Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyberattacks: Examining Expertise of Sector Specific Agencies
A subcommittee hearing to discuss each agencies’ expertise in protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
Witnesses:- Puesh Kumar, Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, Department of Energy
- David Travers, Director, Water Infrastructure and Cyber Resilience Division, Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water, Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency
- Brian Mazanec, PhD, Deputy Director, Office of Preparedness, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) released the following statement:
“Cyberattacks pose a growing threat to the health, safety, and energy security of the American people. As we work to secure critical infrastructure, like pipelines, the grid, telecommunications, and hospital systems, it’s crucial to understand how each agency leverages its unique expertise for cyber preparedness in specific sectors. We look forward to having this discussion with experts from several agencies on how to prevent bad actors and adversaries from undermining our national security, our economy, and our way of life.”
Examining the Challenges Facing Forest Management, Wildfire Suppression, and Wildland Firefighters Ahead of the 2023 Wildfire Year
On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the Challenges Facing Forest Management, Wildfire Suppression, and Wildland Firefighters Ahead of the 2023 Wildfire Year.”
Witnesses:
Panel I:- Jaelith Hall-Rivera, Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Jeff Rupert, Director, Office of Wildland Fire, U.S. Department of the Interior
- Ranatta McNair, Board Member, National Association of Forest Service Retirees, Bend, OR
- Matt Dias, President, California Forestry Association, Sacramento, CA
- Greg Bolin, Mayor, Paradise, CA
- Courtney Schultz, Associate Professor of Forest and Natural Resource Policy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Ambassadorial Nominees for Oman, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda
A hearing to examine the nominations of the following ambassadorial nominees.
Nominees:- Ana A. Escrogima, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Sultanate of Oman
- Lisa A. Johnson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Lebanese Republic
- Ervin Jose Massinga, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- Bryan David Hunt, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Sierra Leone
- William W. Popp, of Missouri, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Uganda
The President’s FY 2024 Budget for the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement
On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2024 Budget for the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement.”
Witnesses:- Tracy Stone-Manning, Director, Bureau of Land Management
- Glenda Owens, Deputy Director, Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, Washington, DC
The fiscal year (FY) 2024 President’s Budget requested $1.7 billion for the BLM to promote its multiple use and sustained yield mandate. The proposed budget is an increase of $140.5 million above FY 2023 enacted funding. The budget requests $304 million for the Land Resources account, which provides for integrated management of public land resources, including forestry, range, and cultural resources, as well as wild horses and burro management. The budget requests $230 million for Energy and Minerals Management ($4 million less than FY 2023 enacted funding) which provides for oil and gas management and inspection activities, coal management, other mineral resource management and renewable energy.
The BLM’s budget request includes $72.5 million for the Renewable Energy Management program and an increase of almost $32 million from FY 2023 enacted. According to the BLM’s budget justification, the increase will support siting, leasing, processing rights-ofway applications, and oversight of renewable energy projects and transmission lines connecting to renewable energy projects. The money would also be used to hire 81 full time employees in BLM headquarters, state and field offices, and the Renewable Energy Coordination Offices.
The DOI budget requests $1.93 billion for the Wildland Fire Management Program, a 9.5 percent increase compared to FY 2023 enacted levels of $1.86 billion. The majority of this funding is for Preparedness and Suppression Operations (including the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund), which totals $1.33 billion. Of this, $72 million is identified for a legislative proposal to provide a permanent increase in pay for wildland firefighters.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget
Full committee hearing on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget.
Witness:- Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
$4.1 billion budget request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The Next Fifty Years of the Clean Water Act: Examining the Law and Infrastructure Project Completion
This is a hearing of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, chaired by climate denier David Rouzer (R-N.C.).
Witness list:- Dr. Andrea Travnicek, Director, Department of Water Resources, State of North Dakota
- Serena Coleman McIlwain, Secretary of the Environment, State of Maryland
- Mickey Conway, CEO, Metro Water Recovery, Denver, Colorado, on behalf of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies
- Brandon Farris, Vice President, Energy and Resources Policy, National Association of Manufacturers
The National Forest System: Supporting Forest Health and Confronting the Wildfire Crisis
Hearing of the Subcommittee on Forestry re: “To Review the National Forest System: Supporting Forest Health and Confronting the Wildfire Crisis”
Witness:- Randy Moore, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Markup of Gas-Stove Pollution and other legislation
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) announced a subcommittee markup of 3 bills.
