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

3441838 · May 21, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

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.

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.