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On Wednesday, July 28, at 10:00 AM ET, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing to examine the benefits of investing in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water infrastructure projects.

Business meeting to consider:

LEGISLATION:

• S. 2297, International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act
• S. 812, A bill to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for other purposes
• S.Res._, Expressing solidarity with Cuban citizens demonstrating peacefully for fundamental freedoms, condemning the Cuban regime’s acts of repression, and calling for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens

NOMINATIONS:

• Gentry O. Smith, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Diplomatic Security)
• Ms. Monica P. Medina, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs)
• Rena Bitter, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Consular Affairs)
• Mr. Marc Evans Knapper, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
• Brian Nichols, of Rhode Island, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs)

FSO LISTS:

• Jeanne Frances Bailey, et al., dated April 13, 2021 (PN 359)
• Russell Anthony Duncan, et al., dated April 27 2021 (PN 477)
• Marc Clayton Gilkey, dated April 27, 2021 (PN 478)
• Gabriel J. Allison, et al., dated June 22, 2021 (PN 724)
• Danielle R. Andrews, et al., dated June 22, 2021 (PN 727)

Followed by nomination hearing for:

• Kenneth Lee Salazar, of Colorado, to be Ambassador to the United Mexican States
• Jessica Lewis, of Ohio, to be an Assistant Secretary (Political-Military Affairs)
• Donald Lu, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, all of the Department of State, * Marcela Escobari, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development

The Committee on Rules will meet on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:00 PM EDT in H-313, The Capitol on the following measures:

• H.R. 4346—Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2022 (Amendment list)
• H.R. 4373—Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2022 (Amendment list)
• H.R. 4505—Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 (Amendment list)

On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, will hold a hybrid hearing to examine the security of the U.S. electric grid in light of the recent uptick in cyber incidents targeting government and critical infrastructure systems.

The U.S. electric grid is a priority target for state and non-state cyber adversaries, and a successful attack could have devastating consequences for U.S. national security and economic interests. Although President Biden has taken decisive action to strengthen our national cyber defenses and protect U.S. critical infrastructure—including the electric grid—there are still vulnerabilities that must be addressed.

The hearing will also consider whether additional regulations and policy initiatives are needed to mitigate growing cybersecurity threats to distribution systems, utility vendors, and global supply chains that support the U.S. electric grid.

Witnesses

• Eric Goldstein, Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, on behalf of Department of Homeland Security
• Puesh M. Kumar, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, on behalf of Department of Energy
• Joseph H. McClelland, Director, Office of Energy Infrastructure Security, on behalf of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Hearing page

Briefing memo

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency within the Department of Energy, led by five commissioners. It regulates the interstate transmission and sale of electricity and natural gas, as well as the rates for transportation of oil by pipeline. FERC also oversees the permitting of interstate natural gas pipelines and related facilities, reviews proposals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, and licenses hydroelectric projects. It is also responsible for the safety and inspection of dams associated with FERC-licensed projects. In addition to its licensing and ratemaking authorities, FERC oversees the wholesale electricity markets, protects the reliability of the electric grid, and reviews mergers, acquisitions, and corporate transactions by electricity companies, among other things. President Biden named Commissioner Richard Glick as FERC Chairman on January 21, 2021.

Witnesses

• Richard Glick, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Neil Chatterjee, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• James Danly, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Allison Clements, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Mark C. Christie, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Hearing page

Opening Remarks

• Sen. Joe Manchin, Chairman
• Sen. John Barrasso, Ranking Member

Witness

• Debra Haaland, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior

The clean energy economy has seen robust growth in recent decades and now presents the opportunity for widespread wealth creation that benefits American small businesses, their workers, and consumers. It has the potential to create millions of good-paying jobs spread across tens of thousands of businesses while simultaneously lowering energy prices for consumers.

This hearing will focus on workforce development initiatives in the clean energy economy, discuss Congressional proposals regarding clean energy, and explore the potential for the growth this industry could unleash.

Hearing memo

Witnesses

• Leticia Colon De Mejias, Chief Executive Officer of Energy Efficiencies Solutions and Co-chair for the Building Performance Association, Energy Efficiencies Solutions
• James Hasselbeck , Director of Operations , ReVision Energy, Inc., South Portland, ME
• Samuel Gilchrist, Western Campaigns Director, Natural Resources Defense Council, Denver, CO

Republican witness

• Tom Greer, Proprietor and Owner, Hub City Brewing Co., Belen, NM, Testifying on behalf of the Consumer Energy Alliance

Business meeting to consider H.R. 267, the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act.

The text of the act:

Amounts appropriated by section 791(d) of division B of Public Law 116–94 shall also be made available for necessary expenses related to losses of crops (including smoke-tainted wine grapes) as a consequence of wildfires occurring in calendar year 2020 in the same manner as other crop losses under the heading “Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Programs—Processing, Research and Marketing—Office of the Secretary” in title I of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (Public Law 116–20).