Climate science, policy, politics, and action
The Committee on Rules will meet Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET in H-313, The Capitol on the following measures:
The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:
Witnesses:
Panel 1
Panel 2
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee Executive Session on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. ET to consider the following nominations:
Nomination of
The nomination hearing for Graham took place on September 17th.
The nomination hearing for Harvey took place on October 22nd.
The nomination hearing for McCormack took place on November 5th.
The nomination hearing for DLeeuw and Kloster took place on November 6th.
The nomination hearing for Isaacman and Haines took place on December 3rd.
Hearing entitled ““Strategic Trajectories: Assessing China’s Space Rise and the Risks to U.S. Leadership.” The purpose of the hearing is to examine the progress of the People’s Republic of China in achieving its goal of becoming a dominant space power. It will outline China’s objectives for its national space programs, both in terms of completing space missions and in advancing its geopolitical influence. The hearing will evaluate China’s space strategy, including the benefits of a consistent political direction, sustained funding, and its military-civil fusion approach. Finally, it will highlight the risks of ceding leadership in space exploration to China, with a particular focus on the Moon, as well as the broader economic, geopolitical, and national security consequences of China attaining preeminence in space.
Witnesses:
At this pivotal moment in American history, climate journalism is more essential than ever. As we face unprecedented environmental and political challenges—when First Amendment freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law are under severe threat—strong, fact-based reporting has never mattered more.
This discussion brings together leading voices in environmental reporting and activism to examine how journalists can deepen public understanding, hold power to account, and inspire meaningful climate action.
Moderator
Panelists:
On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing titled “Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Exploring New Frontiers.”
Witnesses:
On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold an oversight hearing titled “Sea Lion Predation in the Pacific Northwest.”
Witnesses:
Panel I
Panel II
The Secretary of Commerce was authorized in 2018 to issue permits to certain Tribes and the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to lethally take sea lions within the Columbia River and its tributaries.
On Wednesday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m., U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, will hold a hearing on the nominations of
Beaman is a Nashville auto executive, Republican mega-donor, and the subject of sexual misconduct allegations. He has no professional experience in nuclear oversight, utility planning, or grid operations. He is the former CEO of Beaman Automotive Group, a chain of car dealerships he sold in 2020. He operates Beaman Ventures, a private investment firm, and serves on the board of Belmont University, a private Christian college in Nashville. He is also a member of the Council for National Policy, a secretive, invitation-only, Christian nationalist network whose members have opposed environmental regulation, denied climate science, and pushed to roll back democratic safeguards. In court documents, his fourth wife described being forced into watching Beaman having sex with a prostitute for her “training”, and being exposed to pornography in the presence of her minor son. Kelly Beaman accused her husband of “degradation, control, manipulation and abuse” in the marriage. Beaman owns a $3.7 million Capitol Hill townhouse through an entity called Crockett Ventures. The property serves as a residence for Speaker Mike Johnson, megachurch pastor Steve Berger, and other GOP politicians and operatives.
Weaver is a seasoned nuclear regulator. He served as vice president of nuclear regulatory affairs at Westinghouse Electric Company from 2013 to 2022, and most recently has been running his own nuclear regulatory consulting firm. He also worked for nearly 20 years at the NRC, where he held numerous leadership positions, including in the Chairman’s Office and the Office of New Reactors.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing to consider the nominations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Commerce at 10:00 AM EST on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
Nominees:
NASA is illegally moving forward with the rapid downsizing of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Isaacman was nominated in the spring to be NASA administrator, with his nomination hearing on April 9th. Right before the vote on his confirmation, the White House pulled his nomination. He was renominated this fall.
Jared Isaacman made his billions as CEO of the Shift4 payment processing firm and has flown to space twice on SpaceX missions he financed himself. He co-founded Draken International, which trains pilots for the U.S. military. Isaacman is a pal and an extreme admirer of Elon Musk.
According to a recent reporting by Ars Technica, the Trump administration is looking to slash the space agency’s science budget by as much as 50 percent, which could prove disastrous for the future of space research.
You’d think that would be top of mind for Isaacman, but his head is instead blissfully empty.
“I’m a humble nominee on the outside, hoping for a chance to contribute,” he tweeted, responding to a post that referenced the news. “I don’t know anything about those supposed cuts, but the President said he’s targeting fraud, waste & abuse w/ a scalpel — not a hatchet.”
