Hill Heat

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:

• S. 290, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next Generation 9-1-1 systems, and for other purposes (Barrasso);
• S. 332, to require a study on Holocaust education efforts of States, local educational agencies, and public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes (Rosen);
• S. 446, to prohibit Big Cypress National Preserve from being designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes (Scott);
• S. 573, to designate a mountain in the State of Alaska as Denali (Murkowski);
• S. 601, to remove restrictions from a parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky (Paul);
• S. 730, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of establishing the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the African Burial Ground National Monument, and for other purposes (Gillibrand);
• S. 791, to establish the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in the State of Maryland as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Van Hollen);
• H.R. 186 / S. 858, to authorize the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to establish a commemorative work on the National Mall to honor the extraordinary acts of valor, selfless service, and sacrifice displayed by Medal of Honor recipients (Rep. Moore) / (Justice);
• S. 1088, to provide that the memorial to commemorate the sacrifice and service of the women who worked on the home front to support the efforts of the United States military during World War II may be located on the National Mall, and for other purposes (Shaheen);
• S. 1131, to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes (Ossoff);
• S. 1135, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (Curtis);
• S. 1280, to designate six creeks in North Carolina in honor of the lives lost in a plane crash in Carteret County, North Carolina, on February 13, 2022, and for other purposes (Tillis);
• S. 1353, to extend the authority for modifications to the Second Division Memorial in the District of Columbia (Murkowski);
• S. 1377, to ensure the maintenance of a herd of horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and for other purposes (Hoeven);
• S. 1518, to redesignate the Saratoga National Historical Park as the “Saratoga National Battlefield Park” (Gillibrand);
• S. 1777, to amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to expand the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park, to redesignate the Cottonwood Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park as the “Dianne Feinstein Visitor Center”, and for other purposes (Padilla);
• S. 1870, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica National Recreation Area to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, and for other purposes (Schiff);
• S. 1926, to encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Merkley);
• S. 2270, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the portion of the Myakka River in Sarasota County, Florida, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes (Scott);
• S. 2308, to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to collect a surcharge from international visitors to units of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Banks);
• S. 2369, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to remove or permanently conceal the name of Francis Newlands on the grounds of the memorial fountain located at Chevy Chase Circle in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes (Van Hollen);
• S. 2385, to codify Executive Order 14253 relating to restoring truth and sanity to American history, and for other purposes (Banks);
• S. 2546, to provide for an extension of the legislative authority of the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs (Coons);
• S. 2708, to enhance the preservation, maintenance, and management of national historic trails and national scenic trails, and for other purposes (Kaine);
• S. 2970, to authorize the use of off-highway vehicles in certain areas of the Capitol Reef National Park, Utah (Lee); and

Witnesses:

Panel 1

• Tim Kaine, United States Senator (D-VA)
• Chris Van Hollen, United States Senator (D-MD)

Panel 2

• Mike Caldwell, Associate Director, Park Planning, Facilities, and Lands, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

12/09/2025 at 10:00AM

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee Executive Session on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. ET to consider the following nominations:

Nomination of

• John DeLeeuw, of Texas, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. Deferred.
• Michael Graham, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. Reported favorably 19-9.
• Steven Haines, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis. Deferred.
• Robert Harvey, of Florida, to be a Federal Maritime Commissioner. Deferred.
• Jared Isaacman, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Reported favorably 18-10: Cantwell, Tammy Baldwin, and John Fetterman joining Republicans.
• Richard Kloster, of West Virginia, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board. Deferred.
• Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, to be Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Reported favorably 23-5.
• Ryan McCormack, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy. Reported favorably 18-10.

The nomination hearing for Graham took place on September 17th.

The nomination hearing for Harvey took place on October 22nd.

The nomination hearing for McCormack took place on November 5th.

The nomination hearing for DLeeuw and Kloster took place on November 6th.

The nomination hearing for Isaacman and Haines took place on December 3rd.

12/08/2025 at 05:30PM

Hearing entitled ““Strategic Trajectories: Assessing China’s Space Rise and the Risks to U.S. Leadership.” The purpose of the hearing is to examine the progress of the People’s Republic of China in achieving its goal of becoming a dominant space power. It will outline China’s objectives for its national space programs, both in terms of completing space missions and in advancing its geopolitical influence. The hearing will evaluate China’s space strategy, including the benefits of a consistent political direction, sustained funding, and its military-civil fusion approach. Finally, it will highlight the risks of ceding leadership in space exploration to China, with a particular focus on the Moon, as well as the broader economic, geopolitical, and national security consequences of China attaining preeminence in space.

