Catherine Cortez Masto Asks Trump Nominee How He Will 'Stand Up' For Agency Amid Proposed 57% Budget Cut In 2026 Budget

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During a Senate Energy Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) spoke about the Trump administration's proposed 57% cut to the Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Transcript

00:00Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Prohaska, let me start

00:04with you. Do you support an all-of-the-above-energy approach? Thank you

00:08very much for the question, Senator. I support an all-of-the-above-energy

00:12approach if it's reliable, affordable, and secure. I think we need to look at the

00:16portfolio. Do you think solar and wind are reliable and affordable and secure?

00:19There are some cases where that very well could be, and there's also

00:23enabling technologies that could maybe enhance certain technologies, not

00:26particularly those two, but I think that's part of the opportunity ahead of us

00:30is to make sure we find out what is keeping, if anything, from affordable,

00:35reliable, and secure technologies and help that. Thank you. Are there any specific

00:39areas of research that you believe RPE must prioritize to remain competitive? I

00:44would have to look at the portfolio because your question is if we have to

00:47maintain. I am not well in depth at the whole portfolio right now as it stands

00:52from many years ago when I was there and looking at those projects as they evolve.

00:56That would be part of the evaluation. Okay. In your written testimony, you

01:01acknowledge that new critical technologies are at an inflection point.

01:04Couldn't agree more. Absolutely. And please know that Nevada entities have

01:09leveraged RPE funding in recent years to uncover exciting solutions such as

01:15innovative research with Nevada gold mines and the University of Nevada Reno to

01:19study new techniques for the separation of rare earth elements from ores. There's so

01:26much going on. There's so much opportunity. But here's my question for you. In

01:30President Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget, he calls for a 57% cut to RPE. 57% cut. So my

01:40question to you have confirmed, how would you manage that and what specific actions

01:45would you take to stand up for your agencies and the tools it needs and will

01:49you then have to make priorities on which areas of research that you would support? And I would be

01:57curious what those areas would be. Senator, I think with any, to first start with the areas,

02:05I would not dare sit here today and say I know. I think in something like an RPE and Advanced Research

02:12Projects Agency and this high reward, high risk technology, the most dangerous thing that someone

02:17can say, particularly prior to... Can I stop you? I'm sorry because I only have so much time. Well, you keep

02:21talking about high risk, high reward. What is that? What projects are those? What are you talking about

02:25specifically? I think it's the ability to put dollars for an exponential return to impact on the United

02:34States taxpayer and ensure that we're making the biggest bang for the buck and really shooting, as we talk

02:40about sometimes, moonshot type technologies. To answer your question is we will maximize the resources

02:48that are at RPE to make sure we are effectively and efficiently accomplishing the mission to deliver

02:55the best we possibly can for the U.S. taxpayer. I only have so much time, so I'm going to jump to

02:59and I apologize. I don't get a chance to ask you all questions, so we will submit some for the record.

03:04But Ms. Pierce, I did have one for you, but we'll submit it for the record because I know you're

03:07patiently waiting here. But there's one that I have to ask Dr. Mamula about because, as you know, Nevada

03:16is at the forefront of developing our nation's critical mineral supply chain and reducing dependence

03:21on China. And I've heard all of you comment to some extent that that is absolutely necessary.

03:29The mining industry in Nevada is bolstered by invaluable research conducted at our universities,

03:33including the Mackey School of Mines at the University of Nevada, Reno, through grants from USGS programs,

03:41such as EarthMRI, StateMap, and the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program.

03:49Our universities are able to create publicly available data regarding the location of critical mineral

03:55resources, to archive mineral compositions of different regions, and accelerate mine permitting

04:01by providing baseline geological data for prospective projects. I fear that without this research, Nevada

04:08and the rest of the United States may fall further behind in the race to develop reliable critical mineral

04:15supply chains. Unfortunately, in the President's fiscal year 26 budget, he proposes to slash the USGS

04:22by about half a billion dollars and cut funding to universities. Yet, it says the agency will focus

04:30on achieving dominance in energy and critical minerals. Now, I understand that you're not currently at the

04:35agency, but how can you explain how cutting critical research like this will actually help the US achieve

04:42dominance in energy and critical minerals? And how would you manage that cut to your budget?

04:46Senator Cortez Masto, thank you for the question. And by the way, Nevada is a great geology state. I go

04:55there every year, and I know the people in your state geological survey. To answer your question,

05:02let me take it this way. The federal funds from USGS flow down to the state geological surveys. It's one

05:09of the greatest partnerships you can believe, and it's just fabulous. The state surveys are the engine of

05:15a lot of our mapping. So we have state and federal working together. Senator, I'm not privy, or I don't

05:24understand the nuances of the President's budget because I'm not in there yet. But I will make it a

05:31very number one priority to look at that budget, whatever cuts, plus ups, whatever, and make sure

05:40that we have the money to drive the program forward, which is the President's priority. That is to make

05:47the critical minerals, rare earth, and technology metals a national priority because it is a national

05:55security priority. And that would be my focus from day one, minute one, when I walk in that building,

06:02if confirmed. Well, you promised me this. If you, once you get in there, and the cuts are made,

06:07and there are going to be significant cuts to you, including cuts to grant funding, that when you,

06:12whatever little funds that you do have for grant funding, that you do not make a decision that

06:16you're going to pick blue states over red states. Senator, I need to take a look at that. I can't envision

06:25when we do geology and funding and cooperation between state, federal, that there's a blue state,

06:33red state. Senator, let me just go on the record and say, the critical minerals, our energy, our rare

06:39earth, our technology metals. I hope, and sometimes, secretly, I pray, that this is the greatest

06:47nonpartisan issue before us in our time. We have to- And you would commit to keeping it nonpartisan?

06:54Senator, we are scientists, and if we get into the weeds of politics, it kind of spoil.

07:03Our credibility, and I would never do that to the USGS. Thank you.

07:11Senator King.

07:14Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the sages of New England, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, what you do speak-

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