[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6230899,"mediaKeyId","3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00","parentId",3441838,"title","Senate panel presses Interior secretary over ‘skinny’ FY2026 budget and plan to transfer smaller park sites to states","audioSeconds",782,"startMs",1296000,"endMs",2078000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00&start=1296&end=2078","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00/thumbnail_1296000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6230899/Senate-panel-presses-Interior-secretary-over-skinny-FY2026-budget-and-plan-to-transfer-smaller-park-sites-to-states","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230899-37e0178ec533a41e1987e518d1a2bdbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770783780&Signature=EwoIU3N6TQsJ8k2uGavGRrEfXwO5o9jFFhw~VSux6BHuInnlqR9j5iqscXkY5LkJuUsQdZKLtpuYEOrTQrmKSOAy5LIOf1HEX~I7h9D-oLya4jsrsdIxU2O1R3fvv5L4fUOgwwq3z2hzuetMnj~coDUenfj6lJ5JlKhdMw4G9AxzXWfMqZdgepnqPZJ6ynaKXdr4NVZ7ebjHzf9zKvvkRX2FKcrN56ZjKpMd59AmjZibl4UgH1yNGEEVOd1OY0O7SsVvJJB05SFd7NQae4~4-QaaSDgykrliA2kK-5BZzXQop5w2pkVlITTr71iNF5WZfco4eMl8nSxyaUpheAgdGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations","date","2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee questioned Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on the President’s fiscal year 2026 budget blueprint, focusing on proposed cuts to the National Park Service and a departmental idea to transfer some smaller National Park Service sites to state or local management.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, chair of the subcommittee, opened the hearing by asking the secretary for regular communication and staff-level briefings and by highlighting Alaska’s economic ties to DOI-managed resources. Murkowski said she was concerned that a \"skinny budget\" that “proposes to cut 1,200,000,000.0 or 35% from park service\" would undercut parks’ economic and recreational roles.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, the subcommittee’s ranking member, pressed Burgum on how the administration values parks and whether the department intends to “strip down the national park system and hand out the parts.” Merkley said the proposal would “offload vast numbers of national park sites onto the states, fracturing our treasured system.”

Burgum characterized the budget as a tool to increase “people actually working on the front lines” by cutting overhead and reinvesting savings into field operations and deferred maintenance. He told the committee: “I want more people in the parks. Whether driving a snowplow in the wintertime or . . . doing trail work . . . I want more of that,” and said the administration will send lists and plans “when we have the plan.”

On the proposed transfers of park sites, Burgum was explicit about the legal limit: when asked whether statute changes would be required to transfer most of the 370 non–’capital-P’ park sites, he replied, “Yes.” He also said the administration intended to treat \"the 63 parks\" — the large, statutory national parks often referred to as the system’s crown jewels — as excluded from any transfer plan.

Committee members pressed for more details and earlier notice about which units might be affected. Merkley repeatedly sought a specific list and asked whether transfers could be done by executive action; Burgum said the idea was in formation and that most transfers would be “a case by case, state by state” approach and that changes to law would be required for many sites.

The subcommittee called for written follow-ups; Burgum committed to provide lists and answers on several open items, including Great American Outdoors Act project lists and spending-plan questions. Senators warned that absent detailed plans and clear statutory authority, any wholesale move to shift site management risks legal challenges and could interrupt ongoing maintenance and conservation work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Subcommittee Hearing: A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee questioned Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on the President’s fiscal year 2026 budget blueprint, focusing on proposed cuts to the National Park Service and a departmental idea to transfer some smaller National Park Service sites to state or local management.","taxTitle","Appropriations: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1986,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6230885,"Senators warn proposed cuts to BIA and BIE threaten tribal law enforcement, schools and trust responsibilities",4244,1383000,5627000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00&start=1383&end=5627","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00/thumbnail_1383000.jpg","/articles/6230885/Senators-warn-proposed-cuts-to-BIA-and-BIE-threaten-tribal-law-enforcement-schools-and-trust-responsibilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230885-8e0fa2e571e49ddec8ff5b3603f829eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770783780&Signature=FlqTa30J34mSDOXM44DWxrgnOChM4BKSn4MmoWTb68VLFmod~Q9OFukEJ3LjYMOYkolMpWHY1UTL7a5GBkvBlqGe7UWHoSQPBpleQLBbDcmENzNhGb-91CTH7vVnUNV5BjU6NzGEdM-yvCiuQ88J534q5HGtzlqTr~fR4CbQ-WHgF~aAjQKJSoPcNDEjMaMo3t95h06B5jb88v93yd8M~Ro~~GaaX~1f9~MsmbMJ9Hnh-GzB4~h9jcG0MYNjIUmv~XEnDych-6pSsdpw6Pm3AGeVLq5I26qfoPMrvV0qUXoTjqq5yHSoSKD8LYOA7cl4YhzmMxQcvSXyzjbjm1VOrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators from both parties told Interior Secretary Doug Burgum they are alarmed by the proposed reductions to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) construction, and other core tribal programs in the President’s FY2026 budget blueprint.

