The Big Story 

The Interior Department has paused spending and travel for employees — a move that could potentially hinder scientific work at the agency.

© Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press

An email viewed by The Hill shows that spending limits on employee purchase cards have been reduced to $1 — meaning staffers can no longer use these cards to make purchases of equipment or to pay to submit scientific research to journals. 

Other emails also seen by The Hill show that, at least for the time being, all travel has been paused until the department updates its approval process. Employees who were slated to travel to conferences have been told to cancel their travel.

It’s not clear how long the travel moratorium will remain in place.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department declined to comment. 

The department has a broad mandate, overseeing energy production on public lands and offshore, species conservation, tribal affairs and more. Its work includes a mix of regulation, scientific research and handling permits for energy projects. 

Jacob Malcom, a former Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who more recently served in multiple leadership roles at Interior, noted that halting both purchases and travel could be a major imposition for the department’s operations. 

“If you need tools, equipment out in the field for things, this all has to be purchased in some way,” said Malcom, who served as a career official leading the department’s Office of Policy Analysis during the Biden administration. He most recently served as the department’s acting deputy assistant secretary but resigned amid the department’s decision to fire thousands of recent hires. 

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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