Isaacman’s confidential plans for the agency, titled Project Athena, have been circulating around Washington but not made public.
Haines is currently a senior adviser in ITA’s Office of Industry and Analysis. Haines previously spent several years at the State Department, including assignments in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and the Office of China Coordination, as well as a posting on the Department’s Policy Planning Staff. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a Brookings Legislative Fellow with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), focusing on trade, economic, and national security policy. He joined the State Department in 2020, during Trump’s first term, and served for three years before joining Hagerty’s staff. He rejoined the State Department this year.
Full committee markup of 15 bills.
Items to be considered:
Read Sludge’s coverage.
H.R. 3699, Energy Choice Act (Rep. Langworthy)
This legislation would prohibit state or local governments from implementing, adopting, or enforcing any law, regulation or policy that directly or indirectly prohibits or limits access to an energy service based on the type or source of energy that is sold. (Rep. Langworthy introduced this legislation on June 4, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a voice vote. The subcommittee adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Langworthy. The amendment struck section 2(b) of the underlying legislation.
H.R. 5184, Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act (Rep. Houchin)
This legislation would repeal section 413 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 relating to energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing. This legislation would also nullify the final rule titled “Energy Conservation Program: Standards for Manufactured Housing,” published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2022.1 (Rep. Houchin introduced this legislation on September 8, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a voice vote. The subcommittee adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Auchincloss. The amendment allows the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding energy conservation standards for manufactured housing.
H.R. 4690, Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (Rep. Langworthy) This legislation would repeal section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to revise federal building energy efficiency performance standards for new buildings and major renovation with designs that phase out on-site fossil fuel-generated energy consumption. (Rep. Langworthy introduced this legislation on July 23, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a roll call vote of 16 yeas and 14 nays. The subcommittee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Rep. Langworthy. The amendment makes changes to repeal section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), while maintaining high performance certification systems and levels for building projects.
H.R. 4593, Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act (Rep. Fry)
This legislation would codify the definition of a showerhead to be consistent with the ASME A112.18.1-2018 standard. (Rep. Fry introduced this legislation on July 22, 2025.) On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 17 yeas and 14 nays.
H.R. 4758, Homeowner Energy Freedom Act (Rep. Goldman)
This legislation would repeal the following sections of the Inflation Reduction Act: section 50122, establishing a new high efficiency electric home rebate program; section 50123, establishing the home energy efficiency contractor training grants; and section 50131, to provide financial assistance to states and localities to adopt the certain energy conservation building codes. (Rep. Goldman introduced this legislation on July 25, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 16 yeas and 14 nays.
H.R. 4626, Don’t Mess with My Home Appliances Act (Rep. Allen)
This legislation amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to reform DOE’s procedures for issuing energy efficiency standards. The legislation prohibits DOE from prescribing any new or amended energy efficiency standards for a product that is not technologically feasible and economically justified. H.R. 4626 defines a minimum threshold for energy or water savings that must be achieved to justify a new regulation and establishes several new factors that DOE must consider, including the cost to lowincome households and the full lifecycle costs associated with requiring consumers to purchase a new qualifying appliance. (Rep. Allen introduced this legislation on July 23, 2025).
On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a roll call vote of 17 yeas and 14 nays. The subcommittee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Rep. Allen. The amendment aligns all compliance dates to be 5 years following a final rule, requires test procedures to be issued at least 180 days before rulemaking action, maintains provisions of current law related to DOJ reviews, clarifies DOE’s authority to amend water efficiency standards for clothes washers and dishwashers, as well as other changes that overall improve the underlying legislation.
H.R. 1355, Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025 (Rep. Tonko)
This legislation would reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program through fiscal year 2030 at current funding levels ($350 million each year). Additionally, H.R. 1355 would amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to remove the prohibition on dwelling units which have received such funds from eligibility for other federal weatherization programs, and it raises the maximum amount of financial assistance per dwelling unit from $6,000 to $12,000. This legislation would also authorize for the first time the Weatherization Readiness Program which provides funds to states and localities to address issues in low-income dwelling units to make the dwelling unit eligible for other weatherization measures. (Rep. Tonko introduced this legislation on February 13, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a voice vote.