The House Appropriations Committee hosted another
round
of budget hearings; the Senate did the
same
. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director Dan Ashe testified before the House Interior Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday and spent much of his time defending his agency's actions taken to implement Endangered Species Act protocols in drought-riddled California. He also addressed Asian carp in the upper Mississippi and stated that the USFWS remains hopeful that carp can be kept out of the Great Lakes.
The Senate failed to pass a bipartisan Energy Bill (S. 2012) for another consecutive week, due to disagreements concerning an amendment providing an aid package to address the lead contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan. Senator Mike Lee (UT-R) continues to be the roadblock for the aid, questioning the costs. Objections from Senator Bill Nelson (FL-D) over a proposed offshore drilling revenue sharing amendment are also stalling the effort to move the energy package. Meanwhile, Illinois Democratic Reps Tammy Duckworth and Mike Quigley introduced a pair of bills in the House. The Copper and Lead Evaluation, Assessment, and Reporting Act would strengthen the federal Lead and Copper Rule, while the second would provide grants to reduce lead in community drinking water supplies and is the House companion for legislation introduced in the Senate by Senator Ben Cardin (MD-D).
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on Wednesday examining the 2016 Water Resources Development Act, focusing on policies and projects.
A bipartisan coalition of senators sent a letter to appropriators to reinstate funding for a combined waterways maintenance-ecosystem restoration program for the Upper Mississippi River System. The Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) would build 1,200 foot locks at the most congested locations of the upper Mississippi and incorporate more than 200 environmental improvements like fish passages and river habitat.
The Senate is in recess until April 4th. The House will be in session through Wednesday, March 23rd, before recessing until April 11th.
