In a nail-biting finish, the House passed its version of the fiscal 2026 Energy and Water Appropriations bill on the floor Thursday 214-213 after two days of debate and amendments.
The four Republicans that voted against the bill were Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Penn.), Tom McClintock (Calif.) and Scott Perry (Penn.).
Not a single Democrat voted for the bill. Given the four Republican nay votes and the 209 Democrats nays, two more Democratic no votes were needed to kill the bill. However, three Democrats and one Republican abstained from voting, allowing the bill to scoot through. Reps. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), did not vote on the measure.
If it becomes law, the measure (H.R. 4553) that passed the House Appropriations Committee in July would provide the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy $1.795 billion, which is $110 million more than the fiscal 2025 enacted level.
As detailed in the Office of Nuclear Energy’s budget summary, the increase has continued funding for its Advanced Reactors Demonstration Program, increased funding for its Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability program and repurposed funding to accelerate advanced reactor and small modular reactor demonstration projects.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies subcommittee, pushed passage of the bill for its large focus on new nuclear investment.
“The passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water bill strengthens America by investing in the modernization of our national security and nuclear deterrent, securing American global leadership in new nuclear, funding waterways infrastructure from coast to coast, and reducing our reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals,” Fleischmann said in a Thursday press release. “Robustly funding small modular reactor and advanced reactor demonstration projects, as well as increasing funding for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to expand capacity for the review, licensing, and oversight of new nuclear reactors.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), House Appropriations Committee ranking Democrat, opposed passage of the energy spending bill and said she hopes for more bipartisanship in future appropriation bills.
“[This] Republicans’ funding bill undermines the very programs that stop the spread of nuclear weapons, detect nuclear activity, and uphold arms control efforts that make America and the world safer and it underfunds efforts to clean up sites contaminated by our nation’s early atomic energy program,” DeLauro said in a Thursday press release. “I hope this is the last partisan funding bill Republicans force the House to consider. It is time for them to abandon this charade and join Democrats in finding a path forward.”