Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | July 10 - July 14, 2023

Highlights:

Last week, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R.2670). The House version of this annual “must-pass” legislation includes investments in energy conservation, grid resilience, and nuclear energy, while blocking implementation of several of the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate initiatives. 

The Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023 (S.452) passed to the Senate floor from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), would establish a nuclear fuel security program under the Department of Energy. A House version of the bill (H.R.1086) is waiting to be reviewed in Committee. EESI’s briefing, The State of Play for Nuclear Energy in the United States, examines policies and programs through which Congress and the Executive Branch are supporting the country’s existing nuclear reactor fleet and moving research and technological innovations forward to meet clean energy goals.

The Senate saw support for agricultural research from both sides of the aisle last week. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and six of his Democratic colleagues introduced a bill (S.2317) that would expand research on organic farming via the Agricultural Research Service. EESI recently hosted a joint briefing that discussed the climate, health and economic benefits of organic agriculture. Meanwhile, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced the Land Grant Research Prioritization Act (S.2316). The bill, which has a counterpart in the House (H.R.4162), would make priority research grants available via the U.S. Department of Agriculture for land-grant universities to research issues like precision agriculture and artificial intelligence technologies.

In the House, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) introduced the Agricultural Representation for the United States Territories Act (H.R.4593). The bill would increase representation for U.S. territories on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board. At EESI’s recent briefing, Conservation Practices from Farms to Forests and Wetlands, panelists discussed the need for greater consideration of U.S. territories, as well indigenous communities, in creating federal agricultural policies that work for all farmers.

To catch up on all of the recent environmental and energy legislation in Congress, read the PDF here.