A
hearing
focused on a multinational meat producer turning a blind eye as parts of
its supply chain burn down the Amazon, push the world toward climate
catastrophe, and undercut American ranchers who play by the rules on
international trade.
The Committee recommendation for fiscal year 2024 Department of Defense
discretionary funding is $826,448,000,000, which exceeds the President’s
budget request by $285,867,000.
“While the Committee appreciates the budget request’s increase in
funding for the Department, it is concerning that the Administration has
poorly prioritized funds within the request to include proposals for
climate change initiatives.”
“The Committee recommendation includes a reduction of $714,840,000 for
unjustified requests that seek to mitigate climate risk but do not
improve combat capability or capacity. The Committee is dismayed that
the budget request mischaracterizes requirements such as routine
infrastructure and utilities upgrades, long-standing statutory
compliance activities, combatant commander theater-setting efforts, and
multilateral cold weather exercises as mitigating climate risk. This is
a disingenuous practice that serves the Administration’s prerogative at
the expense of clarity in the Department’s request and the Committee’s
ability to perform oversight.”
The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations
bill for fiscal year 2024 totals $52,378,000,000, $1,622,000,000 below
fiscal year 2023 and $7,542,590,000 below the budget request.
“The recommendation rejects the requested increase to assess the
potential impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems.”
Army Corps of Engineers Climate Officers: “The recommendation provides
funding equal to the enacted level. Additionally, the recommendation
rejects the request to fund a person in each division office with the
responsibility of identifying ways to advance resilience to climate
change across the nation. No funding is provided for this effort, and
the Committee expects the Corps to utilize this funding to prioritize
program delivery.”
“The Committee notes the importance of the deployment of advanced
reactors to the nation’s ability to regain its leadership in nuclear
energy and the contribution of nuclear energy to meeting climate goals.”
Department of Energy Office of Science: “The Department is encouraged to
increase its support of activities for academia to perform independent
evaluations of climate models using existing data sets and peer-reviewed
publications of climate-scale processes in order to determine various
models’ ability to reproduce the actual climate.”
“The recommendation provides not less than $39,000,000 to improve the
understanding of key cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and radiation
processes. The Department is encouraged to coordinate with the
Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, as relevant, to
support analysis of near-term climate risks and impacts on
infrastructure and communities. Within available funds, $3,000,000 is
for a pilot program to provide instrumentation for observing marine
aerosols, greenhouse gases, and other environmental factors, as
relevant, deployed on commercial or other nondedicated ocean vessels and
to evaluate a sustained observing network using such platforms. The
Committee supports the Department’s efforts to develop a five-year plan
for research to support a scientific assessment of near-term climate
risk and solar and other climate interventions.”
Subcommittee
hearing
to examine the Fiscal Year 2024 State and Foreign Operations Budget
Request for Africa.
Witnesses:
Molly
Phee,
Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S.
Department of State
Monde
Muyangwa,
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for
International Development
The planned $55 billion investment in Africa announced by President
Biden at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit builds on existing programs with
a proven track record and provides funding for promising new
initiatives.
Turning to Power Africa, which marks its 10-year anniversary this year,
the initiative has closed 145 transactions and facilitated access to
electricity for more than 172 million people in subSaharan Africa. The
$100 million request will accelerate efforts to increase electricity
generation capacity in sub-Saharan Africa in support of the Electrify
Africa Act. Power Africa will expand work with partners to develop and
finance cleaner and renewable energy projects, connect critical
transmission lines, improve the efficiency and bankability of energy
systems, and promote enabling environment reforms to attract and sustain
long-term private sector investment across clean energy markets.
A subcommittee
hearing
to discuss the impact of federal programs and policies on the domestic
energy sector supply chain titled “Microvast and More: Oversight of
President Biden’s Energy Spending Spree.”
David
Howell,
Principal Deputy Director, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply
Chains, Department of Energy
MESC will implement several provisions of the
IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA),
managing the programs authorized and administering the related funding.
