Hill Heat

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 681 (Rep. Keating), To amend the Act of August 9, 1955 (commonly known as the “Long-Term Leasing Act”), to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and for other purposes, to bring the Mashpee and Aquinnah Wampanoag tribes in line with other tribes regarding land leasing authority
• H.R. 3654 (Rep. Randall), Tribal Emergency Response Resources Act or the “TERRA Act”
• H.R. 3903 (Rep. Begich), Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025, to permit oil and gas drilling in parts of the Chugach National Forest
• H.R. 3925 (Rep. Obernolte), “Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act”
• H.R. 4463 (Rep. Norman), To amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Members of Congress)

• To Be Announced

Panel II (Administration Witnesses)

• Bryan Mercier, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 681, H.R. 3654, H.R. 3925, and H.R. 4463]
• John Crockett, Deputy Chief for State, Private, and Tribal Forestry U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C [H.R. 3903 and H.R. 3925]

Panel III (Outside Experts)

• Sheri Buretta, Chairman of the Board, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska [H.R. 3903]
• Joe Maarango, Councilman, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Highland, California [H.R. 3925]
• Brian Harris, Chief, Catawba Nation, Rock Hill, South Carolina [H.R. 4463]
• Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Aquinnah, Massachusetts [Minority Witness] [H.R. 681]
• Quintin Swanson, Chairman, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Tokeland, Washington [Minority Witness] [H.R. 3654]

09/09/2025 at 02:00PM

Subcommittee hearing entitled “Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Buddy Hughes, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders
• Ben Lieberman, Senior Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute
• Jim Steffes, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Washington Gas
• Kara Saul Rinaldi, Chief Policy Officer, Building Performance Association

NAHB, along with the New York State Builders Association, is challenging the nation’s first statewide ban on natural gas in most new construction in court, arguing it is preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

Lieberman’s testimony: “Dishwashers, washing machines, and light bulbs are among the most overregulated appliances. . . All of the Biden administration appliance regulations – light bulbs, furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators, others – included calculations of the claimed climate benefits. These benefits are based on the highly flawed estimates of the social cost of carbon, which the Trump administration has sensibly ordered all regulatory agencies to stop relying upon.”

Steffes testimony: “Maintaining an affordable, diverse, reliable, and resilient energy mix, featuring natural gas, is vital for addressing the increasing energy needs of our economy and ensuring energy security.”

Rinaldi: “By using our energy smarter and leveraging energy efficiency in buildings, we strengthen U.S. energy dominance, lower costs for families, businesses, and factories, and protect our national security.”

09/09/2025 at 02:00PM

Full committee markup.

• Full committee mark
• Committee report

09/09/2025 at 11:00AM

The Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands oversight hearing titled “The State of Our Nation’s Federal Forests” has been rescheduled to Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 10:15 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building. This hearing was previously postponed from its original July 9, 2025, date.

09/09/2025 at 10:15AM

On Friday, September 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (MDT), the Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “The Great American Outdoors Act: Modernizing and Maintaining National Parks to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday.” The hearing will examine opportunities to reauthorize and reform the Great American Outdoors Act to enhance public access, improve infrastructure, and create new outdoor recreation opportunities at our national parks. This hearing will be held at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Chip Jenkins, Superintendent, Grand Teton National Park, Moose, WY
• Leslie Mattson, President, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, Wilson, WY
• Julie Calder, Board Chair, Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, Wilson, WY
• Taylor Phillips, Founder and Owner, Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures, Jackson, WY
• Kristen Brengel, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington, D.C. [Minority Witness]

09/05/2025 at 12:00PM

The purpose of the hearing is to consider the nominations of the Laura Swett to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2030 and David LaCerte to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2026.

Nominees:

• Laura Swett
• David LaCerte

Swett is a Vinson and Elkins lawyer representing fracking pipeline companies, who Trump wants as chair. LaCerte, a Project 2025 contributor, is being criticized by Laura Loomer.

09/04/2025 at 09:30AM

In the face of the Trump administration’s attacks on our communities and the climate, downballot races have an outsized role in the fight for climate and environmental justice. That’s why this summer and fall, Lead Locally is organizing Calls for Climate, a phone banking series to reach voters in key downballot races.

