Hearing
to review the Department of Commerce budget request.
Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
Witness:
Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary, Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget proposes $12.3
billion in
discretionary funding and $4 billion in mandatory funding. $6.8 billion
is for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The budget
also includes $97 million for NIST’s
activities on Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability.
Senate Appropriations Committee
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
The budget proposal includes a $49 million request for the Lower
Colorado River Operations Program, including $16.8 million to build on
the work of Reclamation, Colorado River basin partners and
stakeholders to implement drought contingency plans. It also includes
$2.7 million for the Upper Colorado River Operations Program to
support Drought Response Operations and $200.3 million to find
long-term, comprehensive water supply solutions for farmers, families,
and communities in California. The budget includes $62.9 million for
the WaterSMART Program to support Reclamation’s collaboration with
non-federal partners in efforts to address emerging water demands and
water shortage issues in the West.
A request of $57.8 million advances the construction and continues the
operations and maintenance of authorized rural water projects. The
budget request also provides $35.5 million for the Native American
Affairs Program, which provides technical support and assistance to
tribal governments to develop and manage their water resources. 
The budget includes $210.2 million for the Dam Safety Program to
effectively manage risks to the downstream public, of which $182.6
million is for modification actions. Another focus area for
infrastructure is $105.3 million requested for extraordinary
maintenance activities across Reclamation.
These funding amounts are included in the $1.3 billion budget request
for Reclamation’s principal operating account (Water and Related
Resources), which funds planning, construction, water conservation,
efforts to address fish and wildlife habitat needs, and operation,
maintenance and rehabilitation activities at Reclamation facilities.
Additionally, funding of $33 million is requested to implement the
California Bay-Delta Program and address California’s current water
supply and ecological challenges, while $48.5 million is for the
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund to protect, restore, and
enhance fish, wildlife, and associated habitats in California’s
Central Valley and Trinity River Basins.
The request also provides $66.8 million for Policy and Administration
to develop, evaluate, and directly implement Reclamation-wide policy,
rules and regulation as well as other administrative functions.
For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program, the Budget
would provide over $7.4 billion in gross discretionary funding that
would be distributed among the appropriations accounts as follows:
Investigations $129,832,000
Construction $2,014,577,000
Operation and Maintenance $2,629,913,000
Regulatory Program $221,000,000
Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) $226,478,000
Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program $200,000,000
Expenses $212,000,000
Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies $40,000,000
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) $7,200,000
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works $6,000,000
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund $1,726,000,000
TOTAL $ 7,413,000,000
Increase Resilience to Climate Change. The Budget invests in
improving the Nation’s water infrastructure, while incorporating
climate resilience efforts into the Corps’ commercial navigation,
flood and storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration
work. The Budget invests in 45 projects and programs that would
decrease climate risks facing communities and increase ecosystem
resilience to climate change based on the best available science. The
Flood and Coastal Storm Damage Reduction program is funded at more
than $1.9 billion in the FY 2024 Budget. The
Mississippi River and Tributaries program will fund ongoing work in
the lower Mississippi River alluvial valley and its tributaries, with
emphasis on the 1,600 miles of levees and related features on the main
stem of the lower Mississippi River and in the Atchafalaya Basin. The
Budget includes funding to continue studies intended to investigate
climate resilience along the Great Lakes coast as well as in Central
and Southern Florida. The Budget includes $35.5 million for technical
and planning assistance programs that will help local communities,
including disadvantaged communities, identify and address their flood
risks associated with climate change. The Budget provides $64 million
for operation and maintenance activities that are focused on improving
climate resilience and/or sustainability at existing Corps-owned
projects, $51 million to mitigate for adverse impacts from existing
Corps-owned projects, and $26 million to install the necessary
refueling infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles at existing
Corps-owned projects.
