Hill Heat

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

The hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Debra Haaland to be the Secretary of the Interior, previously announced on February 16, will resume at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, in Room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. To watch Part 1 of the nomination hearing, please click here.

Members of the committee may participate in person or online. The committee will follow guidelines developed in consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician and the Senate Rules Committee to protect the health of members, staff, and the public. This includes maintaining six-foot social distance spacing in the hearing room. Pursuant to this guidance, Senate office buildings are not open to the public other than official business visitors and credentialed press at this time. Accordingly, in-person visitors cannot be accommodated at this hearing.

The hearing will be webcast live on the committee’s website, and an archived video will be available shortly after the hearing is complete.

The Committee on Rules will meet on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST via Cisco Webex on the following items:

• H.R. 803—Colorado Wilderness Act of 2021 [Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act]
• H.R. 5—Equality Act

Witnesses

• David Berger, Mayor, City of Limo, Ohio
• Bill Sterud, Chairman, Puyallup Tribal Council, Tacoma, Washington
• Oluwole “OJ” McFoy, General Manager, Buffalo Sewer Authority
• Thomas Teske, Vice President and General Manager, EJ Americas
• Brenda Coley, Co-Executive Director, Milwaukee Water Commons
• David Mallino, Legislative Director, Laborers International Union of North America

The purpose of the hearing is to consider the nomination of the Honorable Debra Haaland to be the Secretary of the Interior.

Introductions by:

• Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
• Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

Members of the committee may participate in person or online. The committee will follow guidelines developed in consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician and the Senate Rules Committee to protect the health of members, staff, and the public. This includes maintaining six-foot social distance spacing in the hearing room. Pursuant to this guidance, Senate office buildings are not open to the public other than official business visitors and credentialed press at this time. Accordingly, in-person visitors cannot be accommodated at this hearing.

The hearing will be webcast live on the committee’s website, and an archived video will be available shortly after the hearing is complete. Witness testimony will be available on the website at the start of the hearing.

Winter Storm Uri has devastated an unprepared, unregulated Texas grid leaving millions without power and at risk of exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning, and death.

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, alongside the US right wing media apparatus, spent their spare time finding ways to blame this preventable disaster on wind energy and the Green New Deal. Texas Senator Cruz abandoned his constituents during the deadly storm to vacation in Mexico. The wealthy and powerful will do everything they can to evade the climate crisis they profit from.

Come Saturday at 2PM Central to learn the truth about what happened, how climate change and capitalism are at the root of the crisis, and what we can do to stop this from happening again. Author, journalist, and climate expert Kate Aronoff will join us to explain the situation, and directly impacted comrades in Texas will share their experiences and where our movement goes from here. We will also share mutual aid resources and other ways for you to best help out.

RSVP