Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Following morning business on Monday, the Senate is currently scheduled to proceed to the consideration of S.954, the Farm Bill.  The Monday activity will likely start around 3:00 PM and run no later than 5:00 PM.  Farm Bill activity on the Senate floor will probably then continue into the remainder of the week on a schedule yet to be determined.

Below are other Mississippi River Basin-linked activities currently scheduled this week in the U.S. House and Senate. Where available, Internet links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages. Many of the proceedings are webcast live (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Wednesday

The full House starts at 10 a.m., and in the afternoon it will begin work on HR 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, which would approve the northern portion of the Keystone pipeline, the route of which cuts through portions of the Mississippi River Basin.
• Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment Subcommittee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request for the United States Forest Service; 9:30 AM; room SD-124 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building 
• House Appropriations Committee's Full Committee Markup of the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, FY 2014 (including appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)); 10:00 AM; room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources legislative hearing on H.R. 1964, H.R. 1965, H.R. 1394, and H.R. 555 (including consideration of on-shore oil shale energy development, and a 4-year production plan strategy on all Federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service); 10:00 AM; room 1324 Longworth House Office Building
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing on "the President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: Administration Priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," 2:00 PM; 2167 Rayburn House Office Building
• Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife hearing on “Nutrient Trading and Water Quality;” 2:30 PM; room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Thursday

• House Science Subcommittee on Environment hearing on "Restoring U.S. Leadership in Weather Forecasting," 9:30 AM; room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee forum on "Shale Development: Best Practices and Environmental Concerns;" 10:00 AM; room SH-216 Senate Hart Building