Improve the Nation’s Infrastructure. The Budget invests in
operating and maintaining the Corps existing infrastructure and
improving its reliability. It also includes $665 million for
construction of a dam safety project at Prado Dam and $235 million to
help complete specifically authorized projects that have experienced
cost increases since construction began. The Budget also supports more
efficient investment in infrastructure by proposing to transfer
ownership from the Corps to parties that are better suited to maintain
it, where appropriate. For example, the Budget includes $350 million
for replacement of the Cape Cod Canal Bridges and a legislative
proposal that would allow the Corps to transfer funds to the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts to design and construct the Cape Cod
Canal replacement bridges. The proposal would transfer ownership of
these bridges to the Commonwealth, which would be responsible for
their future operation and maintenance. Additionally, the Budget
includes $235 million for a “Project Cost Increase Reserve” to help
complete the Sault Ste. Marie (Replacement Lock), MI project as
reauthorized by Section 8401 (6) of the Water Resources Development
Act of 2022, which is Division H of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Public Law 117-81.
Facilitate Safe, Reliable and Sustainable Commercial Navigation to
Improve the Resilience of our Nation’s Manufacturing Supply Chain to
support American Jobs and the Economy. The Budget invests in five
projects that facilitate safe, reliable, and environmentally
sustainable navigation at the Nation’s coastal ports and on the inland
waterways. The Budget includes $1.726 billion in spending from the
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) to support commerce through U.S.
coastal ports and over $1 billion to maintain and improve navigation
on the inland waterways. These significant investments will facilitate
safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable commercial navigation
at our Nation’s coastal ports and inland waterways. Within the
HMTF total, the Budget includes $272 million
for operation and maintenance of Great Lakes projects, $58 million for
projects that support access by Native American tribes to their
legally recognized historic fishing areas, $15 million for a
construction project that will accommodate disposal of material
dredged from coastal navigation projects, and $21.152 million for
mitigating for adverse impacts from navigation projects.
Support the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative through
Investments in Projects that Benefit Disadvantaged Communities by
Increasing their Resilience to Climate Change. The Budget invests in
23 studies, and in the construction of 33 projects to help
disadvantaged and tribal communities address their water resources
challenges in line with the President’s Justice40 Initiative—including
funding for the Tribal Partnership Program. In the
FY 2024 Budget, the Corps continued its
commitment to the overall Federal effort to ensure that 40 percent of
the benefits of Federal climate and clean energy investments will
directly benefit disadvantaged communities that have been historically
marginalized and overburdened and Tribal nations. Through the
FY 2024 Budget, the Corps is securing
environmental justice and spurring economic opportunity for
disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and
overburdened by pollution and are experiencing underinvestment in
essential services. The Corps contributes to this Justice40 Initiative
through its studies and projects, and through specific programs, such
as the Continuing Authorities Program, Planning Assistance to States,
Floodplain Management Services, and the Tribal Partnership Program.
The Corps is committed to achieving the broader goals of the
Administration regarding equity and environmental justice and will
continue to: 1) improve outreach and access to Civil Works information
and resources; 2) improve access to Civil Works technical and planning
assistance programs (e.g., the Flood Plain Management Services and
Planning Assistance to States programs) and maximize the reach of
Civil Works projects to benefit the disadvantaged communities, in
particular as it relates to climate resiliency; and 3) ensure that any
updates to Civil Works policies and guidance will not result in a
disproportionate negative impact on disadvantaged communities
Restore Aquatic Habitat where the Aquatic Ecosystem Structure,
Function and Processes Have Degraded. The FY
2024 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration program is funded at $653
million in the Budget. The Corps will continue to work with other
federal, state and local agencies, using the best available science
and adaptive management to restore degraded ecosystem structure,
function, and/or process to a more natural condition. The Budget
invests in the restoration of some of the Nation’s most unique aquatic
ecosystems, such as the Chesapeake Bay, the Upper Mississippi River,
the Great Lakes, the Louisiana Coast, and the Everglades. For example,
the Budget includes $415 million for the South Florida Ecosystem
Restoration (SFER) (Everglades) program ― which is an $8 million
increase compared to the 2023 Budget level and $66.77 million for
Columbia River Fish Mitigation.
Invest in Research and Development to Solve the Nation’s Toughest
Water Resources Challenges. The Budget provides $86 million ─ the
largest request in Corps’ history ─ for research and development.
