Subcommittee
hearing
to examine the President’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2025
for the Department of Defense and Future Years Defense Program. The
budget request is $849.8
billion.
Witnesses
Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense,
Department of Defense
General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Michael McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/ Chief
Financial Officer, Department of Defense
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth
House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a
legislative
hearing
on the following bill:
Discussion Draft of H.R.
___
(Rep. Westerman), “To expedite under the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 and improve forest management activities on National
Forest System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the
Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to
overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes.”
Chris French, Deputy Chief of the National Forest System, U.S. Forest
Service
Panel II (Outside Experts):
Cody Desautel, President, Intertribal Timber Council, & Executive
Director, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Nespelem,
Washington
Hannah Downey, Policy Director, Property and Environment Research
Center, Bozeman, Montana
Jim Parma, Eastern Fiber Manager, Bell Lumber and Pole, New Brighton,
Minnesota
Dr. Kimiko Barrett, Wildfire Research and Policy Lead, Headwaters
Economics, Bozeman, Montana [Minority Witness]
From the GOP
memo:
Unprecedented drought facing the West has further weakened overgrown
national forests, leaving them extremely vulnerable to wildfire.
Recent research has shown that some areas are experiencing the driest
conditions in 1,200 years.7 These conditions have turned vast swaths
of the nation’s forests into ticking time bombs that can ignite with a
single spark. It is no longer a matter of “if” these areas will
experience catastrophic wildfire but “when.”
“We know what needs to be done to turn the tide of this crisis and
restore our forests to healthy, resilient conditions. Despite the
fearmongering of increasingly isolated, radical environmentalists,
there is a scientific consensus among a broad array of stakeholders
recognizing the importance of active forest management. . . The
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in particular, is a major
roadblock in improving the health of our nation’s forests.”
H.R.
7983,
the “Stop Executive Overreach on Trade Agreements”, to define the term
free trade agreement for purposes of the clean vehicle credit
(Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn.)
H.R.
7980,
the “End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of
2024”, to exclude vehicles the batteries of which contain materials
sourced from prohibited foreign entities from the clean vehicle credit
(Carol Miller, R-W.Va.)
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2128 of the Rayburn
House Office Building, the Committee on Financial Services will meet to
markup
the following measures in an order to be determined by the Chairman.
H.J. Res.
127,
a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8
of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the
Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the ‘Enhancement and
Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors’”
H.J. Res.
120,
a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8
of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Financial
Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) relating to “Guidance on Non-Bank
Financial Company Determinations’”
H.J. Res.
125,
a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8
of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System relating to ‘Principles for
Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial
Institutions’”
H.J. Res.
126,
a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8
of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation relating to ‘Principles for
Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial
Institutions’”
H.J. Res.
124,
a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8
of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency relating to ‘Principles for
Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial
Institutions’”
H.J. Res.
122,
a resolution “providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8
of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau relating to ‘Credit Card Penalty Fees
(Regulation Z)’”
Other legislation:
H.R.
5535,
the “Insurance Data Protection Act”; An amendment in the nature of a
substitute,
offered by Mr. Fitzgerald; H.R. 5535 would eliminate the Treasury
Department’s Federal Insurance Office (FIO) and Office of Financial
Research (OFR) ability to compel the production of data from an
insurer or any affiliate of an insurer via subpoena.
Subcommittee
hearing
on the Fiscal Year 2025 request for the Department of the Interior.
The Department’s 2025 budget totals $18.0 billion in current authority
($17.8 billion in net discretionary authority)—an increase of $575.9
million, or 3 percent, from the 2024 continuing resolution (CR) level.
An additional $360.0 million is accessible through a budget cap
adjustment for wildfire suppression to ensure funds are available in the
event the regular annual appropriation is inadequate to meet suppression
needs. The budget also includes an estimated $14.8 billion in permanent
funding available in 2025.
Witnesses:
Denise Flanagan, Director of Budget, Department of the Interior
Deb
Haaland,
Secretary, Department of the Interior
Joan M Mooney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of the
Interior
House Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Subcommittee
hearing.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget provides $7.2
billion
for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The
fiscal year 2025 proposal for the Bureau of Reclamation is $1.6
billion.
Witnesses:
Michael Brain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water &
Science, U.S. Department of the Interior
Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Michael C. Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)
Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon Chief of Engineers and Commanding
General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In developing the Budget, consideration was given to advancing three key
objectives: 1) decreasing climate risk for communities and increasing
ecosystem resilience to climate change based on the best available
science; 2) promoting environmental justice in underserved and
marginalized communities and Tribal nations in line with the Justice40
Initiative and creating good paying jobs that provide the free and fair
chance to join a union and collectively bargain; and 3) strengthening
the supply chain. The FY 2025 Budget
investments will work to confront climate change by reducing flood risk,
restoring ecosystems, and promoting community resilience across the
nation. The Corps is working to integrate climate preparedness and
climate resilience planning in all of its activities, such as by helping
communities reduce their potential vulnerabilities to the effects of
climate change and variability.