Hearing charter

Witnesses:

• Dean Cheng, Senior Fellow, The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
• Clayton Swope, Deputy Director, Aerospace Security Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Dr. Patrick Besha, Founder, Global Space Group
• Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Co-President, LogiQ, Inc.

12/04/2025 at 09:00AM

At this pivotal moment in American history, climate journalism is more essential than ever. As we face unprecedented environmental and political challenges—when First Amendment freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law are under severe threat—strong, fact-based reporting has never mattered more.

This discussion brings together leading voices in environmental reporting and activism to examine how journalists can deepen public understanding, hold power to account, and inspire meaningful climate action.

Moderator

• Kyle Pope, Covering Climate Now

Panelists:

• Bill McKibben, environmentalist, author, co-founder of Third Act
• Sammy Roth, Climate-Colored Goggles
• Adam Mahoney, climate/environment reporter, Capital B
• Amy Westervelt, investigative climate reporter

RSVP

12/03/2025 at 08:00PM

On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing titled “Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Exploring New Frontiers.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Daniel Donahue, Head of Growth, Terra AI, San Francisco, CA
• Mahesh Konduru, Chief Executive Officer, Momentum Technologies, Carrollton, TX
• Nicholas Lugansky, Head of Mining, SLB New Energy, Houston, TX
• Walter G. Copan, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO [Minority witness]

12/03/2025 at 02:00PM

On Wednesday, December 3, 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 an oversight hearing titled “Sea Lion Predation in the Pacific Northwest.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I

• Sam Rauch, Deputy Assistant Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service

Panel II

• Ken Choke, Chairman, Nisqually Indian Tribe
• Aja DeCoteau, Executive Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
• Ed Johnstone, Chairman, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

The Secretary of Commerce was authorized in 2018 to issue permits to certain Tribes and the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to lethally take sea lions within the Columbia River and its tributaries.

12/03/2025 at 10:00AM

On Wednesday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m., U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, will hold a hearing on the nominations of

• Lee Beaman to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Douglas Weaver to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Beaman is a Nashville auto executive, Republican mega-donor, and the subject of sexual misconduct allegations. He has no professional experience in nuclear oversight, utility planning, or grid operations. He is the former CEO of Beaman Automotive Group, a chain of car dealerships he sold in 2020. He operates Beaman Ventures, a private investment firm, and serves on the board of Belmont University, a private Christian college in Nashville. He is also a member of the Council for National Policy, a secretive, invitation-only, Christian nationalist network whose members have opposed environmental regulation, denied climate science, and pushed to roll back democratic safeguards. In court documents, his fourth wife described being forced into watching Beaman having sex with a prostitute for her “training”, and being exposed to pornography in the presence of her minor son. Kelly Beaman accused her husband of “degradation, control, manipulation and abuse” in the marriage. Beaman owns a $3.7 million Capitol Hill townhouse through an entity called Crockett Ventures. The property serves as a residence for Speaker Mike Johnson, megachurch pastor Steve Berger, and other GOP politicians and operatives.

Weaver is a seasoned nuclear regulator. He served as vice president of nuclear regulatory affairs at Westinghouse Electric Company from 2013 to 2022, and most recently has been running his own nuclear regulatory consulting firm. He also worked for nearly 20 years at the NRC, where he held numerous leadership positions, including in the Chairman’s Office and the Office of New Reactors.

12/03/2025 at 10:00AM

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing to consider the nominations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Commerce at 10:00 AM EST on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

Nominees:

• Jared Isaacman, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Steven Haines, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis

NASA is illegally moving forward with the rapid downsizing of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Isaacman was nominated in the spring to be NASA administrator, with his nomination hearing on April 9th. Right before the vote on his confirmation, the White House pulled his nomination. He was renominated this fall.

Jared Isaacman made his billions as CEO of the Shift4 payment processing firm and has flown to space twice on SpaceX missions he financed himself. He co-founded Draken International, which trains pilots for the U.S. military. Isaacman is a pal and an extreme admirer of Elon Musk.

According to a recent reporting by Ars Technica, the Trump administration is looking to slash the space agency’s science budget by as much as 50 percent, which could prove disastrous for the future of space research.

