During Wednesday’s House Appropriations Committee hearing, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) questioned Energy Secretary Chris Wright over withholding funds for energy programs.
00:00The gentleman for his questions. At this time, I'd like to recognize my friend from Florida,
00:06Ms. Debbie Washman-Schultz. Thank you. Five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Wright,
00:10it's nice to see you. Thanks for joining us. Congress passed and the president signed into
00:14law billions in funding for energy efficiency, grid modernization, and other programs designed
00:20to lower costs for consumers and strengthen our energy infrastructure. But the Trump administration
00:24froze nearly all Department of Energy funding, and even now, more than $67 billion remains frozen.
00:31This is in clear defiance of both congressional intent and multiple court orders, and it's not
00:35a theoretical delay. We're talking about shovel-ready projects tied to contracts with American
00:42businesses that will result in energy bill savings for families, all of which your department is
00:47blocking. So can you explain under what legal authority you continue to withhold these funds,
00:51and will you commit right now to release this money immediately, or do you intend to continue
00:56violating the law and hurting our American families? Thank you, Congresswoman. We're in
01:01compliance with the law in everything we do. We're not withholding any funds, and we've paid every
01:08invoice we've had for work done and funds that are due. So the premise of the question is wrong. I'm
01:14happy to go into the evaluations we're doing now on future funding. Reclaiming my time for a moment,
01:19because I knew you were going to say that, and I'm happy to go through the energy programs that you
01:26are with currently withholding funds for, so that we can all understand the difference between what
01:33you're referring to and what I'm referring to. Let me just scroll down so that I can. You have
01:43$2 billion frozen for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. You have $7.6 billion in frozen funds for
01:55the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. You have $735 million for the Office of Nuclear Energy
02:01Frozen. You have $14 billion for the Office of State and Community Energy Programs frozen. You have $11.3 billion for the Grid Deployment Office frozen. You have, should I go on?
02:15I mean, all of these programs. You must define what frozen is, because there's no money being withheld, so what does frozen mean? Meaning the funds are not, are being withheld, not released to the recipients for contracts that are,
02:27that are, have been leaded, and that are being targeted for cancellation. So, I mean, I just read all of those programs. There are more. Um, so what legal authority do you have when Congress has appropriated these funds and they are not subject to your review before release?
02:44What legal authority do you have to hold those funds? We're not withholding those funds. Okay. Well, I just read you a list of funds that are held. Where, where did the list come from and, and how do you define them as held? What do you mean by that?
02:56What do you mean by held? As in like not released? I mean, it's a standard dictionary definition. If we've appropriated the funds and the Department of Energy is supposed to release them to the recipients and they have not received them and they're not getting answers. Now, I'm happy to follow up with you to make sure that you understand which programs we're talking about. But for the front, for the $67 billion that remain frozen that we've identified, that have been identified,
03:24what legal authority do you have to hold on to those funds? And if you don't have, if you haven't done it, um, then you're saying that there is no legal authority for you to hold funds that Congress has appropriated.
03:36And you agree and you've released, released funds and somehow I have incorrect information.
03:41Yeah, I think your information is not correct. Congresswoman and we should follow up. But yes, we, we administer funds that are appropriated by Congress through hundreds. In fact, in thousands of contracts with various, uh, players that are on the other end of those deals.
03:59And we have ongoing work with, with lots of companies where we are paying bills as they become due and we are engaging with all of those folks on the next milestones for their payments.
04:10Okay. So then you understand that if Congress has appropriated funds and the, and in addition, a court has ordered you to release those funds that you're supposed to do that.
04:23So when I follow up with you and show you funds that are still frozen, then we can expect to see those funds released once we point those out to you.
04:32If you show us a contract we have with a party and they've done work and we haven't paid it. Absolutely. We pay our bills and we follow the law.
04:40We are following all of the laws where we stand today and we are working with hundreds, say actually thousands of counterparts on this.
04:48Of course, we are being responsible stewards of that money and engaging with these parties to make sure American taxpayer monies are being spent in thoughtful, reasonable ways that are going to better the energy systems for our country and advanced technology and all of that.
05:03So we're responsible stewards of the, of the money, which when I walked into the place was certainly not the case in the two and a half months.
05:11Every day that this money remains frozen, real families are facing high utility bills, local businesses delay or cancel clean energy projects.
05:21And so I hope you're prepared, prepared to take responsibility for the consequences of those decisions and also follow up specifically and point out to me why funds are still frozen and release those funds when it's very clear that you're violating the law by holding on to them.
05:38Thank you, I yield back the balance of my time.
