Heinrich Questions Trump Nominees on Screwworm Mitigation Efforts, Funding International Conservation Programs, and Administrative Budget Cuts and Expenses

WASHINGTON - During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to consider pending Trump nominees, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Committee's Ranking Member, questioned Kevin Lilly, President Trump's nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and William Hague, President Trump's nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior nominee for Insular and International Affairs on the Trump administration's plans to mitigate infectious diseases on public lands, funding international conservation efforts, budget cuts to National Park Service, the Department of the Interior's deep sea mining efforts, and administrative expenses.

VIDEO: Ranking Member Heinrich (D-N.M.) questions Kevin Lilly, Trump's Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and William Hague, Trump's Assistant Secretary of the Interior nominee before U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, June 23, 2026

On U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Plans to Monitor New World Screwworm Outbreak

Ranking Member Heinrich began his questioning by asking Kevin Lilly, President Trump's nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, about the agency's plans to monitor infectious diseases and its impacts on wildlife and public lands, "Mr. Lilly, we now have 12 reported new world screwworm infestations in the continental United States. I frankly worry that there could be many more infestations in the wildlife populations as opposed to livestock that have not been detected, and that the federal government is not adequately focusing on, in part due to the lack of staff on the ground in our public lands, parks, and wildlife refuges. What resources does Fish and Wildlife Service have to monitor for New World screwworm cases?"

Mr. Lilly answered, "Thank you, Senator. And I think we may have touched on this earlier. The New World screwworm phenomenon is not a new one. It has existed in this country for many years, and it was eradicated, I believe, in the 1960s through technology involving sterilized breeding. We basically thought that this was eradicated. However, most recently it came to my attention, I think earlier in the year, that some cases had been found in Mexico, approximately 300 miles, that has now, from various means, entered into the United States. So, as this is a primarily Department of Agriculture issue, your mention of wildlife is one in which our job and our mission, sir, is to collaborate and utilize the technology that we have within the Fish and Wildlife, whether that be technological advancements, drones, algorithms trying to determine particular locations of vulnerable species and work closely with the Department of Agriculture to try to identify hotspots locations which will better enable us to use, I think, proactive mitigation efforts through science."

Ranking Member Heinrich answered, "There are a number of national wildlife refuges in South Texas, and I understand it's important that we make sure that we're using those lands to be part of the detection infrastructure for New World screwworm."

On Department of Interior Allocating International Conservation Funding

Ranking Member Heinrich asked, "I want to shift real quickly to international conservation funding, those accounts have been stalled. Secretary Burgum recently promised Senator Merkley during an interior appropriations hearing that international funding would move. I've raised this issue with you a number of times now. I understand that you have the authority to approve those accounts. What's the realistic timeline to get those funds?"

Mr. Lilly asked, "Yes, sir. And thank you for our discussions last week. And my commitment to you then is the same is that we are moving in a positive direction, and we will have a solution that you will be pleased with, I hope by the end of the week, if not the end of next week."

Ranking Member Heinrich responded, "Fantastic. And feel free to reach out to me directly when you reach a conclusion on those."

Mr. Lilly responded, "Yes sir."

On Department of Interior's Authorities and Grants for International Conservation Efforts

Ranking Member Heinrich continued his questioning by asking William Hague, President Trump's nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular and International Affairs on DOI's efforts to allocate funding for international conservation efforts again, "Mr. Hague, I also wanted to ask you a little bit about the Department of Interior's authorities and grants related to international conservation. What can you tell me about the implementation of CITES ESA multinational species conservation funds, and the importance of that work to our international partners?"

Mr. Hague answered, "Thank you for the questions. I do manage the international part of DOI, which is making sure that the Department stays consistent across its desires, across the Secretary's strategies. We're more procedural than substantive, and to that end, we do a lot of work, like when they hold the massive CITES meetings that was held in Uzbekistan this year, getting the people there and getting them back. Consequently, again, in that role, I find myself consultative and supportive of getting the people over there and helping them accomplish what they're doing."

