119-HR-9022 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

A 2027 funding bill for energy and water that backs Army Corps projects, Western water supplies, and major Department of Energy programs, with added policy riders on oil reserve sales, nuclear support, and federal building energy rules; it was reported on May 22, 2026 and awaits House floor action.

What It Does

In plain terms, this bill pays for the Army Corps of Engineers’ flood control, dredging, and harbor maintenance; Western water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; and a wide array of Department of Energy programs covering science, cybersecurity, electricity, nuclear energy, cleanup of old weapons sites, and more for fiscal year 2027.

• Funds Army Corps civil works: investigations, construction, operations and maintenance, Mississippi River projects, emergency flood response, and permitting.
• Backs Western water: Central Utah Project completion, Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources, and California Bay‑Delta work; extends/adjusts several Western water authorizations and ceilings.
• Supports key DOE programs: basic science, grid reliability, energy security and emergency response, nuclear energy, ARPA‑E, Strategic Petroleum Reserve operations, and cleanup of legacy nuclear sites.
• Adds policy directives (“riders”), including: no SPR sales to Chinese‑controlled entities and no exports to China from such sales; a bar on implementing DOE’s 2024 rule for energy use in new/renovated federal buildings; tighter restrictions on awards to certain foreign “entities of concern”; consent requirements for privately run interim storage of spent nuclear fuel; and allowance of firearms possession at Corps water recreation sites when consistent with state law.
• Repurposes some previously appropriated infrastructure/clean‑energy balances to support small modular reactor deployments and the DOE loan guarantee program, and sets detailed reprogramming/notification rules for both the Corps and DOE.
• Maintains regular transparency and cost‑control requirements (e.g., independent cost estimates for large DOE projects, reporting to Congress, and limits on new starts without congressional approval).

Who’s For It

• House Republican appropriators and leaders who emphasize energy security, nuclear power deployment, and tight control of DOE spending and awards.
• Communities and ports seeking Corps funding for dredging, flood control, and shore protection; inland waterway and harbor users who benefit from maintenance and reliability.
• Western water agencies, Tribes, and irrigators that rely on Reclamation funding for storage, conveyance, and ecosystem restoration projects.
• Nuclear energy advocates and some utilities who support funding for small modular reactors, advanced reactors, and DOE nuclear programs.
• Stakeholders favoring limits on SPR sales to China and those opposing the paused federal‑buildings clean‑energy standards.

Who’s Against It

• Democratic members and environmental groups concerned about policy riders (e.g., blocking the 2024 federal‑buildings rule), restrictions on awards tied to foreign “entities of concern,” and firearms allowances at Corps sites.
• Clean‑energy advocates who object to repurposing previously appropriated infrastructure/clean‑energy funds toward nuclear projects instead of renewables and efficiency demonstrations.
• Fiscal hawks who may argue some accounts grow too quickly or contain projects they view as outside core federal roles.
• Anti‑nuclear organizations and some state/local stakeholders wary of expanded nuclear deployment or spent‑fuel policies, even with consent provisions.

What’s Next

Status as of May 22, 2026: the bill was reported by the House Appropriations Committee and placed on the Union Calendar (No. 581). Next, the full House can debate and amend it before a vote. If it passes, the Senate will take up its own version; differences would be resolved before a final bill is sent to the President for fiscal year 2027.