Hill Heat

Full committee markup.

Bills of note include these dangerous National Park System bills:

• S. 2498, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act, to remove competitive bidding requirements for long-term leases within the national parks (companion bill is H.R. 4931)
• S. 2968, the misnamed Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act, would dramatically expand motorized trail access in public lands. Syren Nagakyrie, Founder and Director of Disabled Hikers, a non-profit organization that advocates for the disability community and justice in the outdoors, has previously denounced the legislation as a “blatant attempt to scapegoat disability as an excuse to build more roads.”

Also these mining and other permitting bills:

• S. 4410, to slash the up-front cost of coal leases
• S. 5039 / H.R. 7831, the License to Drill Act, to streamline the Bureau of Land Management oil and gas permitting process through 2037
• H.R. 677, the Expedited Appeals Review Act, to fast-track public land disputes by imposing a six-month deadline on the Interior Board of Land Appeals, which no longer has court deference because of the Loper Bright decision ending the Chevron doctrine
• H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act, to expedite geothermal projects

Water infrastructure bills:

• S. 3409, the Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River, protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from the conservation costs and duties (Daines)
• S. 3738, the Making Our Communities Resilient through Enhancing Water for Agriculture, Technology, the Environment, and Residences (MORE WATER) Act, would require large water-conveyance projects (e.g., aqueducts, canals, and water transport pipelines) that cost a minimum of $800 million and half of all projects under $800 million to deliver benefits for the environment (such as habitat restoration) and for safe drinking water for low-income communities

Full list of legislation:

1. S. 365/H.R. 1729, to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to allow for additional entities to be eligible to complete the maintenance work on Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate within the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado. (Mr. Bennet/Rep. Neguse)
2. S. 764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes. (Mr. Bennet)
3. S. 791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes. (Mr. Van Hollen)
4. S. 888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and for other purposes (Mr. Wyden)
5. S. 945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes. (Mr. Merkley)
6. S. 1005, to provide for conservation and economic development in the State of Nevada, and for other purposes. (Ms. Cortez Masto)
7. S. 1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, and for other purposes. (Mrs. Shaheen)
8. S. 1195, to promote conservation, improve public land management, and provide for sensible development in Pershing County, Nevada, and for other purposes. (Ms. Rosen)
9. S. 1257, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, and for other purposes. (Mr. Risch)
10. S. 1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, and for other purposes. (Mr. Hickenlooper)
11. S. 1349, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the mineral leasing laws. (Ms. Cortez Masto)
12. S. 1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes. (Mr. Heinrich)
13. S. 1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes. (Mrs. Murray)
14. S. 1777, to amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to expand the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, to redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the “Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center”, and for other purposes. (Mr. Padilla)
15. S. 1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, and for other purposes. (Mr. Schiff)
16. S. 2498, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend certain leases within units of the National Park System without opening the lease to bidding. (Mr. Tillis)
17. S. 2767/H.R. 5254, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation to host private events in Gateway Arch National Park buildings, and for other purposes. (Mr. Schmitt/Rep. Wesley)
18. S. 2801, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the Canterbury Shaker Village National Heritage Area, and for other purposes. (Ms. Hassan)
19. S. 2887, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Route 66 National Historic Trail, and for other purposes. (Mr. Cruz)
20. S. 2933, A bill to redesignate a playground in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in the State of West Virginia as the “Hearts of Gold Playground: In Honor of West Virginia Children and Families Impacted by Childhood Cancer”. (Mr. Justice)
21. S. 2968, to ensure access to certain public land, and for other purposes. (Mr. Lee)
22. S. 3194, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land in California as the Monterey Bay National Heritage Area, and for other purposes. (Mr. Padilla)
23. S. 3313/H.R. 6365, to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way for an emergency exit on certain National Park Service land in the State of Virginia, and for other purposes. (Mr. Kaine/Rep. McGuire)
24. S. 3409, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River while protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from undue financial and operational burdens, and for other purposes. (Mr. Daines)
25. S. 3635, to reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000. (Mr. Daines)
26. S. 3715/H.R. 6380, to establish the Chiricahua National Park in the State of Arizona as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. (Mr. Kelly/Rep. Ciscomani)
27. S. 3720, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bay Area Ridge as a national scenic trail, and for other purposes. (Mr. Schiff)
28. S. 3732, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, and for other purposes. (Mr. Gallego)
29. S. 3738, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the large-scale water recycling and reuse program, to establish a Water Conveyance Improvement Program, and for other purposes. (Mr. Padilla)
30. S. 3785/H.R. 5729, to authorize direct emergency acquisition flexibilities for the National Park Service for the purpose of retaining, vetting, approving, and expediting contractor approval for the clearing, rebuilding, maintenance, and improvement of the Grand Canyon grounds that have been impacted by the Dragon Bravo Fire. (Mr. Gallego/Rep. Crane)
31. S. 4041, to reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program, and for other purposes. (Mr. Daines)
32. S. 4238, to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to designate as a component of the National Heritage Area System the Endless Mountains National Heritage Area in the State of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes. (Mr. McCormick)
33. S. 4399, to provide for certain conveyances under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes. (Ms. Murkowski)
34. S. 4410, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for the payment of bonus payments of certain coal leases issued under that Act. (Mr. Barrasso)
35. S. 4538, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating Washington’s Trail—1753 as a national historic trail, and for other purposes. (Mr. Fetterman)
36. S. 5039/H.R. 7831, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to extend the period of time during which the Secretary of the Interior is required to collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill, and for other purposes. (Mr. Lee/Rep. Kennedy)
37. H.R. 249, to redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Rep. Pallone)
38. H.R. 677, to establish a process to expedite the review of appeals of certain decisions by the Department of the Interior. (Rep. Hageman)
39. H.R. 5631, to promote responsible geothermal energy development on public lands, and for other purposes. (Rep. Hurd)

07/29/2026 at 09:30AM

It’s been two years since Utah-based journalist Zak Podmore wrote, “Life After Dead Pool: Lake Powell’s Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River.” It’s more relevant than ever.

