Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | May 15-19, 2023

Highlights:

Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) reintroduced the Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act (H.R.3478/S.1690), a bipartisan bill that would provide a crop insurance discount to farmers choosing to plant cover crops. EESI’s resources discuss the provisions of last year’s COVER Act and the benefits of cover crops for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The EVs for All Act (H.R.3468/S.1704) was reintroduced in both houses with support from 24 cosponsors. The bill would develop a grant program to support electric vehicle car sharing at public housing projects.  

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.Mex.) and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.Mex.) reintroduced the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act (S.776), which follows the House version of the bill introduced last month, H.R.1611. The bill would designate portions of the river as “Wild and Scenic,” which would prevent them from being dammed or diverted. EESI’s article, “Keeping the Gila River Wild for People and the Planet,” dives deeper into the importance of this designation for the Gila. 

The House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing to review the national forest system, with a focus on managing wildfires and supporting forest health. EESI tracks the climate, environment, and energy highlights of all the 2023 Farm Bill hearings here.

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