Examining Freight Rail Safety

The purpose of this hearing is for members to learn about the current state of freight rail safety, in addition to hearing testimony on how to keep rail workers and our rail system safe.

Transcript

Witnesses:

  • Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration
  • Thomas Chapman, Member, National Transportation Safety Board
  • Roy Morrison, Director of Safety, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
  • Don Grissom, Assistant General President, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division, TCU/IAM
  • Grady Cothen, Retired, Transportation Policy Consultant
  • Nathan Bachman, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Loram Technologies, Inc.
  • Cindy Sanborn, Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Chair, Safety and Operations Management Committee, Association of American Railroads
  • Jeremy Ferguson, President, Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation – Transportation Division
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
   Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee
2167 Rayburn

06/14/2022 at 10:00AM

Short And Long Term Solutions To Extreme Drought In The Western U.S.

The purpose of this hearing is to examine short and long term solutions to extreme drought in the western United States.

This hearing will commence immediately following the nominations business meeting.

Opening statements:

Witnesses:

  • Camille C. Touton, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior
  • John J. Entsminger, General Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority
  • Dr. Maurice Hall, Vice President, Climate Resilient Water Systems, Environmental Defense Fund
  • Patrick O’Toole, President, Family Farm Alliance
  • Charlie Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy, Congressional Research Service
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen

06/14/2022 at 10:00AM

Tags:

What’s the Forecast: A Look at the Future of Weather Research

Hearing page

Chair Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.)

Witnesses:

  • Dr. Bradley Colman, President-Elect of the American Meteorological Society; Director of Weather-Strategy, Bayer & The Climate Corporation
  • Dr. Kevin R. Petty, VP, Weather and Earth Intelligence, Spire Global, Inc.
  • Dr. Fred Carr, Professor Emeritus, School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma
  • Dr. Scott Glenn, Board of Governors Professor Center for Ocean Observing Leadership of the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
   Environment Subcommittee
2318 Rayburn

06/14/2022 at 10:00AM

Native Plant Species Pilot Program, National Park Foundation Reauthorization, and other Parks and Public Lands Legislation

On Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET, in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building and via Cisco WebEx the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands will hold a hybrid legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 1548(Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-PA) To establish a pilot program for native plant species, and for other purposes. Native Plant Species Pilot Program Act of 2021.
  • H.R. 4658 (Rep. Ted Lieu, D-CA) To designate the Encinal Trailhead on the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area as the “Anthony ‘Tony’ Beilenson Trailhead.” Beilenson Trailhead Designation Act.
  • H.R. 6364(Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-PA) To amend the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to extend the exception to the closure of certain roads within the Recreation Area for local businesses, and for other purposes.
  • H.R. 6442(Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-ID) To amend section 101703 of title 54, United States Code, to include Tribal Governments and quasi-governmental entities, and for other purposes. PACTS Act.
  • H.R. 7496(Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-VI) To direct the Secretary of the Interior to install a plaque at the peak of Ram Head in the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, United States Virgin Islands, to commemorate the slave rebellion that began on St. John in 1733.
  • H.R. 7615(Rep. Blake Moore, R-UT) To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into partnerships to develop housing, and for other purposes. LODGE Act.
  • H.R. 7693(Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-AR) To amend title 54, United States Code, to reauthorize the National Park Foundation. National Park Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2022.
  • H.R. 7952(Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-PA) To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of-way permit with respect to a natural gas distribution pipeline within Valley Forge National Historical Park, and for other purposes. Valley Forge Park Realignment Permit and Promise Act.
House Natural Resources Committee
   National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

06/14/2022 at 10:00AM

Nominations of David Applegate to be Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, Carmen Cantor to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular and International Affairs, and Evelyn Wang to be Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy

The purpose of the business meeting is to consider the nominations of:

  • Dr. David Applegate to be Director of the United States Geological Survey;
  • Ambassador Carmen G. Cantor to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior (Insular and International Affairs); and
  • Dr. Evelyn Wang to be Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy.

The meeting will be immediately followed by a hearing to examine short term and long terms solutions to extreme drought in the western United States.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen

06/14/2022 at 10:00AM

H.R. 2773—Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2021; H.R. 7606—Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act

The Committee on Rules will meet on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 2:00 PM EDT in H-313, The Capitol on the following measures:

  • H.R. 2543—Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act [Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act]
  • H.R. 2773—Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2021
  • H.R. 7606—Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022 [Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act]

H.R. 7606 includes language to waive Clean Air Act restrictions on ethanol blending and new support for ethanol and biodiesel.

H.R. 2773, which will fund multi-stakeholder efforts to conserve and monitor at-risk species, known in states as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), is supported by The Wildlife Society.

House Rules Committee
H-313 Capitol

06/13/2022 at 02:00PM

Living with Climate Change: Wildfires

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on policies and practices to address wildfires. Billions of dollars are spent fighting wildfires every year, and the cascading economic, health, and societal impacts of wildfires are enormous. Compounding these challenges, wildfires also release greenhouse gases and harmful aerosols into the atmosphere. Over the last century, battling wildfires after they have started has been the main approach to address this threat. Yet, with record-setting fire seasons happening almost every year, more proactive and preventative steps are needed.

Panelists will discuss policies and practices that would allow the United States to reduce the overall risk of wildfires, including how innovations in community-centered wildfire protection can improve resilience for humans and ecosystems.

Speakers

  • Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.)
  • Carly Phillips, Western States Climate Team Fellow, Union of Concerned Scientists
  • Kimiko Barrett, Wildfire Research & Policy Lead, Headwaters Economics
  • Margo Robbins, Executive Director, Cultural Fire Management Council
  • Steve Bowen, Managing Director and Head of Catastrophe Insight, Aon

A live webcast will be streamed at 01:00 PM EDT.

RSVP

Environmental and Energy Study Institute
06/13/2022 at 01:00PM

Tags:

Agricultural Trade: Priorities and Issues Facing America’s Farmers

Hearing page

Witnesses:

  • Dr. Gopinath “Gopi” Munisamy, Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia
  • Karla Thompson, Vice President, JET Farms Georgia and Integrity Farms
  • Sheryl Meshke, Co-President and CEO, Associated Milk Producers Inc., New Ulm, MN
  • Neal Fisher, Administrator, North Dakota Wheat Commission, Mandan, ND
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
   Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade Subcommittee
215 Dirksen

06/09/2022 at 11:00AM

S. 4244, Legislation to Prohibit the Manufacture, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce of Asbestos

Hearing page

Witnesses:

  • Linda Reinstein, President/CEO & Co-Founder, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
  • Danny Whu M.D., Chief Medical Officer, International Association of Fire Fighters
  • David Lee Boone, General Manager, Copiah Water Association
  • Robert J. Simmon, Vice President for Chemical Products & Technology Division, American Chemistry Council
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
406 Dirksen

06/09/2022 at 10:00AM