Hill Heat

This hearing has been postponed due to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s address to a joint session of Congress.

Subcommittee hearing chaired by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) to examine the effects of increased migration on communities along the southern border.

Witnesses:

• Douglas Nicholls, Mayor, City of Yuma
• Clea McCaa II, Mayor, City of Sierra Vista
• Francisco García , M.D., M.P.H., Deputy County Administrator & Chief Medical Officer, Pima County
• Kevin Hearod, Chief, McAlester Police Department

Hearing to review the Department of Commerce budget request.

Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)

Witness:

• Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary, Department of Commerce

The Department of Commerce’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget proposes $12.3 billion in discretionary funding and $4 billion in mandatory funding. $6.8 billion is for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The budget also includes $97 million for NIST’s activities on Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability.

Subcommittee hearing on Tunisia.

Witnesses:

• Joshua Harris, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North Africa Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C.
• Megan Doherty, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for the Middle East, United States Agency for International Development

Hearing to review the FY2024 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

Bureau of Reclamation FY 2024 Budget: $1.4 billion

• The budget proposal includes a $49 million request for the Lower Colorado River Operations Program, including $16.8 million to build on the work of Reclamation, Colorado River basin partners and stakeholders to implement drought contingency plans. It also includes $2.7 million for the Upper Colorado River Operations Program to support Drought Response Operations and $200.3 million to find long-term, comprehensive water supply solutions for farmers, families, and communities in California. The budget includes $62.9 million for the WaterSMART Program to support Reclamation’s collaboration with non-federal partners in efforts to address emerging water demands and water shortage issues in the West.
• A request of $57.8 million advances the construction and continues the operations and maintenance of authorized rural water projects. The budget request also provides $35.5 million for the Native American Affairs Program, which provides technical support and assistance to tribal governments to develop and manage their water resources. 
• The budget includes $210.2 million for the Dam Safety Program to effectively manage risks to the downstream public, of which $182.6 million is for modification actions. Another focus area for infrastructure is $105.3 million requested for extraordinary maintenance activities across Reclamation.
• These funding amounts are included in the $1.3 billion budget request for Reclamation’s principal operating account (Water and Related Resources), which funds planning, construction, water conservation, efforts to address fish and wildlife habitat needs, and operation, maintenance and rehabilitation activities at Reclamation facilities.
• Additionally, funding of $33 million is requested to implement the California Bay-Delta Program and address California’s current water supply and ecological challenges, while $48.5 million is for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund to protect, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and associated habitats in California’s Central Valley and Trinity River Basins.
• The request also provides $66.8 million for Policy and Administration to develop, evaluate, and directly implement Reclamation-wide policy, rules and regulation as well as other administrative functions.

U.S. Army Corps of Civil Engineers Civil Works Budget Justification

U.S. Army Corps of Civil Engineers Civil Works Budget Overview

For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program, the Budget would provide over $7.4 billion in gross discretionary funding that would be distributed among the appropriations accounts as follows:

• Investigations $129,832,000
• Construction $2,014,577,000
• Operation and Maintenance $2,629,913,000
• Regulatory Program $221,000,000
• Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) $226,478,000
• Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program $200,000,000
• Expenses $212,000,000
• Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies $40,000,000
• Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) $7,200,000
• Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works $6,000,000
• Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund $1,726,000,000
• TOTAL $ 7,413,000,000

• Increase Resilience to Climate Change. The Budget invests in improving the Nation’s water infrastructure, while incorporating climate resilience efforts into the Corps’ commercial navigation, flood and storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration work. The Budget invests in 45 projects and programs that would decrease climate risks facing communities and increase ecosystem resilience to climate change based on the best available science. The Flood and Coastal Storm Damage Reduction program is funded at more than $1.9 billion in the FY 2024 Budget. The Mississippi River and Tributaries program will fund ongoing work in the lower Mississippi River alluvial valley and its tributaries, with emphasis on the 1,600 miles of levees and related features on the main stem of the lower Mississippi River and in the Atchafalaya Basin. The Budget includes funding to continue studies intended to investigate climate resilience along the Great Lakes coast as well as in Central and Southern Florida. The Budget includes $35.5 million for technical and planning assistance programs that will help local communities, including disadvantaged communities, identify and address their flood risks associated with climate change. The Budget provides $64 million for operation and maintenance activities that are focused on improving climate resilience and/or sustainability at existing Corps-owned projects, $51 million to mitigate for adverse impacts from existing Corps-owned projects, and $26 million to install the necessary refueling infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles at existing Corps-owned projects.

