Wright pledges to back DOE loan office for nuclear
Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers on Tuesday he supports keeping the Loan Programs Office open for business for nuclear power.
Why it matters: The House GOP's reconciliation budget proposes to eliminate unused IRA loan funding, though the DOE's budget proposal includes funding to keep the loan office open.
"I do think it's a helpful tool to launch nuclear energy, which is why we're requesting money to do just that," Wright told the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Wright also told an audience on Monday that he's working with Congress to maintain a level of funding for LPO for transmission projects.
What they're saying: Rep. Bob Latta, chair of E&C's energy subcommittee, agreed with Wright's assessment of LPO.
"This level of government subsidy is irresponsible and unsustainable, focused on misguided priorities and was often done to the detriment of free markets and private enterprise," Latta said.
Between the lines: Wright's vision for LPO will likely be diminished compared with the Biden administration's dramatic expansion.
In fact, former President Biden's flurry of post-Election Day loan approvals are coming under scrutiny, Wright said.
The agency's review of the DOE awards had uncovered "deeply concerning" decisions that were made "without proper due diligence," Wright said.
Friction point: Some Democrats pressed Wright to tell Republicans to pull back proposed cuts in the reconciliation bill.
"It looks like you and I agree on at least one issue, and that is that nuclear energy is worth investing in and that the Loan Programs Office has an important role to play," E&C ranking Democrat Frank Pallone said.
Pallone cited South Carolina's Republican Gov. Henry McMaster's letter to lawmakers that the DOE loan authority and nuclear tax credits are essential to restarting a nuclear plant there.
What's next: Speaker Mike Johnson and House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole met with the subcommittee chairs last week about spending priorities.
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San Francisco Chronicle
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Vance blames California Dems for violent immigration protests and calls Sen. Alex Padilla 'Jose'
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Yahoo
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Ohio Reps. Marcy Kaptur, Shontel Brown on list of suspected Minnesota shooter
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Yahoo
an hour ago
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Fact Check: Walz once appointed Minnesota shooting suspect to advisory board. Here's context
Claim: Vance Boelter, accused of shooting two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses in June 2025 (one couple died), was once appointed to an advisory board by Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Rating: Context: Because Boelter was originally appointed to the board in 2016 by former Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, Walz actually reappointed him in 2019 for a second term, which ended in January 2023. Boelter is reportedly not a Democrat himself, and Walz's office confirmed that the governor does not meet with prospective appointees prior to appointing them. In mid-June 2025, a rumor began to spread that Vance Boelter, the accused shooter of two Minnesota Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses on June 14, had once been appointed a member of the Governor's Workforce Development Board by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. One of the targeted couples died. For example, this post on Facebook criticized the authorities for not releasing the alleged assassin's supposed manifesto and speculated the reason they hadn't was because Walz had political ties to Boelter (archived): The post read: Boelter, a former appointee of Democrat Governors Dayton and Walz to the Workforce Development Board, has ties to evangelical groups and a security firm. Is this a deep-state cover-up to protect their own? We demand transparency—RELEASE THE MANIFESTO NOW! The post had gained 4,600 reactions and 1,300 reshares as of this writing. Many of the commenters took it to mean Walz was an accomplice in the killings. "Five bucks says Walz is directly implicated," one said. The claim appeared on other Facebook posts. Further, Snopes readers searched the site seeking to verify this information. Indeed, Boelter, 57, sat as a member of the Governor's Workforce Development Board. A Dec. 9, 2019, news release (archived) from Walz's office announced a list of appointees to the board, and Boelter was one of them. His appointment was set to end on Jan. 2, 2023. The most recent board meeting minutes Snopes could find that included his name were from Oct. 26, 2022. Walz replaced him on the board with someone else in March 2023. However, Boelter's 2019 appointment by Walz was reportedly a reappointment. Boelter was first appointed in 2016 by former Gov. Mark Dayton (like Walz, a Democrat), according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. Dayton was elected in 2011 and left office in 2019, when Walz took over. The Daily Beast shared an appointment letter signed by Walz that was archived on the state of Minnesota's website. Snopes contacted the Governor's Workforce Development Board staff, which declined to comment. A spokesperson for Walz's office replied, providing more context regarding the board appointments (more on this later). Workforce Development Boards exist across localities in the U.S. Their role is to cultivate talent, linking it to economic growth, and to develop strategic plans to set funding priorities. For example, they might advise on training for a local workforce to meet the needs of companies investing locally. The Star Tribune further reported, citing an unnamed board member, that while Boelter served as the appointee of two successive Democratic governors, the board is bipartisan. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported in another article that Boelter had registered to vote as a Republican and, citing his roommate David Carlson, that he had last voted for U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican. It also appeared, according to various reports, that Boelter was an evangelical Christian and staunchly opposed to abortion. In addition, according to the Star Tribune, while it's true Walz had reappointed Boelter to the board, he did not know him personally, according to an unnamed source in Walz's office (a detail Snopes has not independently verified). The governor's office is in charge of appointing hundreds of people to various advisory boards and commissions. Snopes found the Workforce Development Board included 58 members as of this writing. These various boards do not have the power to legislate. "These are unpaid, nonpartisan, external boards that the legislature creates and the Governor does not interview applicants for," the spokesperson for Walz said in an emailed statement. "They are not appointments to a position in the Governor's cabinet. They also have no authority to make decisions, change laws, or implement policies." Chapman, Isabelle, et al. "What We Know about the Minnesota Shooting Suspect." CNN, 15 June 2025, Accessed 16 June 2025. Faircloth, Ryan, et al. "Suspect Showed Few Signs of Political Extremism before Lawmaker Shootings." 16 June 2025, Accessed 16 June 2025.. "Governor's Workforce Development Board - Minutes." 26 Oct. 2022, Accessed 16 June 2025. and "Friends Say Minnesota Shooting Suspect Was Deeply Religious and Conservative." AP News, 15 June 2025, Accessed 16 June 2025. "Members / Governor's Workforce Development Board." Governor's Workforce Development Board, 2025, Accessed 16 June 2025. "On June 14, Champlin Police Responded to an Early Morning Shooting Involving a State Legislator." Champlin, MN, 2025, Accessed 16 June 2025. Orenstein, Walker, and Walker Orenstein. "Fact Check: Was Suspected Assassin Boelter Close with MN Gov. Walz? No." 15 June 2025, Accessed 16 June 2025. "Walz, Flanagan Announce Appointments." Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, 22 Mar. 2023, Accessed 16 June 2025. "Walz, Flanagan Announce Appointments to the Governor's Workforce Development Board." Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, 9 Dec. 2019, Accessed 16 June 2025.
