Hill Heat

Full committee hearing.

Nominee:

• Christopher Hanson, Chair, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Full committee markup of trade legislation:

Bills limiting the Clean Vehicle Tax Credits:

• H.R. 7983, the “Stop Executive Overreach on Trade Agreements”, to define the term free trade agreement for purposes of the clean vehicle credit (Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn.)
• H.R. 7980, the “End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024”, to exclude vehicles the batteries of which contain materials sourced from prohibited foreign entities from the clean vehicle credit (Carol Miller, R-W.Va.)

Other bills:

• H.R. 5179, the “Anti-BDS Labeling Act”
• H.R. 7981, the “Stop China’s Exploitation of Congolese Children and Adult Forced Labor through Cobalt Mining Act”
• H.R. 7979, the “End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act”
• H.R. 7986, the “Generalized System Preferences References Reform Act”

This is a hearing of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Witness list:

• Mike Noland, President, Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
• Debra Johnson, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, RTD-Denver
• David W. Dech, Executive Director, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority / Tri-Rail
• Kevin Corbett, President and Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Transit on behalf of the Northeast Corridor Commission
• Darren Kettle, Chief Executive Officer, Metrolink

On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Committee on Financial Services will meet to markup the following measures in an order to be determined by the Chairman.

Hearing memo

Resolutions of congressional disapproval:

• H.J. Res. 127, a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the ‘Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors’”
• H.J. Res. 120, a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) relating to “Guidance on Non-Bank Financial Company Determinations’”
• H.J. Res. 125, a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System relating to ‘Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions’”
• H.J. Res. 126, a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation relating to ‘Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions’”
• H.J. Res. 124, a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency relating to ‘Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions’”
• H.J. Res. 122, a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau relating to ‘Credit Card Penalty Fees (Regulation Z)’”

Other legislation:

• H.R. 5535, the “Insurance Data Protection Act”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Mr. Fitzgerald; H.R. 5535 would eliminate the Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office (FIO) and Office of Financial Research (OFR) ability to compel the production of data from an insurer or any affiliate of an insurer via subpoena.
• H.R. 802, the “Respect State Housing Laws Act”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Mr. Loudermilk.
• H.R. 7437, the “Fostering the Use of Technology to Uphold Regulatory Effectiveness in Supervision (FUTURES) Act”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Ms. Houchin.
• H.R. 7440, the “Financial Services Innovation Act of 2024”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Mr. McHenry.
• H.R. 7428, the “Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Mr. Steil.
• H.R. 4206, the “Bank Safety Act of 2023”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Mr. Sherman.
• H.R. 4116, the “Systemic Risk Authority Transparency Act”; An amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Mr. Green.

Subcommittee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2025 request for the Department of the Interior.

The Department’s 2025 budget totals $18.0 billion in current authority ($17.8 billion in net discretionary authority)—an increase of $575.9 million, or 3 percent, from the 2024 continuing resolution (CR) level. An additional $360.0 million is accessible through a budget cap adjustment for wildfire suppression to ensure funds are available in the event the regular annual appropriation is inadequate to meet suppression needs. The budget also includes an estimated $14.8 billion in permanent funding available in 2025.

Witnesses:

• Denise Flanagan, Director of Budget, Department of the Interior
• Deb Haaland, Secretary, Department of the Interior
• Joan M Mooney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior

Subcommittee hearing. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget provides $7.2 billion for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fiscal year 2025 proposal for the Bureau of Reclamation is $1.6 billion.

Witnesses:

• Michael Brain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water & Science, U.S. Department of the Interior
• Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
• Michael C. Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)
• Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Civil Works FY 2025 budget justification information

The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 for the Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program reflects the administration’s priorities to grow the nation’s economy, decrease climate risk for communities, increase ecosystem resilience to climate change, and promote environmental justice in disadvantaged communities in line with Justice40.

In developing the Budget, consideration was given to advancing three key objectives: 1) decreasing climate risk for communities and increasing ecosystem resilience to climate change based on the best available science; 2) promoting environmental justice in underserved and marginalized communities and Tribal nations in line with the Justice40 Initiative and creating good paying jobs that provide the free and fair chance to join a union and collectively bargain; and 3) strengthening the supply chain. The FY 2025 Budget investments will work to confront climate change by reducing flood risk, restoring ecosystems, and promoting community resilience across the nation. The Corps is working to integrate climate preparedness and climate resilience planning in all of its activities, such as by helping communities reduce their potential vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change and variability.

The climate crisis is challenging Reclamation’s ability to both produce energy and sustain reliable water delivery. The Nation faces undeniable realities that water supplies for agriculture, fisheries, ecosystems, industry, cities, and energy are confronting stability challenges due to climate change. Reclamation’s projects address the Administration’s conservation and climate resilience priorities through funding requests for the WaterSMART program, funding to secure water supply to wildlife refuges, and proactive efforts through providing sound climate science, research and development, and clean energy. To address these challenges, Reclamation has implemented its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which affirms Reclamation will use leading science and engineering to adapt climate-based situations across the West.

