Republicans Refuse Any Oversight of Musk and Trump During First Natural Resources Committee Mark Up

Ranking Member Huffman: “A Pledge of Allegiance to a Lawless, Wannabe King”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee held their first mark up of the 119th Congress, where they reviewed – among other items – Republicans’ “119th Congress Authorization and Oversight Plan.” Democrats offered a series of amendments designed to use the Committee’s oversight authorities to meaningfully rein in Musk and Trump’s abuses of power.

"Let me assure the American people: This lawlessness, this chaos and calamity, this total abdication of Congress's oversight role and its Article One power, this is not normal and it is not acceptable,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “This Valentine to Big Oil will do nothing to help hardworking families meet the costs of their energy bills. It'll do nothing to protect clean air and clean water, and obviously, it does nothing for the climate crisis except to make it worse.

"The focus of this oversight plan really speaks to either an inability or just a flat-out refusal to ever question, scrutinize, or hold this administration accountable. It is a complete surrender of the clean energy economy – which is the future – to our adversaries around the world. It is a refusal to investigate the smoking gun evidence of Big Oil illegally colluding with OPEC to use our public lands, the American people's lands, to gouge prices for American consumers. Welcome to the first markup of the second Trump regime: Team Extreme’s Valentine to Big Oil and a pledge of allegiance to a lawless, wannabe king.”

While Rep. Sarah Elfreth’s (MD-03) amendment instructing the Committee to conduct oversight over aquatic invasive species policy and pursue solutions that are targeted, data-driven, and holistic was adopted, all Republicans voted against the following amendments:

Ranking Member Jared Huffman's amendment to evaluate how Trump’s funding freeze will hurt programs funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act designed to make communities more resilient to catastrophic wildfires.
Rep. Val Hoyle’s (OR-04) amendment to investigate how Trump and Musk’s DOGE efforts to dismantle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will delay disaster assistance for fishing communities.
Rep. Maxine Dexter’s (OR-03) amendment to investigate Trump’s illegal midnight purge of Inspectors General at the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce.
Rep. Dave Min’s (CA-47) amendment to investigate how DOGE’s efforts to slash NOAA’s budget and enact mass layoffs will impact coastal resiliency programs.
Rep. Joe Neguse’s (CO-02) amendment to investigate the impacts of hiring freezes on wildland firefighting readiness.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari’s (AZ-03) amendment to investigate DOGE accessing sensitive data, including on oil and gas companies operating on federal land and waters.
Rep. Julia Brownley’s (CA-26) amendment to investigate how much fossil fuel companies stand to profit from Republican’s fake “energy emergency” waivers of bedrock environmental and wildlife protection laws.
Rep. Emily Randall’s (WA-06) amendment to ensure that Tribal nations and Insular entities have a voice and are meaningfully consulted on Committee action affecting them.

While not adopted by the Committee, two amendments did receive bipartisan support:

Rep. Pablo José Hernández’s (PR) amendment to conduct oversight over the Financial Oversight and Management Board’s management of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy litigation.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s (NY-07) amendment to review Section 209 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which relates to Oversight Board termination conditions.

BACKGROUND

A full list of amendments offered by Committee Democrats can be found below.

Amendment #1 by Hoyle	Adds that the Committee will investigate how proposed cuts to the NOAA budget and workforce will weaken science underlying fisheries management and decrease fishing access in federal waters.
Amendment #2 by Hoyle	Adds that the Committee will investigate how efforts to dismantle NOAA or transfer the National Marine Fisheries Service will delay fishery disaster assistance.
Amendment #3 by Hoyle	Adds that the Committee will investigate how hiring freezes and DOGE actions at the Fish and Wildlife Service will affect public access at National Wildlife Refuges.
Amendment #4 by Dexter	Adds that the Committee will investigate the firings and the impacts of firings of the Inspectors General at the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce.
Amendment #5 by Dexter	Adds that the Committee will investigate the health impacts of megafires driven by climate change.
Amendment #6 by Min	Adds that the Committee will investigate DOGE efforts to cut NOAA workforce and budget and impacts on coastal resiliency.
Amendment #7 by Huffman	Adds that the Committee will conduct oversight to ensure appropriate management of water supplies after mismanagement of unscheduled water releases.
Amendment #8 by Huffman	Adds that the Committee will investigate the impact of funding freezes on critical water needs.
Amendment #9 by Huffman	Adds that the Committee will investigate access of sensitive tribal data by DOGE and pursue appropriate responses to ensure that such data is protected and cannot be unlawfully accessed again.
Amendment #10 by Huffman	Adds that the Committee will evaluate how funding from the IRA and the IIJA has promoted restoration, resilience, and decreased wildfire risk, and the impact that funding freezes have had on these investments.
Amendment #11 by Neguse	Adds that the Committee will investigate the impacts of hiring freezes on wildland firefighting readiness.
Amendment #12 by Neguse	Adds that the Committee will investigate the impact of hiring freezes on the operation and maintenance of the National Park System.
Amendment #13 by Ansari	Adds that the Committee will investigate DOGE accessing sensitive data, including on oil and gas companies operating on federal land and waters.
Amendment #14 by Brownley	Adds that the Committee will investigate how much fossil fuel companies stand to profit from “energy emergency” waivers of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Amendment #15 by Neguse	Adds that the Committee will investigate DOGE’s interference with NOAA’s statutory mission and work, including on wildfires forecasts and response.
Amendment #16 by Randall	Adds that the Committee will consult with Tribal nations and confer with Tribal or Insular entities on measures or oversight affecting them prior to Committee action.
Amendment #17 by Elfreth	Adds that the Committee will conduct oversight over aquatic invasive species policy and pursue solutions that are targeted, data-driven, and holistic.
Amendment #18 by Hernández	Adds that the Committee will conduct oversight over the Financial Oversight and Management Board’s management of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy litigation.
Amendment #20 by Velázquez	Adds that the Committee’s oversight will include the review and interpretation of Section 209 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which relates to Oversight Board termination conditions.

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