Sen. Jeff Merkley framed the proposed reductions as a breach of trust: “Cutting nearly $1,000,000,000 from Indian Affairs would hurt the federal government's ability to meet its trust responsibility to native people.” He flagged education, probate backlogs, public safety and missing and murdered Indigenous people as areas of concern.

Sen. Patty Murray and others described the scope of cuts and their likely impacts on tribal public safety and schooling. Burgum said he has met with tribal leaders and hosts weekly tribe meetings, and he pledged to provide senators a list of tribal consultations and to continue those discussions. He acknowledged “a deep understanding of our challenges and shortage in law enforcement” and said the department would work on recruitment and training solutions.

Several senators highlighted training gaps for BIA law enforcement and supported expanded regional training sites. Senators John Hoeven and Mike Rounds urged working with Camp Grafton and other local facilities to expand training capacity in the Northern Plains so recruits need not travel long distances for basic instruction.

On BIE school construction, Sen. Martin Heinrich flagged a roughly $187,000,000 proposed cut to the BIA school construction account and reminded the committee there is a multi‑billion‑dollar deferred‑maintenance backlog in BIE facilities. He and others asked how the department would move forward on school construction and student outcomes with reduced funds.

Burgum said the department will provide lists of tribes consulted and that it will continue engagement on law enforcement staffing, training and interagency cooperation; he did not provide immediate offsets or new funding for the accounts discussed.","Multiple senators urged Interior to preserve funding for Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement, Bureau of Indian Education construction and core tribal programs, citing treaty and trust responsibilities, high local crime rates and deferred maintenance in tribal schools.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6230890,"Lawmakers press Interior on USGS cuts and delays to FY25 spending plan for science programs",0,7006000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00&start=7006&end=7006","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00/thumbnail_7006000.jpg","/articles/6230890/Lawmakers-press-Interior-on-USGS-cuts-and-delays-to-FY25-spending-plan-for-science-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230890-b736c86e0464241cd557ded1aab28567/orig.mp4?Expires=1770783780&Signature=d7bBdJ9nFtZcSuVLUm2jGJ9QuyFZVtSjW3PA45slExVJg-cvl3H9WJNgHZDw3STbPPzhY~L6qUC7h0EA2K-KG2A4wiPc98TT2UXbO~QrPS3C5Fw5MqPWJck8WSmkU4yAHb~QgyGhjcvy2BoaJ73iW0604fV2SwpgPcsa3WTS6WgaRlObpzdY6O83rPRdyA16rpHDGTsa-pQSdnZ7DoerbWnmdcuYOqRQzbbPJpFOZZWMUoaNNAH7h5WVwh2f6GZOHxMVXjS38BGz2iFA7iPqwQynHq1QnH8YMPNIlidQ90QXynw2ug-pJc1Ma~oEWuCc7LOGQXkD00~mv9Kw8Kr19w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee pressed Secretary Doug Burgum to provide a full FY2025 spending plan and explain proposed cuts to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), saying gaps create uncertainty for ongoing scientific projects.

Sen. Jeff Merkley described the standard spending-plan format — detailed subaccounts and program allocations — and said the department’s submission contained just a handful of lines covering 12% of USGS subaccounts, leaving 88% of program details unspecified. Merkley warned this creates pauses, cancelled contracts and rising costs for projects already underway.

Burgum and other senators discussed specific programs that could be affected. Senators asked about ShakeAlert (a West Coast earthquake early-warning system), harmful‑algae‑bloom monitoring, and other USGS efforts. Burgum said the department is working to modernize internal systems and obtain apportionments from OMB but acknowledged the spending‑plan details were incomplete while his team builds out a new leadership and IT structure.

