Hill Heat

Hearing page

Hearing page

Nominees:

• Shannon Estenoz, Interior Assistant Secretary of Fish and Wildlife and Parks
• Radhika Fox, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water
• Michal Freedhoff, EPA Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention

Hearing page

Witnesses;

• Toks Omishakin, Director, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
• Veronica Davis, Director, Transportation and Drainage Operations, City of Houston
• Bill Panos, Director, North Dakota Department of Transportation
• Steven Polzin Ph.D., Senior Consultant, former Senior Advisor for Research and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, USDOT

Witness:

• Jennifer Granholm, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy

Hearing page

• John Porcari, Managing Partner, 3P Enterprises, former deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Rachel Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
• Phillip Washington, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles County, California
• Danielle Eckert, International Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO
• Carbett Duhon, Director, Texans Against High Speed Rail; Director, Gulf Coast Rail District
• Andy Kunz, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. High Speed Rail Association

Panel II

• Carlos Augilar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Central High Speed Rail
• William Flynn, Chief Executive Officer, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
• Josh Giegel, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Virgin Hyperloop
• Andrés De León, Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies
• Michael Reininger, Chief Executive Officer, Brightline Trains
• Wayne Rogers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Northeast Maglev

Scheduled speakers:

• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
• Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
• Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.)
• Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.)
• Rep. David G. Valadao (D-Calif.)
• Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.)
• Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)

The domestic electric vehicles (EV) market, including hybrid and battery electric models, is projected to reach nearly seven million unit sales by 2025, up from 1.4 million in 2020.

Hearing memorandum

Legislation

• H.R. 1512, the “Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s Future Act” or the “CLEAN Future Act”
• H.R. 2852, the “NO EXHAUST Act”
• H.R. 1221, the “Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2021”
• H.R. 2308, the “Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Future Act of 2021” or the “ATVM Future Act”

Witnesses

• Dr. Amol Phadke, Staff Scientist and Deputy Department Head, International Energy Analysis Department, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Joe Britton, Executive Director, Zero Emissions Transportation Association
• Josh Nassar, Legislative Director, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
• David Jankowsky, Founder and President, Francis Energy

Republican (fossil-fuel industry) witnesses

• Michelle Michot Foss, Ph.D., Fellow in Energy & Minerals, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Center for Energy Studies, Rice University
• AJ Siccardi, President, Metroplex Energy, on behalf the National Association Of Convenience Stores, the National Association Of Truckstop Operators, and the Society Of Independent Gasoline Marketers Of America

On February 19, 2020, the Subcommittee launched an investigation into the use of eminent domain in the construction of natural gas pipelines. On April 28, 2020, the Subcommittee released preliminary findings of the investigation revealing that the natural gas pipeline approval process used by FERC is unfair to private landowners.

On November 20, 2020, the Subcommittee expanded its investigation by requesting information about procedures that FERC uses to resolve conflicts between landowners and energy companies. On December 10, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing at which FERC admitted that it does not use existing authority to protect landowners.

This hearing will focus on Midship/Cheniere’s actions to demonstrate how FERC routinely allows pipeline companies to put pipelines into service before the companies meet their obligations to repair damage they caused to individuals’ land. Over the past year, Midship/Cheniere has missed several deadlines to repair private farmers’ land, threatening their livelihoods, while facing minimal consequences from federal regulators.

Opening statement from Chair Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)

In our Subcommittee’s hearing in December, we pressed FERC to stay its certificates such that a company could not assert eminent domain over a landowner’s objections while the landowners’ appeals were still pending. We learned just last night that FERC has issued a new Order, that does exactly that. I thank Chairman Glick for his work to move landowner rights forward. This common sense and eminently fair practice was long overdue, and I am thrilled that Chairman Glick and FERC have made this change a priority.

Witnesses

• Christopher A. Smith, Senior Vice President, Public, Government and Public Affairs, Cheniere Energy
• Rob Squires, Landowner Advocate, Squires Consulting, LLC
• Terry Luber, Oklahoma Farmer
• Samuel B. Gedge, Attorney, Institute for Justice

On Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT), the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife will hold a virtual, fully remote legislative hearing on the following bill:

H.R. 160 (Rep. Darren Soto, D-FL) To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 and to establish the United States Coral Reef Task Force, and for other purposes. Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021.

Witness List

• Jennifer Koss, Director, Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Dr. Andrew C. Baker, Professor, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
• Fran A. Castro, Associate Director, University of Guam Sea Grant
• Dr. Robert H. Richmond, Research Professor and Director Kewalo Marine Laboratory University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Kelley L. Anderson Tagarino, Extension Faculty – Aquaculture & Marine Science University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program American, Samoa Community College

America’s housing infrastructure is vulnerable to the growing costs of climate and weather disasters, which may accelerate the need for maintenance and repair, or render units of housing infrastructure uninhabitable.

Prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, housing policies, such as redlining and zoning, were used to overtly segregate low-income people and people of color into less desirable areas that were susceptible to flooding, located in close proximity to industrial districts, lacked adequate infrastructure, and were systemically disinvested in. Due to historic and ongoing socioeconomic segregation, the current effects of climate change and weather events are concentrated among low-income communities and communities of color.

Hearing memorandum

Legislation:

• Reforming Disaster Recovery Act
• National Flood Program Reauthorization Act of 2021
• Green Neighborhoods Act

Witnesses:

• Rodney Ellis, Commissioner, Harris County, Texas
• Ariadna M. Godreau-Aubert, Executive Director, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico
• Andrew N. Mais, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Insurance, on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
• Shelley Poticha, Chief Climate Strategist, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Stephen Ellis, President, Taxpayers for Common Sense