Climate science, policy, politics, and action
Subcommittee hearing.
Witnesses:
The Subcommittee on Energy will hold a markup on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (ET) in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The markup will consider the following legislation:
H.R. 7258, Energy Emergency Leadership Act (Reps. Lee-FL and Landsman)
This legislation would amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to include energy emergency and energy security among the functions that the Secretary of Energy shall assign to an Assistant Secretary. The legislation provides that the functions assigned to an Assistant Secretary under this amendment would include responsibilities with respect to energy infrastructure, security and resilience, emerging threats, cybersecurity, supply and emergency planning, coordination, response, and restoration and would include the provision of technical assistance, support, and response capabilities with respect to energy security threats, risks, and incidents to State, local, and Tribal governments and the energy sector. The legislation provides Page 2 Majority Memorandum for February 4, 2026, Subcommittee on Energy Markup that the Secretary of Energy shall ensure the functions under this amendment are performed in coordination with relevant Federal agencies. Substantially similar legislation passed the House in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses. (Rep. Lee introduced this legislation on January 27, 2026.)
H.R. 7266, Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act (Reps. Miller-Meeks and McClellan)
This legislation would reauthorize the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) Grant and Technical Assistance Program, authorized in section 40124 of the IIJA,1 through October 31, 2030. The program provides technical and financial assistance to eligible entities, which include rural electric cooperatives, municipally owned utilities, and small investor-owned utilities, to protect and harden the systems against cyber threats and to increase participation in cybersecurity threat information sharing programs. The legislation also amends the underlying statute to streamline financial assistance application processes to ensure funding is allocated to small and rural entities that need it most. (Rep. Miller-Meeks introduced this legislation on January 27, 2026.)
H.R. 7257, Securing Community Upgrades for a Resilient Grid (SECURE Grid) Act (Reps. Latta and Matsui)
This legislation would amend requirements for State Energy Security Plans, authorized by section 366 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, to consider threats to local distribution alongside bulk-power systems, as well as supply chain and weather-related threats and vulnerabilities. This bill also requires coordination with suppliers of manufactured components and infrastructure in the electric grid to improve understanding of supply chain risks. The bill would also clarify that the Department of Energy is not required to approve State Energy Security Plans. (Rep. Latta introduced this legislation on January 27, 2026.)
H.R. 7272, Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act (Reps. Weber and Dingell)
This legislation would require the Secretary of Energy, pursuant to the Secretary’s statutory authorities, to carry out a program that improves coordination among Federal agencies, States, and the energy sector to ensure the security, resiliency, and survivability of natural gas pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. The program would establish policies and procedures that improve the coordination of analysis and information sharing; lead coordination of responses to and recovery from physical and cyber incidents impacting the energy sector; develop for voluntary use cybersecurity applications, technologies, and analytical tools; perform pilot demonstration projects with the energy sector; and establish workforce development and security curricula for such pipelines and LNG facilities.
The legislation does not provide new regulatory authority and further provides that it shall not be construed to modify the authority of any other Federal agency other than DOE with respect to natural gas pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and LNG facilities. Substantially similar legislation was reported favorably by the Committee in the 115th, 116th, and 117th Congresses. (Rep. Weber introduced this legislation on January 27, 2026.)
H.R. 7305, Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026 (Reps. Castor and Evans)
This legislation would reauthorize the DOE program authorized in section 40125(c) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which established an Energy Threat Analysis Center. The legislation would reauthorize the program through 2031. In addition, the legislation provides clarifying language for carrying out the program, relating to collaboration and intelligence sharing between the Federal government and the energy sector to strengthen collective defense, response, and resilience. (Rep. Castor introduced this legislation on February 2, 2026.)
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 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:
Witnesses:
Panel I (Members of Congress)
Panel II (Outside Experts)
Subcommittee oversight hearing.
Witnesses:
Before confirmation, Walk Walk was Judicial Officer at the United States Department of Agriculture. He served as Associate Counsel to President Donald J. Trump at the White House Counsel’s Office from January 2017 until December 2020. At the White House, Walk advised the President and senior White House officials on the exercise of the President’s constitutional authority, regulatory matters, executive actions, and implementation of public policy. Prior to the White House, Walk served as an attorney at the Department of Homeland Security, providing advice on DHS operations and defending against federal litigation as agency counsel as an ally of Stephen Miller. Before entering the legal profession, Walk was a senior government relations advisor at an international law firm and served as a congressional staffer in the House of Representatives. Walk is the son-in-law of Jeff Sessions, married to Sessions’ daughter Ruth.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 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 “Fix Our Forests: The Need for Urgent Action One Year After the L.A. Wildfires.”
Witnesses:
The John Muir Project’s Jennifer Mamola notes that “actual community-focused wildfire bills are sitting untouched,” namely H.R. 582, the Community Protection and Wildfire Resilience Act, and H.R. 948, the SAFE HOME Act.
The Subcommittee on Energy has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. (ET) in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans.” The hearing will examine the work of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) “to ensure affordable, reliable electricity and natural gas service throughout the country, as well as its adherence to its core mission of ensuring just and reasonable rates for energy services.”
Witnesses:
The Committee on Rules will also meet Monday, February 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET in H-313, The Capitol on the following emergency measure:
The Committee on Rules will meet Monday, February 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET in H-313, The Capitol on the following measures:
Subcommittee hearing titled “One year after disaster: Experts weigh in on the Palisades fire.”
Witnesses:
Full committee hearing.
Witness: