On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET, in Longworth 1334
and via Cisco WebEx online conferencing, the Subcommittee on National
Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (NPFPL) will hold a legislative
hearing
on the following bills:
H.R.
8108(Rep.
Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To protect Native cultural sites located on
Federal land, to improve consultation with Indian Tribes, to bring
parity to Indian Tribes with regard to Federal public land management
laws, and for other purposes. Advancing Tribal Parity on Public Land
Act.
H.R.
8109(Rep.
Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To establish the Tribal Cultural Areas System,
and for other purposes. Tribal Cultural Areas Protection Act.
H.R.
8719(Rep.
Raúl Grijalva, D-AZ), To establish the Great Bend of the Gila
National Conservation Area in the State of Arizona, and for other
purposes. Great Bend of the Gila Conservation Act.
The hearing for these three bills was recently
announced
in conjunction with a
letter
that Chair Grijalva and 42 other members of Congress sent to President
Joe Biden asking him to seek opportunities to expand tribal
co-management of U.S. public lands, waters, and resources.
Witnesses
Panel I: Congressional Panel
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Arizona, 3rd District
Panel II: Administration Panel
Witness TBA
Panel III: Expert Witness Panel
Tina Marie Osceola (All bills), Director, Tribal Historic Preservation
Office, Seminole Tribe of Florida
Fawn Sharp (All bills), President, National Congress of American
Indians
Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis (All bills), Governor, Gila River Indian
Community
Minority Witness TBA
House Natural Resources Committee
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee
On Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Subcommittee
Oversight & Investigations will hold a hybrid oversight
hearing
titled, “The Role of Public Relations Firms in Preventing Action on
Climate Change.”
Rep. Katie Porter, Chair
For decades, the fossil fuel industry publicly denied climate change,
despite privately acknowledging the scientific evidence and knowing the
harm their operations caused. As the reality of the climate crisis has
become more widely accepted, the industry’s disinformation messaging and
tactics have become more subtle and sophisticated. Fossil fuel companies
now outsource much of this work to public relations (PR) firms, who use
a wide array of meticulously designed strategies to delay or prevent
action and change public perceptions of the issue. Viewed collectively,
evidence strongly suggests industry’s advertising, lobbying, and other
influence work has played a significant role in hindering legislative
action to address climate change.
The Natural Resources Committee is investigating this critical—yet often
overlooked—role that PR firms play in helping industry spread climate
disinformation and obstruct solutions to the crisis. The Committee’s
investigation on the topic is ongoing; this hearing will examine some of
the Committee’s findings thus far. Of note, PR firms Singer Associates,
Story Partners, and Pac/West Communications were invited but refused to
attend.
Witnesses
Anne Lee Foster, Former Director of Communication and Community
Engagement, Colorado Rising (Testifying on her own behalf)
Christine Arena, Founder and CEO, Generous
Ventures, Inc.
Dr. Melissa Aronczyk, Associate Professor, School of Communications &
Information, Rutgers University
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an Executive
Session on
Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT
to consider the following piece of legislation:
The legislation calls for updated oil spill planning, a new Arctic
Security Cutter and new studies on Arctic operations, a study on the
“impacts on shipping and commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries
from the development of renewable energy on the West Coast,” and “a
grant program to provide assistance to eligible entities to develop and
implement mitigation measures that will lead to a quantifiable reduction
in threats to marine mammals from shipping activities and port
operations.”
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
From 2005 to 2008, Bhatt served as deputy executive director of the
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. From 2009 to 2011, he served as
associate administrator for policy and government affairs for the
Federal Highway Administration. From 2011 to 2014, he was the secretary
of the Delaware Department of Transportation. From 2014 to 2017, he
served as executive director of the Colorado Department of
Transportation. From 2017 to 2021, he was the president and
CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Systems
America, a transportation lobbying organization. He joined
AECOM, an engineering firm, as senior vice
president for global transportation innovation and alternative delivery
in 2021.
On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET, Rep. Jamie Raskin,
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, will
hold a hybrid
hearing
to examine how the fossil fuel industry is weaponizing the
law
to stifle First Amendment protected speech and stymie efforts to combat
climate change by abusing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public
Participations (SLAPPs) and anti-protest laws.
