Congress Weighs Risks and Rewards of EPA Reorganization

Members of the House of Representatives are evaluating the ongoing internal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reorganization, debating whether the changes will improve efficiency and decision-making or weaken independent research and oversight.

In 2025, the EPA introduced its new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES), a science-focused office designed to strengthen applied research and integrate scientific expertise into the agency’s regulatory and technical work. Now, the office will take over the Office of Research and Development, which was independent from the EPA, unlike OASES.

At a House Committee on Science, Space and Technology hearing last week, Representative Brian Babin (R-TX) said the EPA’s past chemical review process delayed permits and product approvals in Texas’ 36th District, which is home to more chemical manufacturers than any other congressional district in the country.

“The EPA created OASES to meet that need, placing scientific experts directly within the program offices that make regulatory decisions that facilitate early communication between scientists and program staff,” he said.

With artificial intelligence and other resources expanding the need for credible research, Rep. Babin said it is vital that the agency prioritize efficiency and accuracy amid internal restructuring.

“When the EPA delivers clear, timely decisions that protect human health and the environment, we all benefit,” Rep. Babin said. “Delays create uncertainty, but protecting health and safety must remain central to every review.”

This evaluation of OASES comes a month after EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi issued the closure of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), an independent chemical risk assessment program that provides scientific evaluations of environmental and public health hazards.

During the hearing, Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) noted that Fotouhi previously represented a coalition of 80 industries that urged Administrator Lee Zeldin to eliminate IRIS and contributed to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which also called for the program’s removal.

“These independent processes have existed for decades under presidents from both parties, Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and it's just now that we have completely blown that up and restructured,” Rep. Menefee said.

Rep. Menefee raised concerns that further changes driven by political agendas or biases could undermine the EPA’s scientific integrity and harm Houston communities, which face elevated health risks due to its proximity to the nation’s largest petrochemical complex along the Houston Ship Channel.

“I hear about the EPA cutting resources, consolidating resources, or restructuring in ways that are harmful to people, I take it very personally,” Rep. Menefee said.

EPA scientists play a critical role in protecting communities like his from political interference and ensuring environmental decisions remain grounded in science, he said.

“It’s imperative that my district know that there’s a throughline right there,” Rep. Menefee said. “We look to you scientists who have been with the agency for decades to be that firewall now that Mr. Fotouhi and Mr. Zeldin have stripped that from the American people.”