• Improve the Nation’s Infrastructure. The Budget invests in operating and maintaining the Corps existing infrastructure and improving its reliability. It also includes $665 million for construction of a dam safety project at Prado Dam and $235 million to help complete specifically authorized projects that have experienced cost increases since construction began. The Budget also supports more efficient investment in infrastructure by proposing to transfer ownership from the Corps to parties that are better suited to maintain it, where appropriate. For example, the Budget includes $350 million for replacement of the Cape Cod Canal Bridges and a legislative proposal that would allow the Corps to transfer funds to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to design and construct the Cape Cod Canal replacement bridges. The proposal would transfer ownership of these bridges to the Commonwealth, which would be responsible for their future operation and maintenance. Additionally, the Budget includes $235 million for a “Project Cost Increase Reserve” to help complete the Sault Ste. Marie (Replacement Lock), MI project as reauthorized by Section 8401 (6) of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, which is Division H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Public Law 117-81.

• Facilitate Safe, Reliable and Sustainable Commercial Navigation to Improve the Resilience of our Nation’s Manufacturing Supply Chain to support American Jobs and the Economy. The Budget invests in five projects that facilitate safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable navigation at the Nation’s coastal ports and on the inland waterways. The Budget includes $1.726 billion in spending from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) to support commerce through U.S. coastal ports and over $1 billion to maintain and improve navigation on the inland waterways. These significant investments will facilitate safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable commercial navigation at our Nation’s coastal ports and inland waterways. Within the HMTF total, the Budget includes $272 million for operation and maintenance of Great Lakes projects, $58 million for projects that support access by Native American tribes to their legally recognized historic fishing areas, $15 million for a construction project that will accommodate disposal of material dredged from coastal navigation projects, and $21.152 million for mitigating for adverse impacts from navigation projects.

• Support the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative through Investments in Projects that Benefit Disadvantaged Communities by Increasing their Resilience to Climate Change. The Budget invests in 23 studies, and in the construction of 33 projects to help disadvantaged and tribal communities address their water resources challenges in line with the President’s Justice40 Initiative—including funding for the Tribal Partnership Program. In the FY 2024 Budget, the Corps continued its commitment to the overall Federal effort to ensure that 40 percent of the benefits of Federal climate and clean energy investments will directly benefit disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened and Tribal nations. Through the FY 2024 Budget, the Corps is securing environmental justice and spurring economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution and are experiencing underinvestment in essential services. The Corps contributes to this Justice40 Initiative through its studies and projects, and through specific programs, such as the Continuing Authorities Program, Planning Assistance to States, Floodplain Management Services, and the Tribal Partnership Program. The Corps is committed to achieving the broader goals of the Administration regarding equity and environmental justice and will continue to: 1) improve outreach and access to Civil Works information and resources; 2) improve access to Civil Works technical and planning assistance programs (e.g., the Flood Plain Management Services and Planning Assistance to States programs) and maximize the reach of Civil Works projects to benefit the disadvantaged communities, in particular as it relates to climate resiliency; and 3) ensure that any updates to Civil Works policies and guidance will not result in a disproportionate negative impact on disadvantaged communities

• Restore Aquatic Habitat where the Aquatic Ecosystem Structure, Function and Processes Have Degraded. The FY 2024 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration program is funded at $653 million in the Budget. The Corps will continue to work with other federal, state and local agencies, using the best available science and adaptive management to restore degraded ecosystem structure, function, and/or process to a more natural condition. The Budget invests in the restoration of some of the Nation’s most unique aquatic ecosystems, such as the Chesapeake Bay, the Upper Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, the Louisiana Coast, and the Everglades. For example, the Budget includes $415 million for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER) (Everglades) program ― which is an $8 million increase compared to the 2023 Budget level and $66.77 million for Columbia River Fish Mitigation.

