On Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on
Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled
“Safeguarding American Jobs and Economic Growth: Examining the Future of
the Offshore Leasing Program.”
Archie Chiasson, III, President, Lafourche
Parish, LA
Paul Danos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Danos, Gray, LA
Mike Minarovic, Chief Executive Officer, Arena Offshore, The
Woodlands, TX
Justin Solet, Gulf South Advocate, Dulac, LA (Democratic witness)
Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), the Department of
the Interior (DOI) is responsible for preparing and maintaining an oil
and gas leasing program that meets national energy needs while
considering various factors, including input from intergovernmental
partners and stakeholders. However, recent events such as the vacatur of
Lease Sale 257 and cancelation of Lease Sales 258, 259 and 261, later
mandated by the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), raise questions
about DOI’s compliance with
OCSLA and the future of the offshore leasing
program.
The Biden administration has initiated the process for several offshore
wind sales since taking office. On July 17, 2023,
BOEM announced the availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Revolution Wind Farm
project offshore of the State of Rhode Island. If finalized, Revolution
Wind would be the fourth commercial-scale offshore wind project located
on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf approved by the Biden
administration. More recently, on July 20, 2023
BOEM announced it will hold the first-ever
offshore wind energy lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico this August.
Despite claims of inability to conduct similar review activities for oil
and gas in the same region or elsewhere, BOEM
expects to review at least 16 Construction and Operations Plans of
commercial, offshore wind energy facilities by 2025 and are on track to
hold zero new oil and gas lease sales.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee
Executive
Session on
Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET to consider the following
legislation:
Agenda:
S.
447,
ORBITS Act of 2023, to remediate orbital
debris
S. 484, Combating Human Rights Abuses Act of 2023
S.
1153,
The National Manufacturing Advisory Council for the 21st Century Act
S. 1303, TICKET Act
S. 1409, Kids Online Safety Act
S. 1418, Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act
S. 1421, Country of Origin Online Labeling Act
S. 1648, Launch Communications Act
S. 1669, AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
S.
2086,
A bill to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea
Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program
S.
2116,
Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act
S. 2201, the American Cybersecurity Literacy Act
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Calling all climate activists! Please join us for a unique virtual town
hall event with
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Melanie Stansbury
(NM-01), moderated by Earthjustice President Abbie Dillen. We’ll talk
about record heat and what we can do about it. We’ll celebrate how all
the climate investments in the Inflation Reduction Act are speeding our
transition to clean energy, creating jobs, and lowering energy costs.
We’ll also spell out how we can all come together to Defend Our Climate
when the big polluters and their allies in Congress would take us
backward.
Full committee
hearing
to consider the following nominations.
Nominees:
Dennis B. Hankins, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of
Haiti
James C. O’Brien, of Nebraska, to be an Assistant Secretary of State
(European and Eurasian Affairs)
Nathalie Rayes, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of
Croatia
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a
mark-up
on multiple bills.
The following bills will move by regular order:
H.R.
3675
(Rep. Boebert), “Western Water Accelerated Revenue Repayment Act”
(Amendments to H.R. 3675 must be drafted to the amendment in the
nature of a substitute, attached to this notice);
H.R.
4141
(Rep. Fulcher), To provide that certain communications projects are
not subject to requirements to prepare certain environmental or
historical preservation reviews, and for other purposes (Amendments to
H.R. 4141 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a
substitute, attached to this notice)
The following bills are expected to move by unanimous consent:
H.R. 1318 (Rep. Neguse), “Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location
Act”;
H.R. 2717 (Rep. Moore of Utah), “Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams National
Medal of Honor Monument Location Act”;
H.R. 2997 (Rep. Boebert), “Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant
Economic Yields Act” or “CONVEY Act”;
H.R. 3049 (Rep. Curtis), “Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands
Administration Exchange Act of 2023”;
H.R. 3499 (Rep. Issa), “Direct Hire to Fight Fires”; and
H.R.
4377
(Rep. Grijalva), To amend the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999
with respect to extensions, additions, and revisions to the Barry M.
Goldwater Range in Arizona.