During a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator Alex Padilla from California raised concerns about the protection of California's national monuments and the ARCHES hydrogen hub. Padilla urged nominees for Deputy Secretary positions in the Department of the Interior and Department of Energy to support these initiatives. He highlighted the bipartisan and local support for Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments, emphasizing the importance of involving local communities and tribal leaders in public land management decisions. Padilla expressed worries about the Trump Administration's focus on energy production on public lands, which could threaten the economic and cultural value of protected landscapes. The Senator also pushed for the preservation of funding for the ARCHES hydrogen hub, the first of its kind in the nation, aimed at catalyzing the hydrogen economy. He secured substantial funding for ARCHES from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and advocated for bipartisan backing for clean hydrogen power. Padilla's efforts underscore the critical role of California's national monuments and hydrogen initiatives in advancing clean energy goals and supporting local economies.