You’d think that would be top of mind for Isaacman, but his head is instead blissfully empty.

“I’m a humble nominee on the outside, hoping for a chance to contribute,” he tweeted, responding to a post that referenced the news. “I don’t know anything about those supposed cuts, but the President said he’s targeting fraud, waste & abuse w/ a scalpel — not a hatchet.”

Isaacman’s confidential plans for the agency, titled Project Athena, have been circulating around Washington but not made public.

Haines is currently a senior adviser in ITA’s Office of Industry and Analysis. Haines previously spent several years at the State Department, including assignments in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and the Office of China Coordination, as well as a posting on the Department’s Policy Planning Staff. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a Brookings Legislative Fellow with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), focusing on trade, economic, and national security policy. He joined the State Department in 2020, during Trump’s first term, and served for three years before joining Hagerty’s staff. He rejoined the State Department this year.

12/03/2025 at 10:00AM

Full committee markup of 15 bills.

Markup memo

Items to be considered:

• H.R. 1343, Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act (Reps. Pfluger and Soto)
• H.R. 1588, Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act (Reps. Miller-Meeks and Dingell)
• H.R. 1665, DIGITAL Applications Act (Reps. Cammack and Matsui)
• H.R. 1681, Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Act (Reps. Evans and Craig)
• H.R. 1731, Standard FEES Act (Reps. Palmer and Ryan)
• H.R. 6046, Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act (Reps. Joyce, Landsman, and Peters)
• H.R. 2289, American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025 (Rep. Carter)
• H.R. 3474, Federal Mechanical Insulation Act (Rep. Weber)
• H.R. 3699, Energy Choice Act (Rep. Langworthy)
• H.R. 5184, Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act (Rep. Houchin)
• H.R. 4690, Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (Rep. Langworthy)
• H.R. 4593, Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act (Rep. Fry)
• H.R. 4758, Homeowner Energy Freedom Act (Rep. Goldman)
• H.R. 4626, Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act (Rep. Allen)
• H.R. 1355, Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025 (Rep. Tonko)

Read Sludge’s coverage.

H.R. 3699, Energy Choice Act (Rep. Langworthy)

This legislation would prohibit state or local governments from implementing, adopting, or enforcing any law, regulation or policy that directly or indirectly prohibits or limits access to an energy service based on the type or source of energy that is sold. (Rep. Langworthy introduced this legislation on June 4, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a voice vote. The subcommittee adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Langworthy. The amendment struck section 2(b) of the underlying legislation.

H.R. 5184, Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act (Rep. Houchin)

This legislation would repeal section 413 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 relating to energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing. This legislation would also nullify the final rule titled “Energy Conservation Program: Standards for Manufactured Housing,” published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2022.1 (Rep. Houchin introduced this legislation on September 8, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a voice vote. The subcommittee adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Auchincloss. The amendment allows the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding energy conservation standards for manufactured housing.

H.R. 4690, Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (Rep. Langworthy) This legislation would repeal section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to revise federal building energy efficiency performance standards for new buildings and major renovation with designs that phase out on-site fossil fuel-generated energy consumption. (Rep. Langworthy introduced this legislation on July 23, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a roll call vote of 16 yeas and 14 nays. The subcommittee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Rep. Langworthy. The amendment makes changes to repeal section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), while maintaining high performance certification systems and levels for building projects.

H.R. 4593, Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act (Rep. Fry)

This legislation would codify the definition of a showerhead to be consistent with the ASME A112.18.1-2018 standard. (Rep. Fry introduced this legislation on July 22, 2025.) On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 17 yeas and 14 nays.

H.R. 4758, Homeowner Energy Freedom Act (Rep. Goldman)

This legislation would repeal the following sections of the Inflation Reduction Act: section 50122, establishing a new high efficiency electric home rebate program; section 50123, establishing the home energy efficiency contractor training grants; and section 50131, to provide financial assistance to states and localities to adopt the certain energy conservation building codes. (Rep. Goldman introduced this legislation on July 25, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, without amendment, by a roll call vote of 16 yeas and 14 nays.

H.R. 4626, Don’t Mess with My Home Appliances Act (Rep. Allen)

This legislation amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to reform DOE’s procedures for issuing energy efficiency standards. The legislation prohibits DOE from prescribing any new or amended energy efficiency standards for a product that is not technologically feasible and economically justified. H.R. 4626 defines a minimum threshold for energy or water savings that must be achieved to justify a new regulation and establishes several new factors that DOE must consider, including the cost to lowincome households and the full lifecycle costs associated with requiring consumers to purchase a new qualifying appliance. (Rep. Allen introduced this legislation on July 23, 2025).

