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Senator Reid Pulls Plug on Moving Comprehensive Energy Bill On July 22, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that he will bring a limited package of Gulf of Mexico oil spill response and oil rig safety measures to the floor next week, delaying action until at least this fall on a broader proposal that would impose greenhouse gas limits on power plants. The measure will also include a title on energy efficiency that will be based on the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act S. 3177, which gives homeowners incentives to make their homes more efficient. A draft of the Reid proposal has not yet been made public. Senator Reid’s announcement followed a closed-door meeting in which Senate Democrats decided they lack the votes needed to bring the larger energy bill to the floor before the August recess. Reid stated that he has not abandoned plans to try and bring up a broader climate and energy plan later in the year. Earlier this week, Carol Browner, Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, and congressional Democrats met with representatives from the Edison Electric Institute — a trade group representing investor-owned utilities — to seek agreement on a carbon-pricing plan that focuses on power plants. While this effort was not successful in garnering support for bring up legislation that would include a cap on greenhouse gas emissions prior to the August recess, the White House and Senate Democrats insist that they are not giving up on a comprehensive climate bill. Senate Set to Move Separate Chemical Security Measures On July 28th, two separate committees in the Senate have scheduled action on pending chemical security legislation. Following September 11, 2001, Congress began debating legislation to strengthen security at chemical plants across the nation due to concern about the threat of terrorist attacks. In the FY 2007 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Congress gave DHS temporary authority to implement what has become known as the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). This legislative authority was set to expire in October 2009 and has been extended until October 2010. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has scheduled an oversight hearing on S. 3598, The Secure Water Facilities Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) would authorize $200 million for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015, of which not more than $150 million can be used during each of the fiscal year to implement methods to reduce the consequences of chemical releases from intentional acts. The legislation would require drinking water utilities to periodically update existing vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans and to complete new site security plans detailing how the utility is addressing known risks. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security will mark up H.R. 2868, The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. The legislation makes the CFATS permanent and enhances the program by making facilities, as part of their vulnerability assessments, analyze how they can change their internal processes to reduce the consequences of a terrorist attack at their facility. The bill would authorize a chemical security office within DHS to carry out the provisions of this legislation, including conducting audits and inspections of the nation’s chemical facilities. H.R. 2868 would require drinking water and wastewater facilities, entities that are currently exempt from the CFATS regulations, to comply with those requirements. The bill also would require public and private drinking water and wastewater facilities to complete an initial assessment of their chemical holdings. President Signs Unemployment Law This week, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law a six-month extension of emergency jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. This action restores aid to nearly 3 million people whose checks have been cut off since the program expired in early June. The House approved the $34 billion measure on a vote of 272 to 152. The Senate passed the measure on Wednesday after months-long stand-off. The law extends unemployment insurance through November for out-of-work Americans who have not yet exhausted up to 99 weeks of aid, benefits would be retroactive to late May, when the previous extension expired. Congress Acts on Transportation Appropriations House Action: On July 20, the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies passed FY 2011 spending bill. The $67.4 billion bill is $1.3 billion below the President’s request and $500 million below the FY 2010 enacted level. The bill provides:
Senate Action: On July 21, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies marked up their FY 2011 spending bill. The $67.9 billion bill is $0.7 billion below the President’s request and $0.3 billion above the equivalent 2010 enacted level. The full committee is expected to take up the bill next week. Senate Moves Commerce, Justice and Science Spending Bill On July 21, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies marked up their FY 2011 appropriations bill.
Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee Markup On July 20, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development approved fiscal year 2011 funding legislation. The FY 2011 bill would provide a total of $35 billion for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy. The subcommittee spending bill is $376.3 million below President Obama’s budget request and $1.503 billion above the FY 2010 enacted level.
House Appropriations Interior Markup On July 20, the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies approved fiscal year 2011 funding legislation. The FY 2011 bill would provide a total of $11 billion for the Department of the Interior (DOI). The amount is $4 million higher than FY 2010 and $22 million higher than the President’s request. The subcommittee legislation would provide:
Study Shows $77.7 Billion Needed For Nation’s Rail and Bus System This week, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released a report entitled, “National State of Good Repair Assessment Study” that estimates that it would cost $77.7 billion to bring the nation’s rail and bus transit systems into a state of good repair. In addition, a yearly average of $14.4 billion would be required to maintain the systems. This report was requested by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as a follow-up to the 2009 Rail Modernization Study report to Congress. Hearings Senate Date: July 27 Time: 2:30 p.m. Date: July 29 Time: TBA Date: July 28 Time: TBA Date: July 28 Time: TBA Date: July 28 Time: TBA Date: July 29 Time: 9:30 a.m. Date: TBA Time: TBA House Date: July 27 Time: 10 a.m. Date: July 28 Time: 2 p.m. Date: July 28 Time: 10 a.m. Date: July 29 Time: 10 a.m. Date: July 29 Time: TBA
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