Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee whose district includes the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site, praised the 214-to-213 passage of the fiscal 2026 House Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
“The House has just sent a clear message about the role nuclear will play in the future of American energy,” Newhouse said in a Sept. 4 press release.
“This legislation makes historic investments into small modular nuclear reactors and expands licensing for new reactors, like the one coming to the Tri-Cities, which will help America become the global leader in nuclear power,” Newhouse said.
“As we work to get out fiscal house in order, tough decisions must be made,” Newhouse said of the legislation that cut funding for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management by $779 million to $7.7 billion.
“The cleanup effort at Hanford and the research and innovation at [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory] PNNL are vital to our region, and I will continue to prioritize their missions as we negotiate with the Senate on funding the government,” Newhouse said.