Ranking Member Heinrich followed, "I appreciate that. You know, one of the things we've realized, a number of the members who work in particular on the African continent, have realized that natural resource management is actually national security, is what provides the infrastructure that pushes back on many of the influences that we're concerned about on the continent, and so it's important that we meet our obligations, because when we don't, we suffer in terms of national security."

On Reduction of Staffing at National Park Service

Ranking Member Heinrich asked, "Mr. Lilly, I'm concerned about the level of park service staffing with the recent reductions. We've seen another proposal to reduce staffing by as much as 25% in the current FY 27 budget. How do those reductions align with your stated support of the National Park Service and its mission?"

Mr. Lilly answered, "That's a great question, Senator. Thank you. I think that, as in all processes involving human relations, humancapital, and proper staffing, there are multiple approaches that can be used to reach optimal levels of coverage, and also different sources of employment that we have entered into. I think one of the areas that I think will greatly benefit the National Park Service, as well as the communities that surround them, as well as our tribal partners, is local hiring, which you all authorized, and I am pleased to say that we are moving forward in this way to allow gateway communities, Tribal partners, to be part of the ecosystem around the national parks. I was recently at one of our parks, and I asked the superintendent, 'how many employees in this park live in the Gateway community that is just outside the gate?' And they said zero, and I thought that was unacceptable as an answer. Certainly, it was not their intent, but it is the cumbersome nature often found in some of the more arcane methods of seeking federal employment that we hope to minimize through local hiring. In addition, sir, we have increased our number of seasonal hirings, not only in numbers from 5,000 to 6,000 but also we've increased the duration from six months to nine months, so therefore parks that have a longer seasonal cycle will not be burdened by losing these very valuable seasonal employees."

On the Department of Interior's Deep Sea Mining Efforts

Ranking Member Heinrich asked Mr. Hague about the Department of Interior's deep sea mining processes, "How important is territorial support before any deep sea mining actually proceeds?"

Mr. Hague answered, "I visited all the territories and had some meetings on this. For example, I was in Samoa and met with the head of the Senate and the head of the House, as well as the governor of Samoa, and people who work for me, CNMI and Guam, and then I've met with both governors. I think you have to find a balance right now in most of those places. There are concerns about what deep sea mining might do to the oceans. You have to balance that with the economic benefit of going into the oceans. Deep sea mining is not very well known at this point, so there's a lot to learn both about the economic benefit and what disturbance, if any, itcould have."

Ranking Member Heinrich asked, "We had a hearing last week where we heard from a number of territories that is serious concern about this. I would just caution that local support is critical if you're going to actually be successful. That's something this Committee has learned time and time again, is that if you're going to successfully develop a resource, local support is key, and I don't think we should lose sight of that."

On Oversight of Administrative Expenses

Ranking Member Heinrich asked Mr. Hague, "In fiscal year 2026 Congress provided $1.6 million in funding to the Office of Insular Affairs, in part just to strengthen the Department's presence in the territories and COFA countries. We understand that some of this funding may have been instead directed towards travel and other administrative expenses, and I'd like to better understand how those expenditures align with the priorities that Congress set. Mr. Hague, can you provide an accounting of how the additional funding has been spent, including how much has gone towards personnel, grants, travel, and other administrative expenses?"

Mr. Hague answered, "Senator, I can get back with you on that. I could not provide anything on it now. I'm not fully versed on the topic your discussing."

Ranking Member Heinrich responded, "Do you understand why the funding was not used to fill positions in the territories in the COFA countries?"

Mr. Hague answered, "No sir, we are filling positions in the territories, it's just taken a long time with government shutdowns, hiring freezes, and moving through those things. We've got positions listed, some of them are posted now, not yet the specific ones in the islands. I personally would like to start with some of the senior leaders, and then get their input on who they hire, and work my way down. That's why I said earlier to the senator that I hope by end of the year to fill that."

Ranking Member Heinrich asked, "So listed, but not filled?"

Mr. Hague answered, "Working through the PDs, the description of the job."

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