Hill Heat

Legislation

• H.R. 4091, the “ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2019” -reported favorably to full Committee
  • Amendment to H.R. 4091 offered by Mr. Foster (D-IL) – offered and withdrawn from consideration
  • Amendment to H.R. 4091 offered by Mr. Baird (R-IN) – failed by voice vote

• H.R. 4230, the “Clean Industrial Technology Act of 2019” -reported favorably to full Committee
  • Amendment to H.R. 4230 offered by Mr. Weber (R-TX) – failed by voice vote
  • Amendment to H.R. 4230 offered by Mr. Lipinski (D-IL) – passed by voice vote
  • Amendment #02 to H.R. 4230 offered by Mr. Weber (R-TX) – failed by voice vote
  • Amendment to H.R. 4230 offered by Mr. Norman (R-SC) – failed by voice vote
  • Amendment #01 to H.R. 4230 offered by Mr. Weber (R-TX) – withdrawn from consideration

The hearing will focus on boosting U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technologies and creating new manufacturing jobs.

Witnesses

• Zoe Lipman, Director, Vehicles and Advanced Transportation Program at the BlueGreen Alliance. BGA unites America’s largest labor unions and environmental organizations. Lipman previously led work on fuel economy standards at the National Wildlife Federation and is a former trade union official.
• Tarak Shah, consultant and former Department of Energy chief of staff to the Undersecretary for Science and Energy. Shah previously worked for the Department of Defense and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
• Josh Nassar, Legislative Director for the United Auto Workers. The UAW has more than 400,000 active members and 600 local unions. Nassar previously worked for the Service Employees International Union.
• Edward Stones, Global Business Director for Energy and Climate Change at Dow Chemical Company. Stones leads Dow’s energy conservation and carbon pollution reduction efforts and participates in the company’s global advocacy on climate and energy issues.

Witnesses:

• Monica de Bolle, PhD, Director, Latin American Studies Program, School of Advanced, International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Daniel Nepstad, PhD, President and Executive Director, Earth Innovation Institute
• Bill Millan, Chief Conservation Officer and Director of Policy, International Conservation Caucus Foundation

From installing solar panels, to building wind farms and revolutionizing the auto industry, the clean energy economy is a driving force for small business innovation and job growth. Energy efficiency jobs make up most of the green economy, supporting at least 2.2 million jobs ranging across various industries. Small businesses are directly involved in this economy in a wide variety of ways. This hearing will bring together some small business innovators in the clean energy and green economy to discuss the importance of their businesses, the challenges they face, and what Congress can do to support small business innovation for the 21st century.

Witnesses

• Dr. Lynn Abramson, President, Clean Energy Business Network
• Thomas R. Brooks, General Manager, Western Dubuque Biodiesel
• Michael G. Williams, Deputy Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• David J. Spigelmyer, President, Marcellus Shale Coalition

• H.R. 205 — Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act of 2019
• H.R. 1146 — Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act
• H.R. 1941 — Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in Hart Senate Office Building 216 to consider the following legislative measures.

Agenda

• S. 2297, Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2019, Sponsor: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
• S. 2299, Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2019, Sponsors: Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)

Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) are scheduled to move July 30 a bipartisan bill, entitled the America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA), out of their committee. ATIA would authorize $287 billion in state highway spending authority from Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025.

ARTBA staff has attended multiple briefings with EPW committee staff, who shared some details of the legislation. It includes:

Of the $287 billion in budget authority, 90 percent will be provided to the states via formula;

• A new $6 billion bridge program would be funded by a mix of Highway Trust Fund and General Fund revenues;
• New climate change and safety incentivization programs;
• Additional streamlining provisions, including the codification of “One Federal Decision”, the Trump administration executive order requiring all agencies to work together on a single decision for environmental project reviews;
• Resources to build alternative fuel fueling stations along identified corridors;

The EPW committee, which has jurisdiction over most highway programs, is the first in either the House or Senate to move forward on reauthorizing the 2015 FAST Act surface transportation law, which expires Sept. 30, 2020.

The committee will also consider S. 1992, A bill to amend the FAST Act to repeal a rescission of funds and 6 General Services Administration resolutions.

• H.R. 3794 (Rep. Gosar for himself and Rep. Levin), To promote the development of renewable energy on public lands, and for other purposes. “Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019”