Our next phone bank is on Wednesday, September 3, and we’re making calls in support of climate leader Lily Franklin for Virginia’s House of Delegates.

Calls for Climate is a virtual phone bank that you can join from anywhere — all you need is a computer and a phone. Each week, we’ll be talking to voters about a race with important stakes for climate and democracy:

In Virginia, we’re making calls in support of progressive state legislators to strengthen the state’s Democratic Assembly majority and beat MAGA Republicans. Take action with us to win a pro-climate Democratic trifecta that will pass bills to regulate the statewide utility Dominion Energy, cut carbon pollution, and ensure affordable energy bills for all.

In Georgia, we’re backing two climate champions running for the Public Service Commission. If elected, Dr. Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard will fight to lower energy bills for working families by stopping rate hikes and accelerating the buildout of renewable energy.

In New Orleans, Louisiana, we’re organizing for Pastor Gregory Manning for City Council. A longtime leader in the city’s climate justice movement, Pastor Manning’s platform centers on reigning in the profits of the city’s utility Entergy and tackling the skyrocketing costs of utility bills and housing.

Local races like these are often determined by a small number of votes, so every voter we can talk to really does matter.

Whether you’re making calls for the first time or a seasoned phone banker, we’ve got you covered! We’ll begin by learning what is at stake in the race (often from the candidates themselves), review the phone banking script, and walk through how to use the calling platform.

RSVP

09/03/2025 at 06:00PM

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 2073 (Rep. Newhouse), “Defending our Dams Act”, prohibiting any federal funds from being used “to allow, lead to, or study the breach or functional alteration of, including study of power, flood control, or navigation replacement of, or provide dam removal technical assistance for, the Lower Snake River dams”
• H.R. 3692 (Rep. Moulton), To reauthorize the Young Fisherman’s Development Act
• H.R. 4255 (Rep. Gosar), “Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025”, to delist the Mexican wolf from the ESA, while also nullifying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2015 and 2022 rules, and to also prevent the Service from considering the status of the Mexican wolf in Mexico
• H.R. 4256 (Rep. Min), “Digital Coast Reauthorization Act of 2025”
• H.R. 4970 (Rep. LaMalfa), “Orland Project Water Management Act”, to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991(P.L. 102-250) to authorize the Orland Project to transfer water to the Central Valley Project and its contractors when surplus is available without requiring authorizations

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Members of Congress)

• To Be Announced

Panel II (Administration Witnesses)

• Dustin Sherer, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [H.R. 2073, H.R. 4255, and H.R. 4970]

Panel III (Outside Experts)

• Tom Paterson, President-Elect, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, Luna, New Mexico [H.R. 4255]
• Clark Mather, Executive Director, Northwest RiverPartners, Vancouver, Washington [H.R. 2073]
• Bill Vanderwaal, General Manager, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, Willows, California [H.R. 4970]
• Shannon F. Wheeler, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, Idaho [H.R. 2073] [Minority witness]

09/03/2025 at 02:00PM

Full committee markup.

Subcommittee markup on July 21.

• Full committee mark
• Subcommittee mark
• Democratic summary
• GOP summary

Climate provisions:

• $6 million for the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, $2 million less than fiscal year 2025 but $6 million above the request, to fund infrastructure improvements (TITLE IV, p. 68)
• Prohibits funding for any environmental, social, or governance policies, training, or programs within the Department of Treasury (SEC. 134)
• Prohibits the Consumer Product Safety Commission from promulgating rules to “ban gas stoves” (SEC. 502)
• Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from establishing an ESG advisory committee (SEC. 509)
• Prohibits the SBA from funding climate change initiatives to help small businesses cut energy costs and reduce carbon pollution (SEC. 534)
• Prohibits the SEC from implementing rules on climate-related disclosures (SEC. 633)
• Prohibits the procurement of electric vehicles, electric vehicle batteries, electric vehicle charging stations or infrastructure (SEC. 636)
• Blocks implementation of the FAST-21 critical minerals rule (SEC. 642)
• Codifies a version of the Regulations in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (SEC. 647)
• Prohibits the Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees from investing in ESG funds (SEC. 753)
• Prohibits DC from implementing more stringent auto emissions standards (SEC. 821)
• Prohibits DC from implementing or enforcing provisions of the Consumer Protection Act (§28–3901–28–3913) against oil and gas companies for environmental claims (SEC. 832)

