This Week on the Hill
This week, Congress continues its busy scheduling in energy, environment and climate related business, with thirteen hearings on the calendar—six in the Senate and seven in the House. At the same time, the House will take up the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 146), which contains a number of provisions related to climate change, adaptation and the nation’s water resources.
On Tuesday there will be two hearings in the Senate; the first, by the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee’s Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear safety, will focus on safety in the nation’s 104 operating nuclear power plants. The hearing will coincide with the 30 year anniversary of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. Dale Klein, the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, along with a number of other witnesses (see a full list here), will testify. 10:00am, 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building. In the second hearing, the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee will meet to consider the nomination of Tom Strickland to become the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Assistant Secretary of fish, wildlife and parks. 2:30pm in 366 Dirksen.
In the House, Tuesday brings three hearings. First, two Subcommittees of the Natural Resources Committee—the Energy and Mineral Resources and Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittees—meet to discuss “Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf and the Future of Our Oceans.” A full witness list and other information can be found here. 10:00am, 1324 Longworth House Office Building. Also, the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Committee meets to discuss federal research and development programs for advanced fuel and vehicle technologies. Steven Chalk, the principal deputy assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Department of Energy (DOE), as well as others, will testify. 10:00am, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building. Finally, the Ways and Means Committee’s Trade Subcommittee holds a hearing on carbon leakage, U.S. competitiveness and climate change legislation at 2:00pm in 1100 Longworth. Read more about the hearing here.
Wednesday brings four more hearings. The Senate EPW Committee will meet to discuss increasing investment in the nation’s transportation infrastructure; Ray LaHood, the Secretary of Transportation, will testify, as will Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Kathleen M. Novak, the President of the National League of Cities. 10:00am 406 Dirksen. Also, the ENR Committee meets to consider draft legislation which would expand the oversight role of the DOE with regards to energy and commodity futures markets. Read the draft bill here. 2:00pm, 366 Dirksen. In the House, the Foreign Affairs Committee meets to address the environmental and security concerns posed by melting Arctic sea ice, at 10:00am in 2172 Rayburn. Scott Borgerson, of the Council on Foreign Relations, Robert Corell of the Heinz Center and Mead Treadwell from the Institute of the North will testify. Finally, the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee continues its weekly hearings, this time on adaptation measures to climate change. 9:30am, 2123 Rayburn.
Thursday brings the last four hearings of the week-in the Senate, the ENR Committee will meet at 9:30am in 366 Dirksen to discuss draft legislation on improving industrial energy efficiency. The EPW Committee will also meet, this time to consider the nomination of Tom Strickland to Assistant Secretary of the DOI (Strickland must be confirmed by both the ENR and EPW Committees), as well as the nomination of John Cannon to be Assistant Administrator of the EPA. 10:00am, Dirksen 406.
Two more hearing will take place in the House on Thursday; first, the Ways and Means Committee will meet to discuss the ways that climate change legislation can be designed to reduce or eliminate price volatility while still achieving specific science-based environmental objectives. 10:00am in 100 Longworth. Read more about the hearing here. Finally, the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Committee holds a hearing on biofuel usage in the aviation industry. 10:00am in 2138 Rayburn; representatives NASA as well as from major airlines and the rest of the aviation industry will testify.