On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a roll call vote of 17 yeas and 14 nays. The subcommittee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute, offered by Rep. Allen. The amendment aligns all compliance dates to be 5 years following a final rule, requires test procedures to be issued at least 180 days before rulemaking action, maintains provisions of current law related to DOJ reviews, clarifies DOE’s authority to amend water efficiency standards for clothes washers and dishwashers, as well as other changes that overall improve the underlying legislation.

H.R. 1355, Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025 (Rep. Tonko)

This legislation would reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program through fiscal year 2030 at current funding levels ($350 million each year). Additionally, H.R. 1355 would amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to remove the prohibition on dwelling units which have received such funds from eligibility for other federal weatherization programs, and it raises the maximum amount of financial assistance per dwelling unit from $6,000 to $12,000. This legislation would also authorize for the first time the Weatherization Readiness Program which provides funds to states and localities to address issues in low-income dwelling units to make the dwelling unit eligible for other weatherization measures. (Rep. Tonko introduced this legislation on February 13, 2025). On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Subcommittee on Energy forwarded the bill to the full committee, as amended, by a voice vote.

12/03/2025 at 10:00AM

The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:

• S. 90, to prohibit the use of funds by the Secretary of the Interior to finalize and implement certain travel management plans in the State of Utah (Lee);
• S. 91, to improve Federal activities relating to wildfires, and for other purposes (Cortez Masto);
• S. 140, to address the forest health crisis on the National Forest System and public lands, and for other purposes (Barrasso);
• S. 451, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to eliminate the 2 percent federal administrative fee on royalties paid to states for oil, gas, and geothermal leases on federal lands, and for other purposes (Daines);
• S. 764, to provide for the designation of certain wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and conservation areas in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes (Bennet);
• S. 790, to redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the “Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center” (Lummis);
• S. 888, to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, and for other purposes (Wyden);
• S. 902, to require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to establish a standard for the response time to wildfire incidents, and for other purposes (Sheehy);
• S. 945, to amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to include certain additions to the Smith River National Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes (Merkley);
• S. 1005, to provide for conservation and economic development in the State of Nevada, and for other purposes (Cortez Masto);
• S. 1175, to significantly increase federal payment-in-lieu-of-taxes for small-population counties (Daines);
• S. 1195, promote conservation, improve public land management, and provide for sensible development in Pershing County, Nevada, and for other purposes (Rosen);
• S. 1228, to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to modify the cost-sharing requirement for conservation projects carried out by a qualified youth or conservation corps, and for other purposes (Risch);
• S. 1319, to withdraw certain Federal land in the Pecos Watershed area of the State of New Mexico from mineral entry, and for other purposes (Heinrich);
• S. 1341, to amend the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993 to add certain land to the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, and for other purposes (Hickenlooper);
• S. 1321, to amend the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 to provide for the transfer of the Moab site to Grand County, Utah, and for other purposes (Curtis);
• S. 1363, to provide for greater cooperation and coordination between the Federal Government and the governing bodies and community users of land grant-mercedes in New Mexico relating to historical or traditional uses of certain land grant-mercedes on Federal public land, and for other purposes (Luján);
• S. 1468, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Incorporated, is recognized as a Village Corporation under that Act, and for other purposes (Sullivan);
• S. 1476, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila River system in the State of New Mexico as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes (Heinrich);
• S. 1737, to designate and expand wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest in the State of Washington, and to designate certain rivers in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes (Murray);
• S. 1860, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Brian Head Town, Utah, certain National Forest System land (Lee);
• S. 2016, to exchange non-Federal land held by the Chugach Alaska Corporation for certain Federal Land in the Chugach Region, and for other purposes (Murkowski);
• S. 2033, to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land (Gallego);
• S. 2042, to provide lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas within the National Forest System (Cantwell);
• S. 2262, to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to clarify the nature of public involvement for purposes of certain rulemaking, and for other purposes (Barrasso);
• S. 2273, to amend the Act of July 10, 1890, to modify certain provisions relating to the disposal of public land in the State of Wyoming for educational purposes (Lummis).

12/02/2025 at 03:00PM