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Senate Poised to Vote on WRDA
Last week, the House passed
S. 2800
, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), authorizing Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) activities and projects by voice vote. The bill also reauthorizes numerous programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, and the WIFIA program.
Additionally, the bill includes language requiring the USACE, the Army Corps, to undertake research on the management and eradication of aquatic invasive species, including Asian carp and zebra mussels; language authorizing the construction of a new Soo Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, MI; and language clarifying that the operations and maintenance cost share for the Brandon Road feasibility study is 80 percent federal, 20 percent local.
It also authorizes the National Academy of Sciences to study the impacts of moving the USACE out of the Defense Department. The Senate could take up the WRDA bill as early as this week.
For more information, please contact Matt McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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A $147.5 billion appropriations package is on its way to President Trump for his approval. The "minibus" appropriations bill includes annual appropriations covered by the subcommittees on Energy and Water, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch.
On Wednesday of last week, the Senate passed the conference report by 92-5; the House passed the spending measure 377-20 the following day. This is the first time in years that such a large portion of annual appropriations have advanced on time.
Congress has until September 30th to secure continued government funding and avert a shutdown. Reports circulated late last week that Congressional appropriators are going to advance a second "minibus' appropriations package once the House returns from recess in later September. This second package would include spending for both the Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education subcommittees as well as a continuing resolution to fund the remainder of government spending until December of this year.
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will continue to monitor the appropriations process as it advances. The Institute's reports on annual appropriations are available here
.
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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EPA Proposes new Methane Rule that Would Roll Back Obama-Era Protections
On Monday of last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved to reverse an emissions standard created by the EPA under the Obama administration, making it easier for drillers to meet requirements that are meant to control leaks of methane from oil and natural gas infrastructure. Methane, a greenhouse gas that stays in the atmosphere for a decade, possesses 36 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide.
The proposed rule would decrease the frequency at which leak inspections must occur and would eliminate the requirement that a professional engineer would need to certify the vent systems.
These revisions are expected to save the oil and natural gas industries around $7.5 million per year, but could also induce climate effects from increased methane emissions that would cost agriculture, infrastructure, health-care, and other U.S. industries millions of dollars. However, the proposed rules are not final; the public has 60 days to
comment before the changes are finalized.
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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President Trump Likely to Impose 10% Tariff on $200 Billion in Chinese Goods
President Trump will make an announcement tonight regarding the U.S.'s trade policy towards China. It is expected that during this announcement, he will move ahead with implementing a 10% tariff on around $200 billion in Chinese goods imported into the U.S. The administration has indicated that the 10% tariff rate could be raised to 25% in the future.
These tariffs would affect a large range of consumer goods, including popular products like Apple iPhones. Various interest groups have been lobbying for exclusions from this next round of tariffs, though it is unclear what - if anything - will be left out.
Officials from the U.S. and China are expected to meet this week in an attempt to lessen the trade hostilities between the two economic powerhouses. Bloomberg is reporting, however, that China will pull out of the talks if President Trump proceeds with the additional tariffs.
This new escalation in the U.S.-China trade war comes as farmers begin their annual harvest with increasing uncertainty about the future of agricultural exports.
For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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This Week in Washington
The House is not in session this week. The following are Senate hearings and markups of interest to the region.
Thursday
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a committee business meeting to consider a number of legislative items listed here. 9:55AM | 406 Dirksen SOB.
Upcoming
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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