WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee, sent letters to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Christopher Wright and Deputy Inspector General Jennifer Quinones demanding assurances that critical DOE grants and loans remain operational and that national security safeguards are enforced following reports of unauthorized access to sensitive DOE data. In the letters, Castor raised significant concerns over the illegal shutdown of critical DOE operations meant to lower energy costs for American families and unauthorized incursions by Elon Musk and his associates with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) into classified government information.

“This week, a federal district court ordered the Administration, including DOE, to ‘immediately end any federal funding pause’ and noted that the broad, categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is ‘likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.’ The court explicitly directed the Administration to continue funding disbursement of grants, loans and other partnership assistance to states, local communities and nonprofit agencies initiatives under the landmark Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” wrote Castor to Secretary Wright. “Just this week, you said that you must ‘follow the law and manage what I’ve inherited.’ Despite your own words and the rulings of several federal judges that this spending cannot be halted, reporting indicates that funding is still unlawfully blocked for projects across the country.”

Castor wrote separately to IG Quinones, “…the early actions of the Trump Administration are cause for concern, including the firing of the DOE Inspector General (IG) who is responsible for rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. Nothing in the early Trump executive orders is designed to lower energy prices and help hardworking Americans. Instead, across the board, the actions are a gift to Big Oil companies designed to boost their profits at the expense of working families. It is the essential mission of the DOE Office of the Inspector General (DOE-OIG) to conduct oversight of the Department of Energy, strengthening the integrity, economy, and efficiency of the Department’s programs and operations.”

The letter to DOE Secretary Wright can be viewed here.

The letter to DOE IG Quinones can be viewed here.