UPDATED: Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

This week may see the release of draft U.S. Senate and House farm bills, with mark-ups possibly occurring in the Senate Agriculture Committee early next week, and in the House Agriculture Committee on May 15.  The Senate will consider a motion to proceed with consideration of the Water Resources Development Act on Tuesday afternoon.  That motion is expected to easily pass, and then the Senate will take up full consideration of the bill (S 601).

Below are the other activities currently scheduled for the week in the House and Senate that bear watching, as they may relate to the sustainability of the Mississippi River Basin's natural and built resources. Where available, links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages on the Internet. Many of the proceedings will be webcast live (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Tuesday

• House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the  Bureau of Land Management's proposed fiscal year 2014 budget; 9:30 AM; room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building
• House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Environment, Subcommittee on Energy hearing on the Keystone XL Pipeline: Examination of Scientific and Environmental Issues (Joint Hearing - Energy and Environment Subcommittees); 10:00 AM; room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation oversight hearing on "Impediments to Public Recreation on Public Lands;" 2:00 PM; room 1334 Longworth House Office Building

Wednesday

• House Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing on "DOI Hydraulic Fracturing Rule: A Recipe for Government Waste, Duplication and Delay;" 10:00 AM; room 1324 Longworth House Office Building Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting to consider several bills relating to hydropower development; 11:30 AM; room SD-366 Dirksen Senate Office Building 
• House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency proposed fiscal year 2014 budget; 1:00 PM; room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building 
• Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management hearing to examine how the private sector can be leveraged to support community preparedness and response to natural and man-made disasters; 2:30PM; room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building 

Thursday

• Environment and Public Works Committee business meeting to consider the nomination of Gina McCarthy  to be Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 9:15 AM; room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building