The challenges of today and tomorrow are not like yesterday’s. From
droughts and wildfires across the western states, to the increasingly
frequent disasters faced by communities across the country, many of
the 21st century’s water resources challenges are complex and
interconnected. Our nation needs integrated engineering solutions
based on the best available science and technology to solve our
toughest water resources challenges today and in the future.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on
Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight
hearing
titled “Examining the President’s FY 2024
Budget Request for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of
Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the U.S. Geological Survey.”
Liz Klein, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Paul Huang, Deputy Director, Bureau of Safety and Environment
Dr. David Applegate, Director, U.S. Geological Survey
The 2024
budget
for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement includes $217.1
million for conventional energy programs to support
OCS permit application reviews, regulation and
standard development for offshore activities, verification and
enforcement of operator compliance with all applicable environmental
laws and regulations, technical reviews of planned operations and
emerging technologies to properly identify and mitigate risks, a robust
inspection program employing an annual inspection strategy that includes
risk-based inspections, and incident investigations.
BSEE’s budget also includes $30.0 million to
fund the decommissioning of orphaned offshore oil and gas
infrastructure. The 2024 BSEE budget includes
$1.5 million to prepare for regulating and overseeing safe and effective
offshore carbon sequestration activities.
The budget for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provides $72.3
million for conventional energy programs to support
OCS planning, leasing, and oversight. The 2024
BOEM budget also includes $6.6 million in
Conventional Energy and $2.3 million in Environmental Programs to
establish a dedicated team, train existing staff, hire additional
specialized experts, and fund environmental studies, scientific
research, data collection, and other activities critical to the
establishment and implementation of the new program.
The FY2024 budget request for the U.S.
Geological Survey is $1.8
billion,
including $395 million for ecosystems, $369 million for core science
services, $313 million for water resources, $226 million for natural
hazards, $151 million for energy and mineral resources, and $134 million
for science support. Top priorities include wildfire and drought tools
and an investment in the future of the Landsat program.
Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) will hold a
hearing
in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building entitled, “Exposing the
Environmental, Human Rights, and National Security Risks of the Biden
Administration’s Rush to Green Policies.”
H.R.
1690,
To authorize Secretary of State to negotiate regional immigration
agreements, and for other purposes.
H.R.
589,
To impose sanctions on the Supreme Leader of Iran and the President of
Iran and their respective offices for human rights abuses and support
for terrorism.
H.Res.
300,
Requesting the President and directing the Secretary of Defense to
transmit, respectively, to the House of Representatives copies of all
documents indicating any plans for current or future military
assistance to Ukraine and documents indicating whether any United
States Armed Forces, including special operations forces, are
currently deployed in Ukraine; and
H.R.
2789,
To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy on efforts to
strengthen subnational cooperation between the United States and
Mexico, and for other purposes.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Federal Lands will hold an oversight
hearing
titled “Examining the President’s FY 2024
Budget Request for the U.S. Forest Service.”
Chief Randy Moore, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
US Forest Service Congressional Budget
Justification:
$9.7 billion. The 2024 Budget dedicates $323 million toward management
for “hazardous fuels reduction”, an increase of $116 million from the
2023 enacted level. The 2024 Budget request for workforce salaries and
expenses is $1.42 billion, a $509 million increase above the 2023
enacted level to fund the costs of pay reforms for Federal wildland
firefighters and increase Federal firefighting capacity.
There will be a
hearing
of the Senate Committee on the Budget on Wednesday, April 26, 2023,
10:15 AM in Room SD-608 to consider: “Under the Weather: Diagnosing the
Health Costs of Climate Change.”
Witnesses:
Stephanie Smith, Esq., Member Of The House Of Delegates, District 45,
Baltimore City, Maryland
Dr. Katelyn Moretti, Assistant Professor Of Emergency Medicine, Brown
Emergency Medicine
Dr. Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished Service
Professor In Economics & Director, Becker Friedman Institute & the
Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago
Dr. Carl J. Schramm, University Professor, School of Information
Studies, Syracuse University
Michael Shellenberger, Founder & President, Environmental Progress
(GOP witness)