House Energy-Water Appropriations Chair Chuck Fleischmann told Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday that he wanted to see more money in fiscal 2026 for the Office of Science, a sharp contrast to the administration’s request for a cut of more than $1 billion.
In Wright’s debut in the House on Wednesday to defend the Trump administration’s energy budget, he encountered resistance from even some Republicans about cuts to nuclear and science programs.
The White House’s so-called skinny budget for fiscal 2026 requested $45.1 billion for the Energy Department, about 9 percent less than enacted for fiscal 2025. The administration is expected to release a more detailed budget request later.
