This week on the Hill…

Last week Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA) introduced legislation (H.R. 4153) to limit EPA regulatory authority over the Chesapeake Bay restoration process.  This week, the House continues to grapple with transportation reauthorization legislation; the Senate passed their bill last week.

Tuesday:

USGS water resources FY13 budget hearing
House Natural Resources Committee — Water & Power Subcommittee
March 20 — 2pm; 1334 Longworth

NOAA FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee
March 20 — 2:30pm; H-309 Capitol

Wednesday:

Water infrastructure financing hearing
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee — Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee
March 21 — 10am; 2167 Rayburn

Interior and EPA FY13 appropriations public witness hearing
House Appropriations Committee —  Interior & Environment Subcommittee
March 21 — 1pm; B-308 Rayburn

Thursday:

EPA FY13 budget hearing
Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
March 22 — 10am; 406 Dirksen

National Ocean Policy hearing
House Natural Resources Committee — Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
March 22 —  9:30am; 1324 Longworth

Interior and EPA FY13 appropriations public witness hearing
House Appropriations Committee —  Interior & Environment Subcommittee
March 21 — 1pm; B-308 Rayburn

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This week on the Hill…

This week, the House continues its examination of the fiscal year 2013 President’s budget request.

Tuesday:

US Fish & Wildlife Service, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration FY13 budget hearing
House Natural Resources Committee
March 6 — 9:30am; B-308 Rayburn

US Geological Survey FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Interior & Environment Subcommittee
March 6 — 1pm; B-308 Rayburn

US Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA FY13 budget hearing
House Science, Space & Technology Committee — Energy & Environment Subcommittee
March 6 — 2pm; 2318 Rayburn

Wednesday:

NOAA FY13 budget hearing
Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee
March 7 — 2:30pm; 253 Russell

White House Council on Environmental Quality FY 13 budget hearing
House Natural Resources Committee
March 7 — 10am; 1324 Longworth

Agriculture conservation FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Agriculture Subcommittee
March 7 — 10am; 2362-A Rayburn

US Army Corps of Engineers FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
March 7 — 2pm; 2362-B Rayburn

Thursday:

Department of Energy FY13 budget hearing
House Energy & Commerce Committee — Energy & Power Subcommittee
March 8 — 10am; 2123 Rayburn

Friday:

Farm bill field hearing
House Agriculture Committee
March 9 — 9am; Saranac Lake, NY

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This week on the Hill…and in Ohio

The US House of Representatives is scheduled this week to take up a bill (H.R. 1837) that could have broad implications for the Endangered Species Act and water law and management.

Monday:

Natural gas development and jobs field hearing
House Natural Resources — Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
February 27 — 9am; Steubenville, Ohio

Tuesday:

Farm bill conservation hearing
Senate Agriculture Committee
February 28 — 10am; 216 Hart

Interior department FY13 budget hearing
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
February 28 — 10am; 366 Dirksen

Water infrastructure hearing
Senate Environment & Public Works Committee — Water & Wildlife Subcommittee
February 28 — 10am; 406 Dirksen

Water infrastructure hearing
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee — Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee
February 28 — 10am; 2167 Rayburn

Environmental Protection Agency FY13 budget hearing
House Energy & Commerce Committee — Energy and Power Subcommittee
February 28 — 10am; 2123 Rayburn

Energy department FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Energy & Water Development Subcommittee
February 28 — 2pm; 2359 Rayburn

Wednesday:

Interior department FY13 budget hearing
Senate Appropriations Committee — Interior & Environment Subcommittee
February 29 — 9:30am; 124 Dirksen

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee
February 29 — 10am; H-309 Capitol Building

EPA FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Interior & Environment Subcommittee
February 29 — 1pm; 2359 Rayburn

Thursday:

Fish & Wildlife Service FY13 budget hearing
House Appropriations Committee — Interior & Environment Subcommittee
March 1 — 9am; B-308 Rayburn

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This week on the Hill…

Wednesday:

Pavillion, WY EPA groundwater contamination study hearing
House Science, Space & Technology Committee — Energy & Environment Subcommittee
February 1 — 10am; 2318 Rayburn

Thursday:

Energy and revenue provisions for Transportation bill reauthorization markup (includes Atlantic coast drilling)
House Natural Resources Committee
February 2 — 10am; 1324 Longworth

Friday:

EPA science hearing
House Science, Space & Technology Committee — Energy & Environment Subcommittee
February 3 — 10am; 2318 Rayburn

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FY 2012 “megabus” appropriations

UPDATE 12/16:  Late last night, House and Senate conferees signed off on a conference report for the “megabus” package of several FY12 spending bills.  Rather than moving forward with the package released by the House yesterday (and initially described below), both chambers will now consider and vote on the conference report (H.R. 2055) within the next 48 hours or so.  Content of the two versions is nearly identical–only the vehicle is different.  Explanatory information for the bills has also been released and additional details are now included below.

12/15:  Today, the House unveiled its “megabus” proposal (H.R. 3571) for fiscal year 2012 appropriations.  The large package of bills contains 9 pieces of spending legislation, including Energy & Water and Interior & Environment.  Some highlights are below, more will be added as it becomes available.

The current continuing resolution expires at midnight tomorrow — it is unclear if this package will be approved by both chambers of Congress by then, but votes are expected tomorrow, and “votes are possible this weekend and next week.”

