Hill Heat

On Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 2:00 P.M. EST, the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife will hold a virtual, fully remote oversight hearing titled, “Building Back Better: Building Resilience for the Economy, Climate, and Ecosystems.”

Witnesses

• Laura Ziemer, Senior Counsel and Water Policy Advisor, Trout Unlimited
• Aleksandr Modjeski, Habitat Restoration Program Director, American Littoral Society
• Dr. Cassandra Moseley, Research Professor and Senior Policy Advisor, Ecosystem Workforce Program, University of Oregon
• Dan Keppen, Executive Director, Family Farm Alliance

Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a roundtable discussion, “Native Communities and the Climate Crisis,” to hear from Native leaders and experts from around the country on how climate change is impacting their communities, and how Congress can be partner in mitigating these impacts and developing solutions and climate resiliency.

As Schatz reflected on the panelist testimony, he noted how important it is for Congress to learn from Native communities in managing resources, adapting to climate change, and developing solutions:

“Native communities have shown us that climate solutions are not exclusively found in spreadsheets, or in tax credits, or incentives, or even in the regulatory area,” said Chairman Schatz. “It is in the actual, physical restoration of the land, and the water, and our streams, and our lakes. Native wisdom has to be incorporated into any climate policy that we have.”

Hearing page

Chairwoman Kaptur Opening Statement As Prepared

Witnesses

• Bidtah Becker, Associate Attorney, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
• Kevin DeGood, Director of Infrastructure Policy, Center for American Progress
• Jason Uhley, General Manager-Chief Engineer, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
• Thomas J. Winston, President & CEO, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority

The hearing will explore the importance of rail to the U.S. economy and as a tool to mitigate climate change.

Hearing page

Witnesses

• Shannon Valentine, Secretary of Transportation, Virginia
• Caren Kraska, President/Chairman, Arkansas & Missouri Railroad
• Greg Regan, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD)
• Tom Williams, Group Vice President for Consumer Products, BNSF Railway

Memorandum

Opening Statement from Chairman Pallone

Opening Statement from Subcommittee Chair DeGette

Witnesses

• Christine Todd Whitman, Administrator (2001-2003), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Carol Browner, Administrator (1993-2001), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, Former Chief of Staff and Region 4 Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• John Deskins, Ph.D., Director, Bureau of Business & Economic Research, West Virginia University

Witnesses

• Eric Garcetti, Mayor, Los Angeles, CA
• Frank Rusco, Director of Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office
• Ben Fowke, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xcel Energy
• Sandra Snyder, Vice President of Environment, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
• Jim Wood, Director, Energy Institute at West Virginia University

On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. (EST), the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will host a virtual, fully remote legislative hearing titled, “Modernizing Energy Development Laws for the Benefit of Taxpayers, Communities, and the Environment,” including the following bills and other related measures.

• H.R. 1492 (Rep. Diana DeGette), Methane Waste Prevention Act
• H.R.1503 (Rep. Mike Levin), Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act
• H.R. 1505 (Rep. Alan Lowenthal), Bonding Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act
• H.R. 1506 (Rep. Alan Lowenthal), Transparency in Energy Production Act
• H.R. 1517 (Rep. Katie Porter), Ending Taxpayer Welfare for Oil and Gas Companies Act

Witnesses

Panel I

• Rep. Mike Levin, California, 49th District
• Rep. Katie Porter, California, 45th District
• Rep. Diana DeGette, Colorado, 1st District

Panel II

• Tracy Stone-Manning, Associate Vice President, Public Lands, National Wildlife Federation, Missoula, MT
• Hilary Cooper, Commissioner, District 1, San Miguel County, CO
• Brian Prest, PhD, Fellow, Resources for the Future
• Mark Murphy, President, Strata Production Company, Roswell, NM

On Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. (EST), the Committee on Natural Resources Office of Insular Affairs will hold a remote legislative hearing on Discussion Draft H.R.__, “Insular Area Climate Change Act.”

The proposed legislation would:

• create the Office of Insular Area Energy Policy and Programs to direct energy management, planning, delivery and conservation programs in the territories;
• establish a rebate program for energy-efficient appliances in order to reduce energy demand;
• provide grants to universities and colleges to monitor, collect, synthesize, analyze and publish local climate change data; and
• waive the locally paid portion for federal disaster relief in the territories and the Freely Associated States.

Witnesses

• Gerald M. Zackios – Ambassador to the U.S., Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Ada Monzón – President, EcoExploratorio – Puerto Rico Science Museum
• Jean-Pierre L. Oriol – Commissioner – USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources
• Rafael A. Machargo Maldonado – Secretary, Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources
• Zena Grecni – Sustained Climate Assessment Specialist, East-West Center
• Dr. Austin Shelton – Director, University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability

Legislation:

• H.R. 1087, the Shareholder Political Transparency Act of 2021
• the Disclosure of Tax Havens and Offshoring Act
• the Climate Risk Disclosure Act
• the Greater Accountability in Pay Act
• the Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2021
• the Paris Climate Agreement Disclosure Act
• the Oil and Minerals Corruption Prevention Act

Witnesses:

• Andy Green, Senior Fellow for Economic Policy, Center for American Progress
• Heather McTeer Toney, Environmental Justice Liaison, Environmental Defense Fund and Senior Advisor, Moms Clear Air Force
• Veena Ramani, Senior Program director, Capital Market Systems, Ceres
• James Andrus, Investment Manager, California Public Employees’ Retirement System

Republican witness:

• Vivek Ramaswamy, Biotech Entrepreneur and Author

Witnesses

• Robin Millican, Director, Breakthrough Energy
• Dr. Colin Cunliff, Senior Policy Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
• Dr. Shobita Parthasarathy, Professor of Public Policy and Director, Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, University of Michigan
• Rich Powell, Executive Director, ClearPath