Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For (UPDATED)

This week is the last that Congress is in session until June 1, and lawmakers have packed the middle of the week with committee and floor activities they want to complete before leaving for greener pastures. The House is scheduled to be off starting Friday. And while the Senate is technically in session on Friday, unless pressing legislation demands otherwise (highway laws and key PATRIOT Act provisions expire on May 31), most Senators will be gone by Thursday evening, as well.

Below are the House and Senate activities currently scheduled this week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Key among those activities are Tuesday's legislative hearing on a Senate bill that would require the Obama Administration to restart its "Waters of the United States" rulemaking process, and a Wednesday House committee hearing regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Surface Mining stream protection rule.

Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages, and, where applicable, to pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link). All times are Eastern. This page will be updated as warranted. 

Tuesday

• Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife legislative hearing on  “S. 1140, The Federal Water Quality Protection Act” (a bill from Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) that would direct the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. EPA to re-propose the Waters of the United States rule); 10:00 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing on "Empowering State Management of Greater Sage Grouse;" 10:00 AM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies hearing to examine "DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Engagement with Academia and Industry;" 10:00 AM, room 311 Cannon House Office Building (among other duties, that directorate works to improve "the nation’s preparedness for natural and man-made catastrophes").
• Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing to examine proposed environmental regulation's impacts on America's small businesses (this hearing will focus primarily on the proposed Waters of the United States rule); 2:00 PM, room 428A Russell Senate Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee meeting to mark up the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016; 2:30 PM, room 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Wednesday

• House Natural Resources Subcommittees on Federal Lands and Water, Power and Oceans joint hearing: "To protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes;" 9:30 AM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• Senate Environment and Public Works Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee oversight hearing "to examine scientific advisory panels and processes at the Environmental Protection Agency," including consideration of S. 543, the "EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2015;" 9:30 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2016 funding request, budget justification, and oversight of programs administered by the Bureau of Land Management; 10:00 AM, room 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Agriculture Committee meeting to consider, among other items,  the National Forest Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2015 (the National Forest Foundation Act established a National Forest Foundation to benefit the activities of the U.S. Forest Service by encouraging, accepting, and administering private gifts of money and property); 10:00 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources legislative hearing on H.R. 2295, the  “National Energy Security Corridors Act” (which would "designate National Energy Security Corridors for the construction of natural gas pipelines on Federal land"); 10:00 AM, room 1334 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Committee meeting to mark up the fiscal year 2016 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill, which, among other things, would cut the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by $274 million and increase funding for the National Science Foundation by $50 million; 10:30 AM, room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations oversight hearing on "State Perspectives on the Status of Cooperating Agencies for the Office of Surface Mining's Stream Protection Rule;" 2:00 PM, room 1334 Longworth House Office Building.

Thursday

• NEW TIME - Senate Appropriations Committee meeting to mark up the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (which would fund the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies); 11:00 AM, room 216 Hart Senate Office Building.