Energy & Water:  Provides the US Army Corps of Engineers with $5 billion, $145 billion above FY11. (Explanation)

• Operation & Maintenance: $2.412 billion
• O&M Delaware River: Philadelphia to the sea, $20.989 million; Philadelphia to Trenton, $1.073 million
• Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery: $4.9 million

Interior & Environment:  Provides the US Environmental Protection Agency with $8.4 billion, $233 million below FY11. (Explanation)

• Chesapeake Bay Program:  $57.391 million; $2 million for small watershed grants
• Chesapeake Bay Executive Order:  $1.5 million; directive for an analysis of endocrine disruptors
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund:  $1.469 billion; -$56 million FY11 (State by state breakdown)
• National Estuary Program:  $27.058 million

Provides the Interior Department with $10.3 billion, $310 million below FY11.

• US Fish & Wildlife Service:  $1.5 billion, -$28 million FY11
• North American Wetlands Conservation Act:  $35.554 million, -$2 million FY11
• Land & Water Conservation Fund:  $322 million (needs verification)

Most controversial policy riders that were included in early drafts of these appropriations bills have not been included in the final megabus.

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This week on the Hill

The House will likely begin considering a handful of regulatory reform bills this week, including

• “Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011” (H.R. 3010) (requiring cost-benefit analyses of regulation)
• “Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011” (H.R. 527)
• “Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act” or “REINS Act” (H.R. 10) (requires Congressional approval of significant agency rules; may be considered in the next few weeks).

The House Rules Committee is currently considering all of the above legislation.

Wednesday:

EPA science reform hearing
House Science, Space & Technology Committee —  Energy & Environment Subcommittee
November 30 — 2pm; 2318 Rayburn

Thursday:

Coastal jobs and Magnuson-Stevens amendments (fisheries) hearing
House Natural Resources Committee
December 1 — 10am; 1324 Longworth

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Quick appropriations update

This week, House and Senate conferees completed consideration of the first “minibus” package of appropriations bills (H.R. 2112), which includes funding for the Commerce, Agriculture and Transportation departments.  The House is set to vote on the final package later this week, perhaps tomorrow, and the Senate will follow thereafter.  The bill includes a continuing resolution to fund the federal government at current fiscal year 2011 levels through December 16.  Report language can be found on the House Rules Committee website.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would receive nearly $5 billion.  Agency funding increases are directed primarily at climate and weather satellites (page 12 of the report).
• The agriculture department’s Wetlands Reserve Program would be capped at 185,800 acres and the Open Fields program would be eliminated.  The bill also provides $5,000,000 for the Conservation Delivery Streamlining Initiative (page 75 of the report).

Meanwhile, the Senate is struggling with another minibus, and was unable to include the Energy and Water Development spending bill in that package.  The Senate began solo consideration of the EWD bill (H.R. 2354) yesterday and continues today.

It is unclear exactly how many minibuses there will ultimately be–and how the Interior and Environment bill fits into the current scenario.

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This week on the Hill…updated!

The Senate will continue its consideration of fiscal year 2012 appropriations as it brings a “minibus” of three spending bills to the floor:  Energy and Water, Financial Services, and State and Foreign Operations.  Some reports suggest that an amendment will be offered to the minibus (specifically, the Energy & Water bill, H.R. 2354) to prevent the US Army Corps of Engineers from revising its Clean Water Act guidance.

The previous minibus, which included the Agriculture and Commerce-Justice-Science bills, is currently being conferenced.

The federal government is operating under a continuing resolution that is set to expire this Friday, November 18.  All unfinished appropriations will require another CR.

Also this week, the House will likely consider a Coast Guard reauthorization bill (H.R. 2838) that carries provisions for the regulation of invasive species in ballast water.

Monday:

Marcellus Shale field hearing
Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee
November 14 — 10am; Charleston, West Virginia

Wednesday:

Hydraulic fracturing and regulatory approaches hearing
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee — Water Resources Subcommittee
November 16 — 10am; 2167 Rayburn

Thursday:

EPA science in rulemaking hearing
House Science, Space & Technology Committee — Energy & Environment Subcommittee
November 17 — 2pm; 2318 Rayburn

Public lands bills markup
House Natural Resources Committee
November 17 — 10am; 1324 Longworth
Includes:

• National Wildlife Refuge System stamp bill (H.R. 2236)
• Electronic duck stamp bill (H.R. 3117)

The House is not in session next week.  The Senate has not yet determined if it will recess next week as well.

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EPA released fracking study plan

Yesterday, the US Environmental Protection Agency released its plan for undertaking its study of hydraulic fracturing in unconventional oil and gas development.  The plan outlines EPA’s intention to study the full life cycle of water used or potentially impacted in the process.  Initial findings will be released in 2012, with the full report expected in 2014.

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This week on the Hill…

Reports indicate that the Senate will vote on the fiscal year 2012 agriculture, CJS, transportation appropriations package this week, then shift focus to another package of spending bills that may include the energy and water appropriations legislation.

Wednesday:

Regulatory cost-benefit analysis bill markup
House Judiciary Committee
November 3 — 10am; 2141 Rayburn

Thursday:

Chesapeake Bay EPA TMDL hearing
House Agriculture Committee — Conservation, Energy and Forestry Subcommittee
November 3 — 10am; 1300 Longworth

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