MESC executes the following
IIJA programs: the Advanced Energy
Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program; the Battery and Critical
Mineral Recycling Programs (Retailers as Collection Points, and State
and Local Programs); Battery Manufacturing and Recycling Grants; Battery
Material Processing Grants; Energy Efficient Transformer Rebates;
Extended Product System Rebates; Implementation Grants for Industrial
Research and Assessment Centers; Industrial Assessment Centers; and
State Manufacturing Leadership. MESC also
manages the Domestic Manufacturing Conversation Grants and Defense
Production Act activities funded by the IRA.
On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a
mark-up
on the following bills:
H.R. 615 (Rep. Wittman), “Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers
Act of 2023” (Amendments to H.R. 615 must be drafted to the amendment
in the nature of a substitute, attached to this notice);
H.R. 1380 (Rep. Curtis), “Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act”;
H.R. 1726 (Rep. Tokuda), “Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of
2023”;
H.R. 2872 (Rep. Graves of Louisiana), To amend the Permanent
Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 to allow States to issue electronic
stamps under such Act, and for other purposes;
H.R. 3324 (Rep. Huffman), To extend the authority to collect
Shasta-Trinity Marina fees through fiscal year 2029; and
H.R. 3397 (Rep. Curtis), To require the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management to withdraw a rule of the Bureau of Land Management
relating to conservation and landscape health. (Amendments to H.R.
3397 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute,
attached to this notice)
REPORT
The Committee on Natural Resources met in open session on Wednesday,
June 21, 2023, to consider the following measures. Per Committee Rule
9(f) and House Rule XI, clause 2(e), amendments adopted will be posted
within 24 hours, and roll call votes and all other amendments offered
will be posted no later than 48 hours after the vote is taken. These
documents can be found at docs.house.gov, found here.
H.R. 615 (Rep.
Wittman),
To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on
certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
“Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2023.”
The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries was discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 615.
Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment to Wittman
ANS_061, which was designated Grijalva #1
revised.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 16 to 20.
Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) offered an amendment to Wittman
ANS_061, which was designated Dingell
#2.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 16 to 20.
Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA) offered an amendment in the nature
of a
substitute
to H.R. 615 designated Wittman ANS_061. The
amendment was adopted by a voice vote.
H.R. 615, as amended, was ordered reported favorably by a roll call
vote of 21 to 15.
H.R. 1380 (Rep.
Curtis),
To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior to issue guidance on climbing management in designated
wilderness areas, and for other purposes. “Protecting America’s Rock
Climbing Act.”
The Subcommittee on Federal Lands was discharged from further
consideration of H.R. 1380.
Representative John Curtis (R-UT) offered an amendment in the nature
of a substitute to H.R. 1380 designated Curtis
ANS_046.
The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
H.R. 1380, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
H.R. 1726 (Rep.
Tokuda),
To require the Secretary of the Interior to partner and collaborate with
the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of Hawaii to address Rapid
Ohia Death, and for other purposes. “Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response
Act of 2023.”
The Subcommittee on Federal Lands was discharged from further
consideration of H.R. 1726.
Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO) offered an amendment in the nature of
a substitute to H.R. 1726 which was designated Neguse
ANS.
The amendment was adopted by unanimous consent.
H.R. 1726, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
H.R. 2872 (Rep. Graves of
Louisiana),
To amend the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 to allow States
to issue electronic stamps under such Act, and for other purposes.
The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries was discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2872.
Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) offered an amendment to H.R. 2872
which was designated Graves of Louisiana_031. The amendment was agreed
to by unanimous consent.
H.R. 2872, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
H.R. 3324 (Rep.
Huffman),
To extend the authority to collect Shasta-Trinity Marina fees through
fiscal year 2029.
H.R. 3324 was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
H.R. 3397 (Rep.
Curtis),
To require the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a
rule of the Bureau of Land Management relating to conservation and
landscape health.
Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment to Curtis
ANS_045 which was designated Grijalva
#1.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 13 to 18.
Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) offered an amendment to
Curtis ANS_045 which was designated
Kamlager-Dove
#2.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 16 to 19.
Representative Susie Lee (D-NV) offered an amendment to Curtis
ANS_045 which was designated
Lee_027.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 16 to 20.
Representative John Curtis (R-UT) offered an amendment in the nature
of a substitute designated Curtis
ANS_045.
