Another week with a great big stack of hearings, including at least six (6) of interest all at 10 AM on Tuesday.

House Legislative Activity

The House convenes at noon on Tuesday, with the usual collection of suspension bills up for a vote.
There are three bills up for a vote under rules this week – one reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, one against the deployment of forces in Yemen, and one condemning the latest legal actions against the Affordable Care Act.

House Committee Activity

On Tuesday at 10 AM the Transportation committee is holding a hearing on “Pipeline Safety: Reviewing the Status of Mandates and Examining Additional Safety Needs.”
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Water, Oceans and Wildlife (WOW) subcommittee of Natural Resources is holding a hearing on “The State of Western Water Infrastructure and Innovation.”
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Energy subcommittee of Natural Resources is holding a legislative hearing on three offshore drilling bills (each limiting leasing or exploration in various areas).
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Foreign Affairs committee is holding a hearing on “How Climate Change Threatens U.S. National Security.”
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Environment subcommittee of Energy & Commerce is holding a hearing on “Lessons from Across the Nation: State and Local Action to Combat Climate Change.”
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Interior & Environment subcommittee of Appropriations is holding a hearing on the proposed budget for the Environmental Protection Agency; Andrew Wheeler will be testifying.
On Tuesday at 2 PM the National Parks subcommittee of Natural Resources is holding a legislative hearing on several parks bills.
On Wednesday at 9 AM the National Parks subcommittee of Natural Resources is holding a hearing on “Examining the Spending Priorities and Mission of the National Park Service.”
On Wednesday at 1 PM the Interior & Environment subcommittee of Appropriations is holding a hearing on the proposed budget for the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.
On Thursday at 9 AM the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis is holding its first hearing; this is on “Generation Climate: Young Leaders Urge Climate Action Now.”
On Thursday at 9:30 AM the Interior & Environment subcommittee of Appropriations is holding a hearing on the proposed budget for the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

Senate Floor Activity

The Senate convenes at 3 PM on Monday, with a pair of potential cloture votes beginning at 5:30 PM. The first is on the Shelby amendment to the House-passed disaster supplemental appropriations bill, and the second is to the bill itself. There is currently controversy surrounding the Senate bill’s treatment of Puerto Rico (specifically, Trump-initiated cuts to aid), so the outcome of these votes is unclear.
Depending on how the disaster supplemental develops on the floor, as soon as Tuesday afternoon there will be a vote to proceed to S.Res. 50, which is the legislation that would limit post-cloture debate on judicial nominees from 30 hours to 2 hours. While this initial cloture vote is expected to fail to reach 60 votes, McConnell may trigger a ‘nuclear option’ here or in the future to force this rules change.

Senate Committee Activity

On Tuesday at 10 AM the Energy & Natural Resources committee will be holding a hearing on the proposed budget for the Department of Energy; Rick Perry will be testifying.
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Environment & Public Works committee will be holding an oversight hearing on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; the commissioners will all be present.
On Tuesday at 2 PM (no link yet) the Commerce, Justice & Science subcommittee of Appropriations will be holding a hearing on the proposed budget for the Department of Commerce.
On Wednesday at 9 AM (no link yet) the Interior & Environment subcommittee of Appropriations will be holding a hearing on the proposed budget for the Environmental Protection Agency; Andrew Wheeler will be testifying.
On Wednesday at 9:30 AM the Commerce committee will be voting on a number of bills and nominations; this includes the nominations of Heidi King for NHTSA, Ann Buerkle for CPSC, and Barry Myers for NOAA.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or if I’m missing something important,

SEAN ALCORN

Legislative Analyst
Climate & Clean Energy Program

NATURAL RESOURCES

DEFENSE COUNCIL

1152 15TH STREET NW, SUITE 300

WASHINGTON, DC 20005

T 202.717.8195

C 202.897.9674
SALCORN@NRDC.ORG