This forum will focus on the DNC’s Western Regional States: Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Democrats Abroad.
The following reporters will moderate the Western Regional DNC Officer Forum:
Reecie Colbert of SiriusXM’s The Reecie Colbert Show will moderate the forum for Chair candidates.
Todd Gillman of Cronkite News will moderate the forum for Vice Chair candidates.
Gabrielle Birenbaum of the Nevada Independent will moderate the forum for Vice Chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Participation candidates.
Carolina Cuellar of AZ Luminaria will moderate the forums for Treasurer, Secretary, and National Finance Chair candidates.
Schedule:
*All Times are Approximate and Subject to Change
2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT Welcome
2:03 p.m. ET/11:03 a.m. PT Pledge of Allegiance
2:05 p.m. ET/ 11:05 a.m. PT National Finance Chair Forum
2:50 p.m. ET/ 11:50 a.m. PT Treasurer Forum
3:35 p.m. ET/12:35 p.m. PT Secretary Forum
4:10 p.m. ET/1:10 p.m. PT Vice Chair (1 of 2) Forum
5:20 p.m. ET/2:10 p.m. PT Vice Chair (2 of 2) Forum
6:35 p.m. ET/3:35 p.m. PT Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation Forum
Brooke Rollins, of Texas, to be Secretary of Agriculture
The former CEO and president of the extremist Texas Public Policy Foundation, Rollins is a climate denier. She claimed, at a climate-denial conference held by Heartland Institute in 2018, that “We know the research of CO2 being a pollutant is just not valid.”
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:
H.R. 231 (Rep. Hageman), “Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act of 2025”;
H.R. 261 (Rep. Carter of GA), “Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025”;
H.R. 331 (Rep. Fulcher), To amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes;
H.R. ___ (Rep. Stansbury), “WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act.”
The purpose of the business meeting is to consider the matters on the attached agenda and short list. These are the listed nominations and an amendment to Rule 6(b) of the Committee’s Rules. The change in Rule 6(b) is necessary for the Committee’s Rules to remain in compliance with the Rules of the Senate with respect to the quorum necessary to report legislation and nominations.
Agenda:
Amendment of Rule 6(b) of the Committee Rules to establish reporting quorum (the committee now has 20 members instead of 19, so a majority is 11, not 10).
Nomination of the Honorable Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior
Nomination of Mr. Christopher A. Wright to be Secretary of Energy
An Original Resolution to provide for the funding of the Committee for the 119th Congress
Doug Burgum, whose nomination hearing was January 16th, was reported favorably by the committee by a vote of 18-2.
Sens. Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) were the only no votes; Democrats Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) voted with the 11 Republicans in favor.
Chris Wright, whose nomination hearing was January 15th, was reported favorably by the committee by a vote of 15-5. (The clerk incorrectly verbally reported the vote as 15-6.)
Sens. Wyden, Hirono, Cantwell, Cortez-Masto, and Padilla voted no. Democrats Heinrich, Kaine, Hickenlooper, and Gallego voted with the 11 Republicans in favor.
Please join the Texas Democratic Party and Way to Lead in Austin, Texas for a conversation moderated by Olivia Messer, editor in chief of The Barbed Wire, with top DNC Chair contenders, Ben Wikler, Ken Martin, and Martin O’Malley, on the future of our nation, the charge before the Democratic Party to win back the soul of America, and the critical role of Texas, whose 42 electoral votes make it the Game Over State.
Doors for the moderated forum will open at 5:00 PM and run from 5:30–6:30 PM.
The Committee has amended the rule relating to subpoena authority to include a provision providing for notice to the Minority for any subpoena issued pursuant to Committee Rule 4(d)(1).
Republican staff:
Vivian Moeglein, staff director
Chris Marklund, deputy staff director
Sophia Varnasidis, director of legislative operations
Tom Connally, chief counsel
William David, deputy chief counsel
Madeline Kelley, director of member services
Ilene Clauson, director of operations
Rebekah Hoshiko, communications director
Rob MacGregor, staff director, Energy and Mineral Resources
Aniela Butler, staff director, National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands
Ken Degenfelder, staff director, Indigenous Peoples of the United States
Annick Miller, staff director, Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
Climate change is already provoking mass migration, and as environmental conditions worsen, that trend will accelerate. In the coming decades, the United States will be increasingly affected by sea level rise, hurricanes, extreme heat, wildfires and freshwater shortages, among other hazards. Millions of Americans will respond by moving. How to prepare for and respond to the challenges of climate change will be a primary governance question for the years to come.
On January 22, join Governance Studies at Brookings for a conversation on domestic climate migration in the United States. Experts will explore questions including: How are U.S. communities vulnerable to climate change? What steps are being taken at a federal, state and local level to prepare localities to adapt to climate risks and to welcome new residents displaced by climate disasters? Can preparations for the upheaval of climate change be structured to help address longstanding inequities of wealth, health and opportunity?
Viewers can submit questions for speakers by emailing [email protected] or via Twitter at @BrookingsGov by using #USClimateMigration.
On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., the Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, entitled, “A Decade Later: Assessing the Legacy and Impact of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.”
Chris Jahn, President & Chief Executive Officer, American Chemistry Council
Geoff Moody, Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Policy, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers
Dr. Richard Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group
Dr. Maria Doa, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy, Environmental Defense Fund
After years of discussion in Congress around reform, President Obama signed the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law June 22, 2016. The legislation marked the first major overhaul of TSCA since its passage, and it enjoyed bipartisan support. It included many significant changes to the EPA’s regulation of new and existing chemicals and collection of information:
Directed EPA to use a “best available science” standard when evaluating chemicals and specified how EPA could use scientific and technical information.
Prevented new chemicals from going to market unless the EPA issues a safety finding.
Required EPA to systematically review existing chemicals and established a framework for prioritizing chemicals for evaluation.
Modified the treatment of confidential business information submitted to EPA.
Prohibited EPA from considering cost factors when evaluating risk.
Expands EPA authority to require testing to inform risk evaluations.
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics within EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention manages EPA’s TSCA responsibilities. Despite these reforms, the EPA has reported difficulty implementing the Lautenberg Act and has struggled to meet statutorily mandated timeframes for both new chemical reviews and risk evaluations for existing chemicals. Manufacturers and processors have also expressed frustration with EPA’s approach to risk evaluations, new requirements governing data manufacturers must submit to EPA, and increased user fees, among other issues.
