Capitol Hill Next Week - What to Watch For

The U.S. House and Senate both return next week from an eleven-day, July Fourth Holiday recess. Congress is then scheduled to be in session for four consecutive weeks, before recessing for the entire month of August, and the first week of September.

One of the major pieces of legislation on the full Senate's calendar for the week is its consideration of the "Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014" (S. 2363); a bill designed to "to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes." That legislation is a package of 12 bills that include reauthorizations of federal programs to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and that would allow federal agencies to use revenues from land sales to acquire lands of higher conservation value.

Below are the other U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for next week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.  Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages, and, where appropriate, to pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Wednesday:

• House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture hearing to consider the societal benefits of biotechnology; 10:00 AM; room 1300 Longworth House Office Building
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Legislative Hearing on two bills, including ​​H.R. 3994 -  Federal Lands Invasive Species Control, Prevention, and Management Act: "to improve the control and management of invasive species that threaten and harm Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, and for other purposes;" 10:00 AM; room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing - "Navigating the Clean Water Act: Is Water Wet?" 10:00 AM, room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.

Thursday:

• House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management hearing on "Implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014: Commodity Policy and Crop Insurance;" 9:30 AM; room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.

Friday:

• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy hearing on "Constitutional Considerations: States vs. Federal Environmental Policy Implementation;" 9:15 AM; room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.