The climate crisis is challenging Reclamation’s
ability
to both produce energy and sustain reliable water delivery. The Nation
faces undeniable realities that water supplies for agriculture,
fisheries, ecosystems, industry, cities, and energy are confronting
stability challenges due to climate change. Reclamation’s projects
address the Administration’s conservation and climate resilience
priorities through funding requests for the WaterSMART program, funding
to secure water supply to wildlife refuges, and proactive efforts
through providing sound climate science, research and development, and
clean energy. To address these challenges, Reclamation has implemented
its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which affirms Reclamation will
use leading science and engineering to adapt climate-based situations
across the West.
Reclamation’s FY 2025 budget for Research and
Development (R&D) programs includes $22.6 million for the Science and
Technology Program, and $7.0 million for Desalination and Water
Purification Research—both of which focus on Reclamation’s mission of
water and power deliveries. Climate change adaptation is a focus of
Reclamation’s R&D programs, which invests in the production of climate
change science, information and tools that benefit adaptation, and by
yielding climate-resilient solutions to benefit management of water
infrastructure, hydropower, environmental compliance, and water
management.
Reclamation owns 77 hydroelectric power plants. Reclamation operates 53
of those plants to generate approximately 14 percent of the
hydroelectric power produced in the United States. Each year on average,
Reclamation generates approximately 40 million megawatt hours of
electricity and collects over $1.0 billion in gross power revenues for
the Federal Government. Reclamation’s FY 2025
budget request includes $4.5 million to increase Reclamation hydropower
capabilities and value, contributing to Administration clean energy and
climate change initiatives and enhancing water conservation and climate
resilience within the power program. Reclamation’s Power Resources
Office oversees power operations and maintenance, electric reliability
compliance, and strategic energy initiatives.
House Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
An ancient fishing community in the Gulf of Kutch, India, join forces
with human rights lawyers in Washington, D.C. to file the first-ever
lawsuit against the World Bank Group for funding a coal-fired power
plant along its coast.
Reception at 6:30 pm
Screening at 7:30 pm
A panel discussion to follow featuring film director Sheena Sumaria,
community leader Dr. Pharat Patel, and legal and policy experts.
The witnesses will provide an update on the military construction
program and infrastructure, including barracks, housing, and range
infrastructure. The witnesses will also discuss environment and energy
programs, as well as facility sustainment, restoration and modernization
accounts.
Witnesses:
Brendan
Owens,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and
Environment, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy,
Installations
Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy,
Installations, and Environment, Department of the Navy
Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy,
Installations and Environment, Department of the Air Force
The number of incidents where hurricanes, flooding and wildfire have
left billion-plus dollar recovery actions in their wake is increasing at
an unsustainable rate (e.g., $1 billion at Offutt Air Force Base, $3
billion at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and over $4 billion at
Tyndall Air Force Base).
As of December 31, 2023, the Department has completed the initial
assessment at 707 (of 715) installations for
PFAS contamination. 133 currently require no
further action, while 574 are proceeding to the next step in the
CERCLA process. For the past several years,
DoD’s approach has been that if DoD identifies perfluorooctane sulfonate
(PFOS) and/or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from DoD activities in
off-base drinking water above 70 parts per trillion (ppt), we quickly
took action (i.e., a CERCLA removal action) to
provide treatment or an alternative water source. DoD has taken this
type of action for drinking water wells surrounding 55 installations.
Last week, EPA announced a National Primary
Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS
under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Department appreciates the
clarity the NPDWR provides now that it has
been finalized and is evaluating its impact on our efforts to address
PFAS in drinking water. The Department has
reviewed existing PFAS sampling results, plans
to expand existing cleanup investigations, and provide drinking water
treatment for impacted off-base wells, on a prioritized basis.
The reality of a changing climate poses a range of risks to Department
readiness and threatens installation resilience through dangerous heat,
flooding, drought, wildland fire, and extreme weather. These conditions
adversely impact training, soldier welfare, equipment performance,
infrastructure performance and reliability, and place added strain on
the Department’s resources.
DoD lands contain significant resources supporting our nation’s natural
and cultural heritage, including resources important to American Indian,
Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and other Indigenous
Peoples. DoD lands provide habitats for over 550 plant and animal
species that are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act,
contain over 130,000 recorded archaeological sites, and 41 National
Historic Landmarks. We are requesting $703.7 million in conservation
funding, which will allow us to manage these resources in compliance
with applicable Federal statutes to create healthy and resilient natural
landscapes that reduce climate risks such as flooding and wildfire.