• Invest in Research and Development to Solve the Nation’s Toughest Water Resources Challenges. The Budget provides $86 million ─ the largest request in Corps’ history ─ for research and development. The challenges of today and tomorrow are not like yesterday’s. From droughts and wildfires across the western states, to the increasingly frequent disasters faced by communities across the country, many of the 21st century’s water resources challenges are complex and interconnected. Our nation needs integrated engineering solutions based on the best available science and technology to solve our toughest water resources challenges today and in the future.

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2024 Budget Request for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the U.S. Geological Survey.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses and Testimony

• Liz Klein, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• Paul Huang, Deputy Director, Bureau of Safety and Environment
• Dr. David Applegate, Director, U.S. Geological Survey

The 2024 budget for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement includes $217.1 million for conventional energy programs to support OCS permit application reviews, regulation and standard development for offshore activities, verification and enforcement of operator compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, technical reviews of planned operations and emerging technologies to properly identify and mitigate risks, a robust inspection program employing an annual inspection strategy that includes risk-based inspections, and incident investigations. BSEE’s budget also includes $30.0 million to fund the decommissioning of orphaned offshore oil and gas infrastructure. The 2024 BSEE budget includes $1.5 million to prepare for regulating and overseeing safe and effective offshore carbon sequestration activities.

The budget for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provides $72.3 million for conventional energy programs to support OCS planning, leasing, and oversight. The 2024 BOEM budget also includes $6.6 million in Conventional Energy and $2.3 million in Environmental Programs to establish a dedicated team, train existing staff, hire additional specialized experts, and fund environmental studies, scientific research, data collection, and other activities critical to the establishment and implementation of the new program.

The FY2024 budget request for the U.S. Geological Survey is $1.8 billion, including $395 million for ecosystems, $369 million for core science services, $313 million for water resources, $226 million for natural hazards, $151 million for energy and mineral resources, and $134 million for science support. Top priorities include wildfire and drought tools and an investment in the future of the Landsat program.

Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) will hold a hearing in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building entitled, “Exposing the Environmental, Human Rights, and National Security Risks of the Biden Administration’s Rush to Green Policies.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Mark Mills, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
• Ashley Nunes, Director of Federal Policy, Climate, and Energy, Breakthrough Institute
• Daniel Simmons, Principal, Simmons Energy and Environmental Strategies
• Trevor Higgins, Senior Vice President, Energy and Environment, Center for American Progress

Full committee markup of:

• H.R. 1690, To authorize Secretary of State to negotiate regional immigration agreements, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 589, To impose sanctions on the Supreme Leader of Iran and the President of Iran and their respective offices for human rights abuses and support for terrorism.
• H.Res. 300, Requesting the President and directing the Secretary of Defense to transmit, respectively, to the House of Representatives copies of all documents indicating any plans for current or future military assistance to Ukraine and documents indicating whether any United States Armed Forces, including special operations forces, are currently deployed in Ukraine; and
• H.R. 2789, To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation between the United States and Mexico, and for other purposes.

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2024 Budget Request for the U.S. Forest Service.”

Hearing memo

Witness:

• Chief Randy Moore, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

US Forest Service Congressional Budget Justification: $9.7 billion. The 2024 Budget dedicates $323 million toward management for “hazardous fuels reduction”, an increase of $116 million from the 2023 enacted level. The 2024 Budget request for workforce salaries and expenses is $1.42 billion, a $509 million increase above the 2023 enacted level to fund the costs of pay reforms for Federal wildland firefighters and increase Federal firefighting capacity.

There will be a hearing of the Senate Committee on the Budget on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 10:15 AM in Room SD-608 to consider: “Under the Weather: Diagnosing the Health Costs of Climate Change.”

Witnesses:

• Stephanie Smith, Esq., Member Of The House Of Delegates, District 45, Baltimore City, Maryland
• Dr. Katelyn Moretti, Assistant Professor Of Emergency Medicine, Brown Emergency Medicine
• Dr. Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor In Economics & Director, Becker Friedman Institute & the Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago
• Dr. Carl J. Schramm, University Professor, School of Information Studies, Syracuse University
• Michael Shellenberger, Founder & President, Environmental Progress (GOP witness)