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This Week on the Hill: Congress Continues to Consider FY2017 Budget
The House of Representatives is back in session this week a
fter a week-long district work period
and plans on tackling legislation that provides a short-term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration's authorization (
H.R. 4721
), set to expire at the end of the month. The House will also take up legislation that exempts power plants using coal refuse from certain federal rules (
H.R. 3797
), as well as a resolution allowing the House to file an amicus brief opposing the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs in the pending Supreme Court case
United States v. Texas
.
The House Appropriations Committee will host another round of
budget hearings; the Senate will do the same. A
dditionally, the House Oversight Committee will continue to look at the role state and federal governments have played in the response to the lead contamination in Flint, Michigan's drinking water. (See hearing details below.)
After a Secretary of Education confirmation vote, the Senate will likely move onto legislation creating a federal standard for the labeling of genetically modified organisms in food products (
S. 2609).
The Senate could also consider an energy bill (
S. 2012
) that has faced several procedural roadblocks on the Senate floor over the last month. Currently, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) is blocking the bill because of an amendment that would lift certain offshore drilling restrictions in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, legislation providing Flint, Michigan with federal aid in response to the drinking water emergency has been closely tied to the energy bill. If the Senate can come to an agreement on the energy bill, it will likely move forward with the Flint legislation as well.
Other notable events this week include:
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, " Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act in Flint Michigan Part 2," 10:00 AM, 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
- Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing to examine the 2015 presidential memorandum entitled, "Mitigating Impacts on Natural Resources from Development and Encouraging Related Private Investment," 10:00 AM, 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Wednesday
- Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to examine the 2016 Water Resources Development Act, focusing on policies and projects, 10:00 AM, 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Thursday
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, "Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act in Flint Michigan Part 3," 9:00 AM, 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
For more information, contact
Matthew McKenna
, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program,
or Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst,
at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Deadlines Approaching for Members to Support Regional Priorities through Appropriations Letters
Members of the NEMW Congressional Coalition are circulating letters to fellow House members seeking their support for regionally-important programs. These letters, sent to leadership on the Appropriations Committee, communicate support for various programs and/or levels of funding.
Letters currently circulating include:
- Community Development Block Grant: led by, among others, NEMW Coalition Members Lou Barletta (PA-11), James McGovern (MA-2), Chaka Fattah (PA-2), and Chris Gibson (NY-19); requests $3.3 billion, a $300 million increase over FY2016 funding. The deadline for member offices to sign on is March 17.
- Manufacturing Extension Partnership: led by NEMW Coalition Co-Chairs Reps. Mike Kelly (PA-3) and Jim McGovern (MA-2); requests $140.4 million, an increase of $10 million over the FY2016 funding level. Sign-on deadline is March 24.
- Economic Development Administration: led by Reps. Jim McGovern (MA-2) and John Duncan (TN-2); requests $261 million, level with FY2016 funding. Sign-on deadline is March 18.
- Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds: led by Reps. Jim McGovern (MA-2), Peter King (NY-2), Dan Kildee (MI-5), and John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13); requests "critical funds." Sign-on deadline is March 16.
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: led by Reps. Sander Levin (MI-9), David Joyce (OH-14) and Louise Slaughter (NY-25); requests an increase of $50 million from the President's FY2017 budget request to provide a total of $300 million, level with FY2016 funding. Sign-on deadline is March 14.
Additionally, the House and Senate Great Lakes Task Forces are circulating letters in support of the programs most essential to the Great Lakes. The House letters are led by Co-Chairs Candice Miller (MI-10), Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), Sean Duffy (WI-7) and Louise Slaughter (NY-25). The Senate letters are led by Co-Chairs
Mark Kirk (IL) and Debbie Stabenow (MI). Among other things, the letters include:
- Commerce, Justice, and Science: supporting the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Coastal Zone Management Grants, National Sea Grants and the Great Lakes Observatory System.
- Energy and Water: supporting Army Corps programs and projects combating Asian carp and invasive species, navigation maintenance, Great Lakes fishery and ecosystem restoration and other essential functions authorized under the Water Resources and Development Act.
- Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: supporting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Asian carp and sea lamprey programs, and the U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center.
- State and Foreign Operations: supporting the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the International Joint Commission.
- Transportation and Housing & Urban Development: supporting the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
For more information, contact
Matthew McKenna
, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program,
or Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst,
at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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House Committee Approves GLRI Act
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act (
H.R. 223) by a voice vote during a Committee markup last week. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. David Joyce (OH-14), authorizes the GLRI at $300 million a year over five years. An amendment that was included during the markup--authored by Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH-7)--newly requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to appoint a point person to coordinate activities between federal, state, and non-governmental Great Lakes stakeholders when addressing harmful algal blooms under the GLRI. Full text of the Gibbs amendment can be viewed
here. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a Senate version of the bill last month.
S. 1024, which was introduced by Sen. Mark Kirk (IL), has been placed on the Senate Calendar. Both bills potentially could see floor action in the near future.
For more information, contact
Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program
at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Registration Open for Advanced Manufacturing Conference
The National Council for Advanced Manufacturing will host its annual conference from April 28-29, 2016 in Arlington, VA. This year's theme is "The Changing World of Advanced Manufacturing: What U.S. Manufacturers Must Do to Succeed in an Ever-changing Marketplace." Speakers will include representatives from:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program
- Equus Partners LLC
- Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
- McKinsey & Co.
- General Metal Works Corp.
- U.S. Department of Defense
- Deloitte Center for Industry Insights
A draft agenda and registration information are available here.
For more information, contact
Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst
at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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