DC Legislative Update April 19-23, 2021

 

NWF Legislative Update April 19-23, 2021

Check here for the 2021 Senate Calendar
Check here for the 2021 House Calendar

Congressional Hearings 

  • House Appropriations Committee
    • Tuesday, April 20 at 10am EST: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment hearing on the “Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior.”
  • Tuesday, April 20 at 10am EST: Subcommittee on Labor, Human Health, Education hearing on “Building Capacity, Building Community: Increasing Investments in Community Colleges.”
  • Wednesday, April 21 at 10am EST: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment hearing on the “Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request for the Environmental Protection Agency.”
  • Wednesday, April 21 at 2pm EST: Subcommittee on Transportation, House and Urban Development hearing on “Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request for the Department of Housing and Urban ”
  • House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
    • Tuesday, April 20 at 12pm EST: Hearing on “Making the Case for Climate Action: Creating New Jobs and Catalyzing Economic Growth.”
  • House Natural Resources Committee
    • Tuesday, April 20 at 2:30pm EST: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing, “Building Back Better: Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs Through Offshore Wind.”
  • Senate Appropriations Committee
    • Tuesday, April 20 at 10:30am EST: “Hearings to examine the American Jobs Plan, focusing on infrastructure, climate change, and investing in our nation’s ”
  • House Appropriations Committee
    • Tuesday, April 20 at 10:30am EST: Hearing on “The American Jobs Plan: Infrastructure, Climate Change, and Investing in Our Nation’s ”
      • Witnesses include Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, Regan, Administrator of the EPA, Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, and Fudge, Secretary of HUD
    • Wednesday, April 21 at 2pm EST: Subcommittee hearing on “Fiscal Year 2022 Budget ”
  • House Foreign Affairs Committee
    • Tuesday, April 20 at 2pm EST: Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber hearing on “Restoration of the Transatlantic Dialogue: The Global Fight Against Climate Change.”
  • Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
    • Wednesday, April 21 at 10am EST: Hearing to “consider the presidential nominations of Bill Nelson to be National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator and Lina Khan to be a Commissioner of the Federal Trade ”
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
    • Wednesday, April 21 at 11am EST: Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing on “Sustainable Wastewater Infrastructure: Measures to Promote Resiliency and Climate Adaptation and ”
  • Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
    • Wednesday, April 21: Meeting to consider the nominations of Julie Su for Deputy Secretary of Labor, Cynthia Marten for Deputy Secretary of Education and James Kvaal for Undersecretary of
  • Senate Agriculture Committee

Congressional News 

  • On April 14, the Senate, in a bipartisan vote of 53-45, confirmed Brenda Mallory to serve as Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. Mallory’s confirmation will ensure CEQ prioritizes environmental justice, climate, and policies that support people and wildlife. See NWF’s press release here.
  • Last week, Senators Luján (D-N.M.) and Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the Revive Economic Growth and Reclaim Orphaned Wells (REGROW) Act of 2021. The bill focuses on clean-up of orphaned oil and gas wells and is a focus of NWF’s Public Land’s fly-in. See NWF’s press release here.

Administrative News  

  • On April 15, NWF and 15,000 members submitted public comments to the Department of Interior in response to their request for information on needs to reform the US oil and gas leasing system. See NWF’s press release here for more on the submission.
  • On April 16, Secretary Haaland issued secretarial orders to ensure widespread, improved management of public lands with a focus on climate Read NWF’s press release here.
  • The Administration released initial information about the President’s fiscal year 2022 discretionary budget request with specific provisions to highlight the all-of-government approach to climate change and related issues. The full budget request is expected later this spring. See the White House’s notice here.
  • See here for President Biden’s comprehensive list of Executive orders to address COVID, the climate crisis, and environmental justice, among other topics.

What’s happening this week? 

  • On Monday, President Biden is expected to meet with a bipartisan and bicameral group of Senators and Representatives, all former Governors and Mayors, to discuss the American Jobs Plan. NWF is working with Members and their staff to conduct virtual meetings, emphasizing recommendations from our Restoration and Resilience report – located here and in our press release here,
  • This week, the Senate is expected to consider and vote on the nomination of Lisa Monaco for Deputy Attorney General and the nomination of Gary Gensler to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  • The Senate is expected to vote this week on The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted unanimously last week to report the bill out of committee, see here for their press release.
  • Last Monday, the National Wildlife Federation, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, and Reimagine Appalachia hosted a successful congressional briefing to discuss the role of climate infrastructure investments in Appalachia. Watch the briefing here.
  • NWF’s Public Lands team is continuing their virtual fly-in, hosting staff and affiliates in meetings with Members and their staff to discuss legislative and restoration and resilience priorities as part of upcoming legislation and larger infrastructure packages.

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