Reclamation’s FY 2025 budget for Research and Development (R&D) programs includes $22.6 million for the Science and Technology Program, and $7.0 million for Desalination and Water Purification Research—both of which focus on Reclamation’s mission of water and power deliveries. Climate change adaptation is a focus of Reclamation’s R&D programs, which invests in the production of climate change science, information and tools that benefit adaptation, and by yielding climate-resilient solutions to benefit management of water infrastructure, hydropower, environmental compliance, and water management.

Reclamation owns 77 hydroelectric power plants. Reclamation operates 53 of those plants to generate approximately 14 percent of the hydroelectric power produced in the United States. Each year on average, Reclamation generates approximately 40 million megawatt hours of electricity and collects over $1.0 billion in gross power revenues for the Federal Government. Reclamation’s FY 2025 budget request includes $4.5 million to increase Reclamation hydropower capabilities and value, contributing to Administration clean energy and climate change initiatives and enhancing water conservation and climate resilience within the power program. Reclamation’s Power Resources Office oversees power operations and maintenance, electric reliability compliance, and strategic energy initiatives.

An ancient fishing community in the Gulf of Kutch, India, join forces with human rights lawyers in Washington, D.C. to file the first-ever lawsuit against the World Bank Group for funding a coal-fired power plant along its coast.

Reception at 6:30 pm
Screening at 7:30 pm

A panel discussion to follow featuring film director Sheena Sumaria, community leader Dr. Pharat Patel, and legal and policy experts.

At Landmark’s E Street Cinema.

Register here for Free Tickets

Subcommittee hearing.

The witnesses will provide an update on the military construction program and infrastructure, including barracks, housing, and range infrastructure. The witnesses will also discuss environment and energy programs, as well as facility sustainment, restoration and modernization accounts.

Witnesses:

• Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Office of the Secretary of Defense
• Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy, Installations
• Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Navy
• Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment, Department of the Air Force

The number of incidents where hurricanes, flooding and wildfire have left billion-plus dollar recovery actions in their wake is increasing at an unsustainable rate (e.g., $1 billion at Offutt Air Force Base, $3 billion at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and over $4 billion at Tyndall Air Force Base).

As of December 31, 2023, the Department has completed the initial assessment at 707 (of 715) installations for PFAS contamination. 133 currently require no further action, while 574 are proceeding to the next step in the CERCLA process. For the past several years, DoD’s approach has been that if DoD identifies perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and/or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from DoD activities in off-base drinking water above 70 parts per trillion (ppt), we quickly took action (i.e., a CERCLA removal action) to provide treatment or an alternative water source. DoD has taken this type of action for drinking water wells surrounding 55 installations. Last week, EPA announced a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Department appreciates the clarity the NPDWR provides now that it has been finalized and is evaluating its impact on our efforts to address PFAS in drinking water. The Department has reviewed existing PFAS sampling results, plans to expand existing cleanup investigations, and provide drinking water treatment for impacted off-base wells, on a prioritized basis.

The reality of a changing climate poses a range of risks to Department readiness and threatens installation resilience through dangerous heat, flooding, drought, wildland fire, and extreme weather. These conditions adversely impact training, soldier welfare, equipment performance, infrastructure performance and reliability, and place added strain on the Department’s resources.

DoD lands contain significant resources supporting our nation’s natural and cultural heritage, including resources important to American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and other Indigenous Peoples. DoD lands provide habitats for over 550 plant and animal species that are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, contain over 130,000 recorded archaeological sites, and 41 National Historic Landmarks. We are requesting $703.7 million in conservation funding, which will allow us to manage these resources in compliance with applicable Federal statutes to create healthy and resilient natural landscapes that reduce climate risks such as flooding and wildfire.

Subcommittee hearing on the $11.8 billion budget request for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Witness:

• David Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration

The Committee on Natural Resources will hold a markup on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 10:15 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building. The bills to be considered include H.R. 5015 (Rep. Leger Fernandez); H.R. 6482 (Rep. Fulcher); H.R. 7003 (Rep. DelBene); H.R. 7370 (Rep. Curtis); H.R. 7375 (Rep. Hageman); H.R. 7377 (Rep. Hunt); H.R. 7408 (Rep. Westerman); H.R. 7409 (Rep. Kim of CA); and H.R. 7422 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez).

Hearing memo

Bills expected to move by regular order:

• H.R. 7408 (Rep. Westerman), “America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act”, which limits federal habitat and species protection efforts in favor of private landowners (legislative hearing)
• H.R. 6482 (Rep. Fulcher), “Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act”
• H.R. 7375 (Rep. Hageman), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to improve the assessment of expression of interest fees, and for other purposes
• and H.R. 7409 (Rep. Kim of CA), “Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act” or the “HEATS Act” (legislative hearing on the above)

Please note that H.R. 7375 and H.R. 7408 each will have an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS). Members should ensure that amendments are drafted to the ANS.

Bills expected to move by unanimous consent:

• H.R. 5015 (Rep. Leger Fernandez), “Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2023” (legislative hearing)
• H.R. 7003 (Rep. DelBene), “National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act of 2024” (legislative hearing)
• H.R. 7370 (Rep. Curtis), “Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act” or the “GEO Act”
• H.R. 7377 (Rep. Hunt), “Royalty Resiliency Act”
• and H.R. 7422 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez), “Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2024” (legislative hearing)