Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch That Could Effect Water Resources

Here are the activities scheduled this week in the U.S. House and Senate that could have a significant impact on the Mississippi River Basin's water and natural resources. Where available, links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages on the Internet. Many of the proceedings are webcast live (follow the appropriate link).

     Monday, March 18

The full Senate is scheduled to continue its consideration on Monday of amendments introduced to the Senate spending plan to fund the federal government from March 27 (when current spending authority ends) through the end of the 2013 fiscal year in September.  The Senate bill is technically an amendment of a spending bill passed by the House two weeks ago (H R 933; the "Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013"). 

Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the full House has set aside time to meet for legislative business that currently includes the possible concurrence with Senate amendment to H.R. 933 (see above).  The House may also consider during this time a Budget Resolution passed last week by the House Budget Committee (the FY 2014 budget plan proposed by Chairman Paul Ryan), "establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023." 

Wednesday, March 20

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee will hold a Committee working session to mark up a draft of the Water Resources Development Act (or "WRDA"). A copy of the draft WRDA bill can be found here (as a PDF file). The mark up session will be held at 10 a.m. (Eastern) in room 406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21

Once the Senate's schedule is cleared of Fiscal Year 2013 spending matters (see above), it will proceed with consideration of the Senate Budget Committee's Fiscal Year 2014 budget plan, which is hugely different from the House's pending Budget Resolution.