Congressional Letters Urge Support for Fusion in Upcoming 2024 Budget
[UPDATED to add letters from Representatives and Senators in favor of funding fusion]
On Monday, January 23, Representative Zoe Lofgren, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and Senator Alex Padilla wrote a letter to President Biden in support of funding fusion energy in the Office of Science at the amount authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act.
The letter refers to a discussion these Members of Congress had with Biden while he was in California following devastating floods, where they report the President strongly agreed that the Fusion Energy Sciences program within the Office of Science should be increased. They request that the Administration fully funds the $1.044 billion in the FY 2024 Budget Request as authorized in the landmark, bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act that the President signed into law in August. This should be part of a request of $9.54 billion for the Office of Science overall, also consistent with the FY 2024 level authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act.
There are other letters in support of federal fusion funding within the 2024 budget. Embedded below are letters submitted by Members of the House and Senate in support of fully funding fusion and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science in the President’s FY 2024 Budget Request.
Representative Zoe Lofgren and Senator Alex Padilla’s letter to President Biden in support of funding the Office of Science, January 23, 2023
Representative Trahan writes in support of fusion funding, January 19, 2023
14 Senators write in support of fusion funding, led by Senator Booker, December 16, 2022
18 Senators write in support of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, led by Senate Majority Whip Durbin, November 18, 2022
21 Members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee write in support of the Office of Science, signed by now-Ranking Member Lofgren and led by then-Subcommittee Chairmen Bowman and Foster, August 11, 2022
On March 30, 2023, 25 Senators wrote to Appropriators asking for full funding of fusion energy sciences.
On March 31, 55 Representatives sent a letter in support of full funding for fusion to the House Appropriations Committee-
