Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the ranking member, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, prepare to hear from U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on his 2027 budget request, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)