Regionally Relevant Spending Decisions Continue on Capitol Hill

Last week the House passed its spending bill for the Department of Commerce, including  the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as other science agencies -- NEMWI's updated overview of the bill and its priorities is now available. The House also worked on, and is expected to complete, its spending bill funding the Departments of Transportation and Housing & Urban Development. Additionally, both chambers will take up further spending bills and begin moving them through the process this week. The Senate will work on its appropriations bill for the Department of Commerce, while the House will work on the often controversial bill funding the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. The announcement of the final Waters of the U.S. Rule last week means that additional hearings and policy riders related to the rule and its implementation are expected. A full schedule of the week's regionally-relevant hearings are below:

 

Tuesday

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee  hearing on several pieces of energy legislation, including  S. 1218, the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability (NEWS) Act of 2015; 9:30 AM, room 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Wednesday

• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee business meeting to consider S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, to "require the Secretary of the Army and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to propose a regulation revising the definition of the term 'waters of the United States'"; 9:30 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing on "One Year Anniversary after Enactment: Implementation of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014"; 10:00 AM, room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
• Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine "the Federal Regulatory System to Improve Accountability, Transparency and Integrity" (regarding a bill introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would seek to limit "sue-and-settle" lawsuits by allowing for public comment prior to legal action, and to make it more difficult for third parties to sue to federal government; 10:00 AM, room 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies meeting to mark up the fiscal year 2016 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill (funding the Department of Interior, U.S. Forest Service and Environmental Protection Agency); 10:15 AM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies meeting to mark up the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, for fiscal year 2016; 10:30 AM, room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Committee meeting to mark up legislation (bills to be considered not yet identified); 4:00 PM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building (will carry over to Thursday at 10:00 AM).

Thursday

• House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry hearing on "Implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014: Conservation Programs"; 10:00 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Committee meeting to mark up the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2016; 10:30 AM, room 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute or Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

  

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