Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | May 20 - May 24, 2024

Highlights:

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.), alongside Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and other bipartisan cosponsors, advanced the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (S.4367) to the Senate floor. Every two years, the bill reauthorizes water conservation and development initiatives—such as flood control and ecosystem restoration—across the country.

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology unanimously passed the Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies (IMPACT) Act (H.R.7685). Reps. Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) introduced the original bill which, if codified, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cement, concrete, and asphalt production. Check out EESI’s explainer on how these embodied emissions come to be and how policies can boost climate mitigation within the building materials industry. 

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works reported out the National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act (S.4359), which will move to the Senate floor for debate. Penned by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), the bill reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program, which supports states with training, emergency planning, inspection, and monitoring for the country’s nearly 92,000 dams. EESI’s briefing, Dams in Every District, explores the opportunities and challenges surrounding the nation’s dams. 

House Committee on Agriculture Chair Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (H.R.8467), or the 2024 Farm Bill, which the Committee subsequently considered and amended . EESI’s legislative side-by-sides illustrate the differences between current law and the House’s amended Farm Bill text.

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