The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
H.R. 3397, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by roll call vote of 20 to 16.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee nominations
hearing
on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET to consider nominations
for the Amtrak Board of Directors and the National Transportation Safety
Board.
Nominees:
Joel Matthew
Szabat
to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors (PN13)
There will be a
hearing
of the Committee on the Budget on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 10:00 AM in
Room SD-608 to consider: “Dollars and Degrees: Investigating Fossil Fuel
Dark Money’s Systemic Threats to Climate and the Federal Budget.”
Subcommittee
hearing
titled “Clearing the Air: Examining the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Proposed Emissions Standards”
Witness:
Joseph
Goffman,
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation
(OAR), Environmental Protection Agency
In April, EPA announced proposed pollution
standards
for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, for model year 2027 and
beyond. The proposed standards align with commitments already made by
automakers and commercial vehicle manufacturers as they plan to
accelerate clean vehicle technologies in the on-road vehicle fleet over
the next 5 to 10 years. Consistent with EPA’s
traditional approach to establishing pollution standards under the Clean
Air Act, these proposals would deliver dramatic improvements in public
health, notable savings for consumers and commercial fleets, and
increased energy security for Americans. They would help American
workers lead in the jobs and industries of tomorrow. If finalized, these
proposals would mark a significant step towards improving air quality,
protecting people’s health, and addressing the climate crisis.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee
In the face of climate change, technological innovation, and global
strategic competition, the U.S. Coast Guard will need to respond to many
developments in the maritime domain over the next decade. The Coast
Guard likely has sufficient statutory authority to respond to most of
these developments, but some developments may call for new or clarified
statutory authority as well as coordination with international bodies.
Witnesses:
Admiral Steve
Poulin,
Vice Commandant, United States Coast Guard
Dr. Cary
Coglianese,
Ph.D., Chair, Committee for a Study on New Coast Guard Authorities,
National Academy of Sciences
Heather
MacLeod,
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, United States Government
Accountability Office
Opening remarks, as prepared, of Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster (R-FL) from today’s hearing,
entitled “Review of the National Academy of Sciences Report ‘The Coast
Guard’s Next Decade: An Assessment of Emerging Challenges and Statutory
Needs’”:
Today, our Subcommittee will receive testimony on the National Academy
of Sciences Report entitled “The Coast Guard’s Next Decade: An
Assessment of Emerging Challenges and Statutory Needs’.”
I’d like to welcome our distinguished witnesses – Admiral Steve Poulin,
Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard; Dr. Cary Coglianese, Chair of the
National Academy of Sciences panel that authored the study; and Heather
MacLeod, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government
Accountability Office (GAO).
The Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2020 directed
the Coast Guard to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of
Sciences to assess the emerging issues that will require Coast Guard
action over the next decade and provide recommendations on what
adjustments will be needed to support the Coast Guard’s efforts to
confront these issues.
The National Academy of Sciences consulted with current and former
members of the Coast Guard, industry stakeholders, and others to develop
the conclusions outlined in the report, which was delivered to the
Committee last month. Dr. Coglianese, I want to thank you and the other
authors of the study for your diligent work.
Over the next decade, several external factors, including the advent of
new technologies such as autonomous marine systems and global strategic
competition—driven largely by China’s aggressive posture in the
Pacific—will challenge the Coast Guard’s capabilities and require the
Service to adapt to a changing mission set.
While the study found that the Coast Guard’s current authorities are
sufficient to confront most of these challenges, Congress will need to
continuously monitor the statutory authorities necessary for the Service
to carry out its missions — particularly with regard to autonomous
systems and the regulation of maritime safety zones for space flights
and other emerging uses of the maritime domain.
As the Coast Guard confronts these new challenges, it must recognize
that as mission demand grows, it must be realistic about the necessary
assets, infrastructure, and workforce needed to carry out its mission.
It goes without saying that with growing manpower shortages, an
increasing shoreside infrastructure backlog, and a completely defective
procurement process, the Coast Guard has a lot of work to do in order to
meet the increasing mission demands the Service will see over the next
decade.
To all our witnesses—thank you for participating today. I look forward
to a candid discussion on how the Coast Guard will confront this
changing landscape.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee