Weakening the Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Subcommittee hearing entitled “Short-Circuiting Progress: How the Clean Air Act Impacts Building Necessary Infrastructure and Onshoring American Innovation.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

  • Dr. James W. Boylan, Chief of the Air Protection Branch at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division
  • Chad S. Whiteman, Vice President, Environment and Regulatory Affairs, Global Energy Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Paul Noe, Vice President, Public Policy, American Forest and Paper Association
  • John Walke, Director, Federal Clean Air & Senior Attorney, Environmental Health, Natural Resources Defense Council

ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION

  • The process and timelines for reviewing and revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
  • The timeliness of EPA’s review of State Implementation Plans (SIPS) and the use of Federal Implementation Plans (FIPS).
  • The impact that forest fires and exceptional events can have on attaining NAAQS.
  • How non-attainment designations can impact infrastructure development and economic growth.
  • Air quality trends in recent decades.

The Subcommittee will discuss two legislative discussion drafts to reform the NAAQS program.

A. H.R. ____, CLEAN AIR AND ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT REFORM ACT (CLEAR ACT)

  • This legislation would make several changes to the process for establishing and implementing NAAQS, including extending the current NAAQS review cycle from five years to ten years, allowing consideration of attainability, providing states the opportunity to address concerns in a SIP submission before a FIP is issued, and eliminating certain demonstration requirements in a SIP to promote increased technological innovations in control technologies.
  • The legislation would also amend the CAA to modify how certain events including fires, drought, and heat, are considered as part of the NAAQS process. The legislation would also add a new section 179C that provides, with respect to any non-attainment area classified as severe or extreme for ozone or as serious for particulate matter, that sanctions for implementation plan deficiencies under section 179 or fees for failure to attain the air quality standard under section 185 will not apply in certain situations. Specifically, Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act would include prescribed fires and other actions to mitigate wildfire risk as eligible events for excluding air monitoring data for regulatory determinations. The inapplicability of sanctions and fees under this section does not affect any obligations under the Act to implement measures to attain national ambient air quality standards.
  • The legislation would also require the CASAC to include at least 3 people representing state air pollution control agencies and includes a new provision that requires those appointed from state air pollution control agencies to be from different regions of the country and to require the EPA Administrator to request, and the CASAC to provide, advice regarding adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects that may result from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of NAAQS.

B. H.R. ____, CLEAN AIR AND BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT

  • This legislation would require the EPA Administrator to concurrently publish regulations and guidance for implementing a revised NAAQS and prevent the new or revised standards from applying to preconstruction permit applications until the Administrator has published such final regulations and guidance. It also clarifies that nothing in the subsection eliminates the obligation of a preconstruction permit applicant to install the best available control technology and lowest achievable emission rate technology, and clarifies that nothing in the subsection limits the authority of a state, local, or Tribal permitting authority to impose more stringent emissions requirements pursuant to a state, local, or tribal law than NAAQS. • The legislation also provides that the 2024 PM2.5 standard shall not apply to the review and disposition of a preconstruction permit application if a permit application is completed on or before the date of promulgation of the final designation of an area; or a public notice of a preliminary determination on a draft permit is provided within 60 days after the date of final designation of an area.
  • It also provides that the section shall not be construed to eliminate the obligation of a preconstruction permit applicant to install best available control technology and lowest achievable emission rate technology, as applicable, or limit the authority of a state, local, or tribal permitting authority to impose more stringent emissions requirements than the NAAQS.
House Energy and Commerce Committee
   Environment Subcommittee
2322 Rayburn

06/11/2025 at 10:15AM

Full Committee Markup of FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill

Full committee markup.

Budget request:

Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Increases
Program(millions of $)Description
Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) +15 FSIS inspects meat, poultry, and egg product plants to ensure food safety nationwide. Several States have their own equivalent inspection program, and FSIS shares in the cost of these programs. Increases are needed to support increased production and demand for services.
Rental Assistance Grants +74 The Budget provides funding to renew the rental assistance grant contracts at $1.7 billion. This prevents the default of the $9 billion in USDA underwritten multifamily housing direct loans, that depend on the rental assistance grants for the debt service.
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Program(millions of $)Description
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) -602 The Budget eliminates programming in NIFA, such as activities related to climate change, renewable energy, and promoting DEI in education that were prioritized under the Biden Administration. In addition, the Budget reduces funding for formula grants. Instead, the Budget focuses on the merit-based Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. The Budget protects funding to youth and K-12 programs such as 4-H clubs, tribal colleges, and universities. This investment would help prepare future generations of farmers. It also ensures HBCUs are amply funded.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and USDA Research Statistical Agencies -159 The Budget reduces funding for research sites across the Nation and reduces funding for research projects. The Budget also makes small reductions to the Economic Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service to stop climate research added by the Biden Administration while ensuring some analysis and data collection continues.
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)—Private Lands Conservation Operations -754 The Budget eliminates discretionary funding for conservation technical assistance. While funding has helped producers deploy conservation practices on their lands, many have been forced to participate in the program in order to comply with State environmental regulations such as California’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, which regulates agricultural runoff.
NRCS Watershed Operations -16 The Budget eliminates funding to renovate locally owned dams in the NRCS Watershed Programs. These programs received an influx of funding through IIJA. Currently, there is over $100 million in unobligated balances between the two programs.
Rural Development Programs -721 Infrastructure loans are prioritized for aging rural water and wastewater systems, as well as technical assistance through the “Circuit Rider” program balanced with reductions in the grants. Other specialty water grants and earmarks are not funded except where the tax base cannot support loans, including maintaining funding for Native American Tribes. Community facility grants are eliminated, as the Congress has been earmarking nearly 100 percent of them. No new USDA funding is needed for broadband expansion. The Budget would also eliminate rural business programs, single family housing direct loans, self-help housing grants, telecommunications loans, and rural housing vouchers. Rural Development salaries and expenses are reduced commensurately.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) Salaries and Expenses: Farm Production and Conservation-Business Center (FPACBC) -358 The first Trump Administration placed the FSA, NRCS, and Risk Management Agency under one umbrella: FPAC-BC. The staff-heavy FSA struggles with hiring due in part because of labor market competition. The Budget reduces funding in order to reflect the Agency’s plans for efficiencies, which include improving online services.
National Forest System Management -392 The Budget reduces salaries and expenses by $342 million, and saves an additional $50 million by eliminating funding for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration program, and reducing funding for recreation, vegetation and watershed management, and land management regulation. The Budget fully supports the Executive Order 14225, “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production,” to improve forest management and increase domestic timber production. The requested funding level supports timber sales, hazardous fuels removal, mineral extraction, grazing, and wildlife habitat management.
Forest Service Operations -391 The Budget reduces funding for expenses including salaries and facility leases to streamline the Agency’s management structure and reduce their real property footprint.
State, Local, Tribal, and NGO Conservation Programs -303 The Budget reduces grant programs that subsidize management of State and privately-owned forests. While the Budget provides reduced support for Federal wildland fire management activities, these partners should be encouraged to fund their own community preparedness and risk mitigation activities.
Forest and Rangeland Research (Except Forest Inventory and Analysis) -300 The President has pledged to manage national forests for their intended purpose of producing timber. The Budget reduces funding for the Forest and Rangeland Research program because it is out of step with timber production, but maintains funding for Forest Inventory and Analysis, a longstanding census of forest resources and conditions.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) -425 The Budget ends CSFP and replaces it with MAHA food boxes. The MAHA food boxes provide food directly to seniors. Unlike the current approach using food banks, which provide those in need with shelf-stable foods, MAHA boxes would be filled with commodities sourced from domestic farmers and given directly to American households.
McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program -240 The McGovern-Dole Food for Education program buys agricultural commodities from U.S. farmers and donates them in the form of foreign aid. Only a small portion of the program’s funding goes toward purchasing U.S. commodities, given the high transportation costs and large portion of funding provided for technical assistance. While these donated commodities totaled only $37 million in 2023 (0.01 percent of all U.S. crop sales), they undercut commodity prices in markets abroad. The elimination of this program is consistent with the elimination of other in-kind international food donation programs in the Budget, including Food for Progress and Food for Peace Title II Grants.
House Appropriations Committee
2359 Rayburn

06/11/2025 at 10:00AM

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Defense

Subcommittee hearing.

Witnesses;

  • Peter B. Hegseth, Secretary, Department of Defense
  • General John D. Caine, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Budget request

Department of Defense (DOD)
Program Name $ Change from 2025 Enacted (in millions) Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
DOD Topline +113,300 In combination with $113 billion in mandatory funding, the Budget increases Defense spending by 13 percent.
Senate Appropriations Committee
   Defense Subcommittee
192 Dirksen

06/11/2025 at 10:00AM

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation

Subcommittee hearing.

Budget request

Corps of Engineers—Civil Works (Corps)
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) Surplus -1,071 The HMTF, whose funding is subject to annual appropriations, finances operation and maintenance projects for the Nation’s water channels. The Budget reduces funding for HMTF.
Corps WIFIA program -7 The Corps WIFIA program provides direct loans and loan guarantees for non-Federal dam safety projects. The Budget eliminates this program.
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project -609 The Budget provides $1.2 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project, eliminating funds for habitat restoration.
Small Agency Eliminations
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
  • 400 Years of African American History Commission
  • Corporation for National and Community Service (operating as AmeriCorps)
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  • Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
  • Institute of Museum and Library Sciences
  • Inter-American Foundation
  • Marine Mammal Commission
  • National Endowment for the Arts
  • National Endowment for the Humanities
  • Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
  • U.S. African Development Foundation
  • U.S. Agency for Global Media
  • U.S. Institute of Peace
  • U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
  • Woodrow Wilson Center
  • Presidio Trust
-3,586 The Budget includes the elimination of, or the elimination of Federal funding for, the following small agencies. Agencies in bold are in this appropriations bill.
  • Delta Regional Authority
  • Denali Commission
  • Northern Border Regional Commission
  • Southeast Crescent Regional Commission
  • Southwest Border Regional Commission
  • Great Lakes Authority
The Budget eliminates six small regional commissions. The Budget continues funding for Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) operations at $14 million.
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR) -2 The budget closes this office.
Senate Appropriations Committee
   Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
138 Dirksen

06/11/2025 at 10:00AM

The President's Budget Request for the U.S. Department of the Interior for Fiscal Year 2026

The purpose of the hearing is to examine the President’s budget request for the U.S. Department of the Interior for Fiscal Year 2026.

Witness:

  • Doug Burgum, Secretary, Department of the Interior

Budget request

Department of the Interior (DOI)
Program Name $ Change from 2025 Enacted (in millions) Brief Description of Program and Recommended Reduction or Increase
Cuts, Reductions, and Consolidations
Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project -609 The Budget provides $1.2 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project.
Operation of the National Park System -900 The Budget would transfer most properties to State-level management. Achieving a $900 million cut to operations would require eliminating funding for roughly 350 park sites, 75 percent of the total.
NPS Historic Preservation Fund -158 The Budget eliminates almost all funding except for projects in partnership with HBCUs.
NPS Construction -73 This reduction complements the Administration’s goals transferring most parks to State and tribal governments.
NPS National Recreation and Preservation -77
Bureau of Indian Affairs Programs that Support Tribal Self-Governance and Tribal Communities -617 The Budget eliminates the Indian Guaranteed Loan program for tribal business development. The Budget also terminates the Indian Land Consolidation Program. In addition, the Budget also reduces funding for programs that directly fund tribal operations such as roads, housing, and social services.
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Public Safety and Justice -107 The Budget cuts the tribal law enforcement program by 20 percent.
Bureau of Indian Education Construction -187 The Budget eliminates funding for construction of tribal schools.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Surveys, Investigations, and Research programs -564 USGS provides science information on natural hazards, ecosystems, water, energy and mineral resources, and mapping of Earth’s features. The Budget eliminates programs that provide grants to universities and crucial climate science initiatives and instead focuses on support for minerals and fossil fuel extraction.
Bureau of Land Management Conservation Programs -198 The Budget proposes deep reductions. The Budget also reduces the Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat Management program.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) State, Tribal, and NGO Conservation Grant Programs -170 The Budget eliminates USFWS grant programs that fund conservation of species managed by States, Tribes, and other nations.
Renewable Energy Programs -80 The Budget proposes to eliminate support for renewable energy deployment.
USFWS Ecological Services -37 USFWS’ Ecological Services program and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources are jointly responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Budget consolidates these two programs into a single program housed within DOI with significantly reduced funding.
Federal Wildland Fire Service (consolidation of USDA and DOI Wildland Fire Management programs under a unified agency within DOI) -- Federal wildfire risk mitigation and suppression responsibilities currently are split across five agencies in two departments: the U.S. Forest Service in USDA and BIA, Bureau of Land Management, USFWS, and NPS in DOI. The Budget consolidates the Federal wildland fire responsibilities into a single new Federal Wildland Fire Service at DOI, including transferring USDA’s current wildland fire management responsibilities.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen

06/11/2025 at 10:00AM

H.R. 4 - Rescissions Act of 2025

The Committee on Rules will meet Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET in H-313, The Capitol on the following measure:

  • H.R. 4 – Rescissions Act of 2025

H.R. 4 would ratify DOGE eliminations of USAID, support for the United Nations, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, done by the Trump administration without Congressional authorization.

H.R. 4 would rescind $33 million of the $1.5 billion appropriated in FY 2024 and $169 million of the $1.5 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account. The CIO account provides funding for the assessed contributions to the United Nations (UN), UN-affiliated organizations, and various other international organizations. This proposal is consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 14155, “Withdrawing the United States From the World Health Organization,” and Executive Order 14199, “Withdrawing the United States From and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International· Organizations,” and rescinds carryover balances from the prior year. The EO purports to remove the US from the World Health Organization; UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC); the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

H.R. 4 would rescind $203 million of the $1.4 billion appropriated in FY 2024 and $158 million of the $1.2 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for the Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account. The CIPA account provides payment for the U.S. share of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping assessments.

H.R. 4 would rescind $500 million of the $4 billion appropriated in FY 2025 through FY 2026 and $400 million of the $6 billion appropriated in FY 2025 through FY 2029 for Global Health Programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds activities related to child and maternal health, HIV/ AIDS, and infectious diseases. This proposal would eliminate programs like family planning and reproductive health, LGBTQI+ activities, and equity programs.

H.R. 4 would rescind $800 million of the $3.2 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA). MRA funds the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and provides overseas humanitarian assistance through the Department of State.

This proposal would rescind $43 million of the $55 million appropriated in FY 2025 for the Complex Crises Fund (CCF). CCF is intended to provide assistance that prevents and responds to crises in fragile countries.

H.R. 4 would rescind $83 million of the $345 million appropriated in FY 2025 for the Democracy Fund (DF). The DF account is intended to fund democracy promotion activities of the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

H.R. 4 would rescind $1.7 billion of the $3.6 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for the Economic Support Fund (ESF). The ESF account is intended to fund assistance programs in countries of strategic importance to the United States to meet economic development needs, including climate programs.

H.R. 4 would rescind $125 million, the full amount appropriated in FY 2025 for the Contribution to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), in alignment with Executive Order 14162, “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements.”

H.R. 4 would rescind $437 million, the entire amount appropriated in FY 2025 for International Organizations and Programs (IOP). The IOP account funds voluntary contributions to international organizations and programs, largely to the United Nations (UN). This rescission would eliminate funding for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Development Program (UNDP), the Montreal Protocol, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), among various other organizations.

H.R. 4 would rescind $2.5 billion of the $3.9 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for Development Assistance (DA), administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The DA account is intended to fund programs that work to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies.

H.R. 4 would rescind $460 million, the full amount appropriated in FY 2025 for the Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia (AEECA) account. The AEECA account is intended to support primarily former communist countries in the Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia region with programs focused on economic and political stability, including climate.

H.R. 4 would rescind $496 million of $4 billion appropriated in FY 2025 to the International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account, administered by USAID. IDA was intended to provide humanitarian assistance in response to natural disasters and conflicts, and other emergencies around the world.

H.R. 4 would rescind $125 million of the $1.7 billion appropriated in FY 2025 for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Operating Expenses account, which funds salaries and benefits and other direct costs for USAID direct hires and staff overseas.

H.R. 4 would rescind $57 million of the $75 million appropriated in FY 2025 for the Transition Initiatives (TI) account, administered by USAID. TI funding targets select priority countries where the U.S. must engage quickly as a contingency response component ofU.S. foreign assistance during conflict and political transitions.

H.R. 4 would rescind $27 million of the $47 million appropriated in FY 2025 for the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). The IAF provides grants to organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. This rescission is aligned with Executive Order 14217, “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” which calls for the elimination of the IAF.

H.R. 4 would rescind $22 million ofthe $45 million appropriated in FY 2025 for the African Development Foundation (ADF). The ADF delivers grants directly to African businesses to support economic growth. This rescission is aligned with Executive Order 14217, “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” which calls for the elimination of the ADF.

H.R. 4 would rescind $15 million ofthe $55 million appropriated in FY 2025 for the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). This agency funds a variety of conflict mitigation and intervention programs. This rescission is aligned with Executive Order 14217, “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” which calls for the elimination of the USIP.

H.R. 4 would rescind $535 million, the full amount appropriated in FY 2024, and $535 million, the full amount appropriated in FY 2025, for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in advance for FY 2026. CPB’s base appropriation is disbursed to public radio and public television systems in accordance with a statutory formula outlined in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as amended. Enacting the rescission would eliminate Federal funding for CPB.

House Rules Committee
H-313 Capitol

06/10/2025 at 02:00PM

Utah Wildfire Research, Communications Facilities Rules Exemptions, Tribal Forestry Management and other legislation

On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 1045 (Rep. Kennedy of UT), “Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025”, To amend the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2004 to require the establishment of an additional Institute for Utah
  • H.R. 1655 (Rep. Bentz), “Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act”, To provide that construction, rebuilding, or hardening of communications facilities following a major disaster or an emergency related to a wildfire is not subject to requirements to prepare certain environmental or historical preservation reviews
  • H.R. 3187 (Rep. Hill), To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a parcel of property of the Forest Service to Perry County, Arkansas, the former headquarters of the Ouachita National Forest
  • H.R. 3444 (Rep. Huffman), “Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry Act of 2025”, To direct Federal land management agencies of the Department of the Interior to establish Tribal Co-Management Plans and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into agreements with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for the performance of certain activities of the Forest Service

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel II

  • John Crockett, Deputy Chief of State, Private and Tribal Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. [All bills]

Panel III (Outside Experts):

  • Larry Blackmon, Judge, Perry County, Perryville, AR [H.R. 3187] • Larissa Yocom, Director, Utah Forest Restoration Institute, Logan, UT [H.R. 1045] • Greg Andreas, General Manager, Ponderosa, O’Neals, CA [H.R. 1655] • Bill Tripp, Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy, Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources, Orleans, CA [H.R. 3444] [Minority Witness]
House Natural Resources Committee
   Federal Lands Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

06/10/2025 at 10:15AM