Not too much on the floor this week for the environmental community, but Congress is hitting the ground running in terms of hearings.

[Since I’ll be away from internet for most of Monday, sending this around the evening before. Thus, might be a few items popping up in the next few hours…]

House Floor Activity

The House convenes on Tuesday at noon (Monday being only a pro forma session), starting out with the normal collection of suspension bills.
Now, one of those suspension bills may look a bit off… that’s because on Thursday the House will be holding a suspension vote on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. (It’d require a 2/3 vote anyways.)
Other bills on the floor under a Rule are in the financial realm, and not directly environmental.

House Committee Activity

On Wednesday at 10 AM the relevant Appropriations subcommittee will be holding a hearing on the FY19 Interior budget; Zinke will be testifying.
On Wednesday at 10:15 AM the Natural Resources committee is marking up another collection of lands bills.
On Wednesday at 10:30 AM the relevant Appropriations subcommittee will be holding a hearing on the FY19 NOAA budget.
On Wednesday at 2 PM the Oversight subcommittee of Energy & Commerce will be holding a hearing to update on the status of Puerto Rico’s energy grid.
On Thursday at 10 AM the Budget committee will be holding a hearing on CBO’s latest Budget and Economic Outlook.
On Thursday at 10 AM the Reg Reform subcommittee of the Judiciary committee will be holding a legislative hearing on a pair of bills: the not-yet-introduced “Permitting Litigation Efficiency Act,” and the “North Texas Water Supply Security Act.”
On Thursday at 10 AM the Energy subcommittee of Energy & Commerce will be holding a hearing on the FY19 Dept. of Energy budget; Perry will be testifying.

Senate Floor Activity

The Senate will convene at 3 PM on Monday, with a 5:30 PM cloture vote on the nomination of another judge.
Before the recess started McConnell filed cloture on a number of nominations; fourth in line is Andrew Wheeler for Deputy Administrator of the EPA. While there’s a chance Wheeler’s nomination could come up this week, it’s more likely that a cloture vote will be next week.

Senate Committee Activity

The Appropriations Committee is now getting underway with its own FY19 budget hearings; of note this week are hearings on the Agriculture budget, Energy budget, and ‘THUD’ (Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development) budget – all on Wednesday.
On Tuesday at 10 AM the Clean Air subcommittee of Environment and Public Works is holding a hearing on “Cooperative Federalism under the Clean Air Act: State Perspectives.”
On Wednesday at 10:30 AM the Budget committee is holding a hearing on CBO’s latest Budget and Economic Outlook.
On Wednesday at 10:15 AM the EPW committee is holding a hearing on the ‘USE IT’ act.
On Thursday at 10 AM the Foreign Relations committee is holding a hearing on the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State.
On Thursday at 10 AM the Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee is holding a hearing to review the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).

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