Since the 1980s, SLAPPs have been used by powerful entities and
individuals to silence critics through costly, lengthy, and often
meritless litigation. These lawsuits have recently been employed by the
fossil fuel industry to target environmental activists and non-profits
by claiming defamation, trespass, and even racketeering to deter them
from speaking out against proposed fossil fuel pipelines and other
projects that contribute to climate change.
In response to increased protest activity surrounding fossil fuel
pipelines, 17 states have enacted anti-protest laws as of June 2022,
labeling them “critical infrastructure protection laws.” These laws are
selectively enacted and enforced to target environmental activists and
protect corporate interests.
The fossil fuel industry’s use of SLAPPs and support for anti-protest
laws not only stifles free speech, but also serves as another form of
disinformation about climate change. After years of spreading denial and
disinformation, fossil fuel companies now acknowledge the existence of
climate change but are attempting to ensure their greenwashing narrative
dominates by silencing opposing views.
WITNESSES
Prof. Anita Ramasastry, Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law, University
of Washington School of Law
Elly Page, Senior Legal Advisor, International Center for
Not-for-Profit Law
Deepa Padmanabha, Deputy General Counsel, Greenpeace
USA
Anne White Hat, Sicangu Lakota, L’eau Est La Vie Camp
The Full Committee will hold a
hearing
entitled, “When Banks Leave: The Impacts of DeRisking on the Caribbean
and Strategies for Ensuring Financial Access.” on Wednesday, September
14, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office
Building/ Cisco Webex.
H.R. 8535, the “Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act”
(Rep. Lee)
H.R. 8797, the “Caribbean Stakeholders Engagement Act” (Rep.
Waters)
H.R. 8798, the “The INCSR Improvement
Act” (Rep. Waters)
H.R. ___, the “AML Examiners Academy Act”
Witnesses
Panel I
Mia Amor Mottley, K.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Barbados; Minister of
Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment; Minister of National
Security and the Public Service (with responsibility for Culture and
CARICOM Matters)
Panel II
Wendy Delmar, CEO, Caribbean Association of
Banks
Wazim Mohamed Mowla, Assistant Director and Lead of the Caribbean
Initiative, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Atlantic Council
I. Wayne Shah, Senior Vice President, Financial Institutions – Head of
Caribbean Region, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and Executive Director,
Financial & International Business Association (FIBA)
Amit Sharma, CEO, Founder, and Director,
FinClusive
Liat Shetret, Director of Global Policy and Regulation, Elliptic
The power sector is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas
emissions in the United States—accounting for a quarter of total
emissions. Experts have noted that decarbonizing this sector and
electrifying other sectors is crucial for achieving economy-wide
emissions reductions. A new
report
from Resources for the Future (RFF) and the Clean Energy Buyers
Institute examines five pathways toward decarbonization of the power
sector. The report finds that three of them would reduce costs and
inflation: a national transmission macrogrid, further competition among
electricity generators, and expansion of retail supply choice among
buyers. The other two are candidates for going beyond the recently
passed Inflation Reduction Act: a national clean electricity standard
and utility-led decarbonization.
Join
us
on Tuesday, September 13, for an RFF Live
webinar
exploring the report’s key findings and examining the likely impacts of
the five pathways. A panel of experts—including lead author Daniel
Shawhan and other major contributors to the report—will discuss the
emissions reductions and health benefits from each pathway, the monetary
benefits and costs for the power sector and energy consumers, and the
effects on company purchases of green power.
Speakers
James Elsworth, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Caroline Golin, Google
Michael O’Boyle, Energy Innovation
Daniel Shawhan, Resources for the Future
Bryn Baker, Clean Energy Buyers Association (Moderator)
You are invited to attend a virtual public comment
meeting
hosted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as part of the
National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed
Program and Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
Please note that registration to provide an oral comment is strongly
recommended as those who register will receive preference. Oral public
comments will be limited to two-minutes.
We look forward to hearing your comments on the Proposed Program and
Draft Programmatic EIS.
Additional meeting and public comment information can be found
here.
To sign up for the mailing list and receive future news and updates, go
to the BOEM
website.
Formal ceremony at the White House celebrating the
passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.