARPA-E advanced research program, Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee program and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program that have been critical tools for moving novel technologies from R&D to deployment and improving American competitiveness.
• Cuts basic energy science research by 17%, which would decimate the National Laboratories and drive away 4,000 to 5,000 of the world’s leading scientists and other laboratory personnel.
• Reduces the Army Corps of Engineers by 16%, betraying the President’s promises to boost investment in our nation’s infrastructure.
• Eliminates funding for the weatherization of low-income homes across all 50 states, which would raise energy costs for those least able to afford them.

###