Later this month, the Trump administration is expected to unveil its plan for cutting water use in the Colorado River Basin — an intervention that’s necessary because the states haven’t been able to reach an agreement on limiting consumption. The cuts will probably hit Arizona farms and cities especially hard, although Southern Californians should brace themselves too. After a century of rampant development — and now a 26-year, fossil fueled megadrought — the American West is running low on water.

Podmore’s book offers a perspective-shifting look at a reservoir central to the crisis.

Currently just one-quarter full, Lake Powell is frighteningly close to “dead pool,” the point at which water can no longer pass through Glen Canyon Dam and downstream to Lake Mead — a key storage vessel for Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Finding a way to boost water levels at Lake Powell is absolutely crucial.

Or is it? As water levels have fallen, incredible canyon ecosystems that were drowned by the dam in the 1960s have sprung back to life with remarkable speed — a story that Podmore documents in his book. He also traces Powell’s complex history and politics, making a thoughtful, nuanced case that its future needs to look different than its past — and that today’s environmental crusaders could stand to learn from the people who built Glen Canyon Dam, not just the activists who tried to stop them.

If that sounds interesting, join Sammy Roth and Podmore on Tuesday, 7/28 at 4 p.m. PT/5 p.m. MT for a conversation about his book. You can register for the Zoom here. Sammy will ask Zak some questions, and then we’ll have an audience Q&A.

07/28/2026 at 07:00PM

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a Business Meeting to consider the following item:

• PN806-5, Kevin Lilly, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife, Department of the Interior

EPW held a nomination hearing for Lilly on June 24.

Energy and Natural Resources held their nomination hearing for Lilly on June 23; Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined Republicans to report Kevin Lilly’s nomination favorably out of that committee on July 16.

Kevin Lilly is the acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks at the Interior Department—a position that oversees both the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lilly is a Texas wealth manager with no conservation experience. He holds the acting position illegally.

Lilly resigned his position as the chair of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in order to join the Trump administration as a political appointee. Lilly founded Avalon Advisors, the “largest privately owned wealth management firm in Texas,” according to Southwestern University.

07/22/2026 at 02:00PM

Full committee executive session.

Legislation

• S. 1759, Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act
• S. 3258, Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2025
• S. 3885, Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act
• S. 4429, Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026
• S. 4448, Accelerating Broadband Permits Act of 2026
• S. 4691, Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act
• S. 4802, Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Recapitalization Act

Nominees:

• Thomas B. Chapman, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
• Edward Eppler, of Connecticut, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Transportation.
• Karen Jean Hedlund, of New York, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board.
• Brien Lorenze, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Karen Sessions, of Texas, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• David Cummins, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.

Cummins worked as a senior vice president of the Citizen Services Business Group at Serco, a government contractor that works with local and federal agencies. He was the Director of Operations Management for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic organizing committee. Cummins holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Business School, an MA in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a BA in Political Science from Messiah College.

Serco is one of the largest non-government employers of air traffic controllers in the world, managing numerous air traffic control towers for the FAA across the United States, and is a major provider of private prisons. They are known as the “ICE of Europe” for their deportation infrastructure.

07/22/2026 at 10:30AM

Full committee hearing entitled “Unleashing the Golden Age of Science: Examining the Priorities of the FY2027 Research and Technology Enterprise”.

Witness:

• Michael Kratsios, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

07/22/2026 at 10:15AM

On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet to consider:

• H.R. 309 (Rep. Nehls), “National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act”
• H.R. 1693 (Rep. Hageman), To redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the “Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center”.
• H.R. 4219 (Rep. Case), “National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act of 2025”
• H.R. 4931 (Rep. Murphy of NC), “National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act”
• H.R. 5063 (Rep. Kiggans), “Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act”
• H.R. 6021 (Rep. Begich), “Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act”
• H.R. 8121 (Rep. Plaskett), To designate the Christiansted Bandstand at the Christiansted National Historic Site, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, as the “Peter G. Thurland, Sr., Bandstand”.
• H.R. 8454 (Rep. McClintock), To provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other purposes.

All bills are expected to move by unanimous consent.

Markup memo

07/22/2026 at 10:00AM

Markup of the Full Committee to consider the following:

• H.R. 6610, Pharmacists Fight Back [in Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans Act]
• H.R. 9720, D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act, To require a resolution of approval by Congress of Acts of the District of Columbia with respect to title 47 of the District of Columbia Code (Taxation, Licensing, Permits, Assessments, and Fees) or which otherwise impose or increase a tax or fee (ANS)
• H.R. 9725, Restoring Integrity and Efficiency to Inspector General Oversight Act of 2025, to abolish the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and transfer oversight to OMB (ANS)
• H.R. 9643, Comment Integrity and Management Act, to report identical or similar comments on proposed regulations as a single comment (ANS)
• H.R. 9741, To name the DC Tuition Assistance Grant program the “Eleanor Holmes Norton District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant Program”
• Several postal naming measures.

Markup memo

07/22/2026 at 10:00AM

Subcommittee hearing.

Witness:

• Tom Schultz, Chief, U.S. Forest Service

07/22/2026 at 10:00AM

On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 10:00am ET, the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History.”

07/22/2026 at 10:00AM

The purpose of the hearing is to conduct oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Witnesses:

• Laura Swett, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• David Rosner, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Lindsay See, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Judy Chang, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• David LaCerte, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

07/22/2026 at 09:30AM