Several senators described local impacts from staff reductions and potential office closures. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said nearly 100 USGS staff in Madison and 80 staff in La Crosse had been affected; she urged the department to preserve the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, citing its role in avian‑flu monitoring and wildlife disease response. Sen. Jon Ossoff raised concern about a proposed closure of the Norcross, Ga., USGS Water Science Center and asked for a prompt response to a letter he sent on April 10.

Burgum committed to follow up with senators and said the department is coordinating with OMB on apportionments. He described tradeoffs the administration must consider for fiscal priorities but did not make specific funding commitments for the individual USGS programs discussed at the hearing.","Senators demanded details after the Interior Department’s FY2025 spending plan arrived in minimal form; they warned that delayed apportionments and proposed USGS cuts threaten programs including ShakeAlert, harmful‑algae bloom research and wildlife‑health centers.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6230894,"Interior secretary defends staff cuts and reorganization as effort to shift dollars from overhead to front‑line work",199,2690000,2889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00&start=2690&end=2889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3441838-509476a57166fe5cd76e36a9b03e2b00/thumbnail_2690000.jpg","/articles/6230894/Interior-secretary-defends-staff-cuts-and-reorganization-as-effort-to-shift-dollars-from-overhead-to-frontline-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230894-ff89161d757bcfb5801244c9dfd3db18/orig.mp4?Expires=1770783780&Signature=j5dZXBFpYSaSxGPYTvZzemwnSEUYYnUZ71gKzMAjG75PEmoaYsOjMPl06E7mvwXQUOXBYHDUWPPsBAdFTQOSCNaWRZweJwT3jL691Nt2JCmTbvv86U3N0aCYoEX~rMQXhLqmyStfXaSMUdl4eX2O-T-GT9x4vWCGYzsUEjP4~KCFyhSwJz~UrI1QJbHMwRNJ0hZjdl0SeIskLPv5CvTSJK3pb-M9f1SCbA9edynjD5BieT4EjNnqRiKDo2aglOJmyUDQN8OthdN6cIOQN3LJhB2sh~knjRYzXuEJT20jPRumNXZcmTU0bQjSnJ5GUaKEoDM~TaRFh13BHxOHjW0RGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told the Senate subcommittee that a major goal of the administration’s FY2026 budget blueprint is to reduce back‑office overhead, modernize IT systems and cut contractor dependence so the department can redeploy savings into fieldwork such as park operations and firefighting.

Burgum described an incomplete internal workforce accounting on his arrival and said that the department lacked reliable duty station records and modern HR/IT systems. He told the committee: “The IT systems are so incredibly outdated,” and described difficulty determining how many staff physically worked in parks versus in regional or headquarters offices.

Senators questioned how personnel reductions and reorganization would be implemented without degrading core functions. Sen. Patty Murray said cuts have already been extensive, alleging the National Park Service had lost 18% of staff and that the removal of certain frontline or technical positions (for example, a plumber at Mount Rainier) indicated harmful, uncoordinated layoffs.

Burgum responded that some of the positions targeted are support roles and contractors that, he argued, may be better managed differently. He said the department could “increase the number of people in the park, but still decrease the number of people on payroll at the National Park Service because we're eliminating overhead, back office, IT, and HR roles.”

Members pressed for specifics about which positions would remain and which would be cut. Burgum promised more engagement with the committee and said the department will provide details as plans firm up, including quarterly meetings between DOI senior staff and the subcommittee.

Several senators voiced specific concern about wildfire preparedness and law‑enforcement staffing, saying reductions in support personnel could make firefighting and emergency response more dangerous. Burgum and the administration signaled support for maintaining firefighting capacity and described ongoing interagency coordination to unify wildland fire efforts.","Secretary Doug Burgum told the Senate subcommittee the Interior Department needs to reduce overhead, modernize IT and cut contractor reliance to put more staff in field operations; senators warned mass firings and program interruptions risk degrading park services, firefighting and other functions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate panel presses Interior secretary over ‘skinny’ FY2026 budget and plan to transfer smaller park sites to states

Senators warn proposed cuts to BIA and BIE threaten tribal law enforcement, schools and trust responsibilities

Lawmakers press Interior on USGS cuts and delays to FY25 spending plan for science programs

Interior secretary defends staff cuts and reorganization as effort to shift dollars from overhead to front‑line work