Budget request

Treasury:

• Executive summary
• Detailed budget

Other agencies:

• Judiciary
• Executive Office of the President
• General Services Administration
• Office of Personnel Management
• Small Business Administration
• Other small agencies

The budget request cuts:

• Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation (100% cut)
• Consumer Product Safety Commission (100% cut)
• Election Assistance Commission (35% cut)
• Federal Election Commission (10% cut)
• Federal Trade Commission (78% cut)
• Merit Systems Protection Board (11% cut)
• National Archives and Records Administration (8% cut)

Department of Treasury
Program Name	$ Change from 2025 Enacted (in millions)	Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
Rural Financial Award Program	+100	The Budget would require 60 percent of Community Development Financial Institutions’ (CDFIs’) loans and investments to go to rural areas.
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)	-2,488	The Budget cuts IRS enforcement and taxpayer services.
CDFI Fund Discretionary Awards	-291	The Budget recommends eliminating CDFI Fund discretionary awards. Remaining funding supports oversight and closeout of prior awards, maintaining CDFI certification, and support for New Markets Tax Credit administration and the zero-cost Bond Guarantee Program.
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Entrepreneurial Development Programs (EDP) Consolidation	-167	The Budget ends 15 programs, leaving only the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) program. The SBDC request includes a $10 million increase for business technical assistance services for veteran-owned small businesses.
Salaries and Expenses (S&E)	-111	The Budget provides $250 million for SBA’s S&E, a 34 percent cut.

09/03/2025 at 10:30AM

The legislative hearing will be on the following bills:

• H.R. 280 (Rep. Hageman), “Combatting Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025” or the “COAL Act of 2025”, to codify key aspects of the Trump administration’s EO 14261, “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and amending Executive Order 14241,” by nullifying DOI’s Secretarial Order 3338, which placed a moratorium on new federal coal leases
• H.R. 1366 (Rep. Amodei), “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2025”, to override the Rosemont decision, by creating a new category of mill sites to ensure that operators can use federal lands, whether mineral or non-mineral in character, for activities ancillary to mining, and also creates the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund
• H.R. 3872 (Rep. Fallon), “Mineral Extraction for Renewable Industry and Critical Applications Act of 2025” or the “MERICA Act of 2025”, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to clarify that all federally acquired lands are eligible to be considered for hardrock mineral leasing
• H.R. 4018 (Rep. Ezell), to direct DOI and other federal agencies to accelerate leasing and permitting of seabed mineral projects on the OCS and to identify critical minerals recoverable from those resources, codifying key elements of EO 14285, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources”
• H.R. 4068 (Rep. Collins), “Streamlining NEPA for Coal Act”, to require the Secretary of the Interior to identify any existing and potential categorical exclusion under NEPA that could further the production and export of domestic coal
• H.R. 4090 (Rep. Stauber), To codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, including ordering DOI to annually report on the dollar value and overall economic impact of each mineral commodity for which the U.S. is import-reliant; requiring the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to identify priority mining projects on federal lands that can be immediately approved and take all necessary and appropriate steps to expedite these projects; directing the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to identify all federal lands in their respective jurisdictions that may be suitable for hardrock mineral, exploration, development, or production, as well as potential sites for expanded production of hardrock minerals and their byproducts; directing DOI to revise or rescind agency actions that hinder mining projects, recommend changes to current law necessary to streamline domestic mining, and conduct a nationwide review of state and local laws or regulations that impede mineral exploration and development; and directing DOI to accelerate geologic mapping of the U.S., with a focus on hardrock mineral deposits

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Members of Congress):

• To Be Announced

Panel II (Administration Witness):

• Adam Suess, Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [All bills]

Panel III (Outside Experts):

• Debra W. Struhsacker, Mining and Public Lands Policy Consultant and CoFounder, The Women’s Mining Coalition, Reno, NV [H.R. 1366, H.R. 3872, H.R. 4090]
• Travis Deti, Executive Director, Wyoming Mining Association, Cheyenne, WY [H.R. 280, H.R. 4068]
• Hans Smit, President and CEO, Ocean Minerals LLC, Spring, TX [H.R. 4018]
• Dr. Steve Feldgus, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [All bills] [Minority witness]

09/03/2025 at 10:15AM