During a House Science Committee hearing last week, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) questioned Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy David Turk about efforts to promote DEI in DOE-funded research.
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NewsTranscript
00:00I recognize the gentleman from New York for five minutes, Mr. Tonko.
00:03Well, thank you, Chair Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren, for holding this hearing, and thank
00:07you, Deputy Secretary Turk, for your excellent leadership at DOE. I have to say the team
00:13at DOE is quite an impressive group of consummate professionals. I am deeply proud of our work
00:18last Congress to enhance U.S. research and innovation through landmark legislation, including
00:24the Chips and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Now our focus must be on effectively
00:28implementing these investments, certainly not on clawing them back, and working to ensure
00:34enduring progress. This includes not only directing Federal funding toward cutting-edge
00:39research, but also fostering a supportive environment for the next generation of researchers,
00:45including through effective mentoring and cultivation of inclusive and healthy workplaces.
00:52To this end, I was particularly encouraged by the DOE's introduction of promoting inclusive
00:58and equitable research, or the PEER, plans in fiscal year 2023. So, Deputy Secretary
01:04Turk, can you discuss how these plans, or other DOE initiatives, are helping to promote
01:09diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in DOE-funded research?
01:13Well, let me start in thanking you for your leadership. It's been terrific to work with
01:18you personally, and I know many, many folks in the Department of Energy enjoy the conversations
01:23and enjoy your leadership. It is a phenomenal department, I have to say. It's been a privilege
01:28and an honor to work with such dedicated career folks who made their careers to try to help
01:33our fellow American citizens. The issue you mentioned, making sure that we've got inclusive
01:39and equitable opportunities for folks to work in our laboratories, to have the kinds of
01:44undergrad, graduate opportunities going forward, is such an important one. It's not only the
01:49right thing to do, but if we want to maintain our edge on innovation, our edge on research,
01:54our edge on science, we need to take advantage of the full population that we have, and make
01:58sure that we have opportunities for kids, no matter where they grow up, to have those
02:03opportunities to become a professor, to become a Ph.D., to become an innovator, to become
02:08an entrepreneur. And so, the kinds of programs that you're mentioning are absolutely critical,
02:12and we need to do even more of that. Thank you. And additionally, how does DOE ensure
02:16grantees are held accountable for the elements of their peer plans? Well, this goes back,
02:22and this is what we're doing on our community benefits plan as well, right? First of all,
02:26you have to have transparency in those plans so that folks, not only our own folks, can
02:30take a look at them, but we can make those available and have others kick the tires and
02:34make sure that we're holding true to our responsibilities that we have going forward. And we need to
02:40ask ourselves and those who we give funding for, it's not our money, it's your money,
02:44it's the taxpayer's money, we need to make sure that we're getting big bang for buck
02:48from all of those efforts. And so, it's okay for us to ask tough questions, it's okay for
02:54us to hold folks accountable, and that's the kind of culture that we're trying to build.
02:59We've got a strong culture of that already, but the Secretary, myself, others of us, trying
03:03to instill that kind of culture throughout our department. Thank you. Another critical
03:08aspect of a thriving and trusted federal research enterprise is a robust scientific integrity
03:13policy. In January, I was excited to see the release of an updated DOE scientific
03:18integrity policy that better aligns with the 2023 National Science and Technology Council
03:25framework. I was happy to see that the policy made it clear that political interference
03:31to delay or alter scientific findings is indeed unacceptable. However, the process for reporting
03:37allegations of such violations is not explicitly outlined. So, can you discuss any efforts
03:43to ensure reporting mechanisms are made clear to employees and the general public?
03:47Yeah. So, let me just be very clear, and I know, Congressman, you feel this way. The
03:51fact that we have the kind of scientific integrity that we have, not only in the Department of
03:55Energy, but the culture we have in our country, is one of the big reasons, along with investment,
04:00along with focus, along with talent, for us to be the scientific powerhouse that we are.
04:05And we need to guard against any and all efforts to erode that kind of integrity. It frankly
04:11is what separates us compared to a lot of other countries around the world that don't
04:15have that integrity, that want to hear truth to power. And if our scientists come up with
04:20answers that I find uncomfortable, we want to and encourage that again and again, both
04:25in terms of written policies and those kinds of things, but in the culture that we try
04:28to have in our department for folks to speak up and to come forward. And frankly, if there's
04:33good science that's being done out there that question our assumptions on certain issues,
04:37that's the way we spend taxpayer money efficiently, and we course correct as needed. So, it's
04:42absolutely integral to everything we do.
04:43Mr. Connolly. Well, I thank you for that.
04:44And, Secretary, I appreciate your mention of the Weatherization Assistance Program,
04:49which plays a vital role in helping low-income Americans reduce energy costs and make their
04:53homes healthier and safer. While the program has excelled in traditional improvements like
04:57insulation and LED lighting, new advancements like heat pumps and smart thermostats offer
05:02additional savings and resilience. So how can the Weatherization Program expand its
05:06reach to incorporate these innovative technologies, ensuring that LMI households benefit from
05:11these advances?
05:12Well, it's a phenomenal program. Right now, each household gets support, and it's not
05:17as many households as we need to reach, right? There's a greater demand than we have the
05:20resources for it. They save, on average, $372 per year. And these are the households that
05:26$372 per year is a big, big deal. And we need to make sure more households have access to
05:32that.
05:33We also need to do exactly what you're talking about, is expanding on the core success that
05:38we've had, the foundation that we've built, and make sure that we're incorporating other
05:42technologies, whether appliances or other ways that we can save more money.
05:48Throughout the bill and the IRA, we've got an extraordinary amount of money, $38 billion,
05:52that we're estimating in savings on electricity bills for American consumers because of the
05:56President's leadership, because of the Congress stepping up and providing those tools in the
06:00tool belt.
06:01Thank you. I yield back.