- H.R. 1042, The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act
- H.R. 1640, Save Our Gas Stoves Act, to prohibit the implementation of Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products
- H.R. 3277, Energy Emergency Leadership Act
“America produces some of the cleanest, most affordable, and most efficient energy in the world. We’ve led the world in emissions reductions while upholding some of the highest labor and environmental standards. This Committee is at the forefront of improving people’s lives by unleashing American energy and improving our energy security. We look forward to considering several bills that build on these efforts by preserving people’s access to natural gas stoves, strengthening American leadership in clean nuclear energy, and protecting our electric grid from cyber threats.”
Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) introduced H.R. 1042 on February 14, 2023. This legislation would amend the relevant sections of the USEC Privatization Act to prohibit the importation of unirradiated, low-enriched uranium that is produced in the Russian Federation. It would provide waiver authority until January 2028 to the Secretary of Energy to authorize the importation of such uranium, subject to certain limits, if no alternative, viable source of lowenriched uranium is available to sustain U.S. nuclear reactor or U.S. nuclear company operations or is determined to be in the national interest. This prohibition would not apply to imports of non-uranium isotopes or certain imports for national security or nonproliferation purposes. The legislation also would authorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to use funds available in the Department’s nuclear credit program, up to no more than $1.5 billion, for its American Assured Fuel Supply, to address potential low-enriched uranium supply disruptions.
Rep. Lesko (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 1640 on March 17, 2023. This legislation would amend Section 325(h) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act so that an energy conservation standard under this section for kitchen ranges or ovens cannot be “economically justified” if it likely will result in the unavailability in the United States of a type (or class) of product based on what type of fuel the product consumes. H.R. 1640 also would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the proposed energy conservation standard for consumer conventional cooking products, or any substantially similar rule.
Reps. Walberg (R-MI) and Blunt-Rochester (D-DE) introduced H.R. 3277 on May 11, 2023. H.R. 3277, the “Energy Emergency Leadership Act”, would amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to include energy emergency and energy security among the functions that the Secretary of Energy shall assign to an Assistant Secretary. The legislation would provide that the functions to be assigned to an Assistant Secretary include responsibilities with respect to infrastructure, cybersecurity, emerging threats, supply and emergency planning, coordination, response, and restoration. It would also provide that these functions include the provision of technical assistance, support, and response capabilities with respect to energy sector threats, risks, and incidents to State, local, and Tribal governments, and the energy sector. Finally, H.R. 3277 would require the Secretary of Energy to ensure that the departmental functions added by this legislation are performed in coordination with relevant Federal agencies.
Examining NASA’s FY24 Budget and Priorities
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Examining NASA’s FY24 Budget and Priorities” at 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
Witness:- Bill Nelson, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Following the successful 2022 Artemis I and Double Asteroid Redirect Test missions, and looking ahead to the 2023 flying of X-59 Quiet Supersonic Transport, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) remains the world’s preeminent aeronautical and space research agency. This oversight hearing will examine the activities and funding levels required to maintain U.S. leadership in these science and technology areas. Topics such as achieving Artemis mission goals with commercial and international partners, future of the International Space Station, Earth observation data sharing, workforce development and meeting the requirements of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 will be considered. The hearing will also inform committee efforts to develop a multi-year NASA authorization that will help ensure NASA’s continued success.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration FY2024 budget request is $27.2 billion, including $2.5 billion for earth science.
The Fiscal Year 2024 Department of Energy Budget
Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee hearing on the DOE’s fiscal year 2024 budget.
Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC)
2024 Department of Energy Budget Justification: $52 billion ($32.5 military)
Chairs Rodgers and Duncan released the following statement:
“The Department of Energy (DOE) has long served America’s critical national and energy security interests. It maintains the nation’s nuclear stockpile, advances world class national security and engineering goals through the national laboratories, and nurtures the supply of American energy. The Democrats’ reckless spending spree has allocated billions of taxpayer dollars for DOE to implement President Biden’s rush-to-green agenda, which is forcing higher energy costs on Americans, making the U.S. more reliant on China, and distracting from the agency’s congressionally-mandated mission of advancing our nation’s energy security and leadership. Secretary Granholm, who has been at the helm of implementing this radical agenda, needs to answer to Americans whose lives have been made worse while she’s praising China—a country with some of the worst environmental and labor standards in the world. We’ll demand answers from her on how we can reverse this damage and flip the switch on domestic production of cleaner oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydropower, and other sources, which is the best way to bring down costs and reduce emissions.”