The Latest: A Weekly Federal Update
January 3rd, 2022 - January 7th, 2022
Energy, Water & Environment
Public Health & Safety
Finance & Federal Partnerships
Special Reports
Upcoming Events & Activities
January 3rd, 2021 - January 7th, 2021
All events in Eastern Standard Time
Monday, January 3rd
No meetings to report.
Tuesday, January 4th
10:00 AM - Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, Hearing on nomination of Laura Daniel-Davis to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior and to examine domestic and international energy price trends
Wednesday, January 5th
10:00 AM - House Homeland Security Committee, Hearing on “A Whole-of-Government Approach to Combating Ransomware: Examining DHS’s Role”
Thursday, January 6th
9:30 AM - House Climate Crisis Committee, Hearing on “Tribal Voices, Tribal Wisdom: Strategies for the Climate Crisis”
Friday, January 7th
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM - FERC, Meeting on Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Natural Gas Act Sections 3 & 7 Authorizations
Energy, Water & Environment
The latest from the House and Senate Committees on energy (infrastructure), water (infrastructure), environment, interior, or environmental justice.
Legislation
H.R. 5896, To incentivize innovative transportation corridors to reduce carbon and GHG emissions, to provide a tax structure that allows for certain investments in public transportation systems, and to enable the fossil fuel workforce to transition to sustainable work sectors
Sponsor: Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11) referred to Education & Labor Committee; Energy & Commerce Committee; Transportation & Infrastructure Committee; and Ways & Means Committee
Date Introduced: November 5, 2021
H.R. 5899 - Biomass & Biogas for Electric Vehicles Act, To direct the EPA Administrator to provide for the generation of Renewable Identification Numbers under the renewable fuel program for electricity from renewable biomass
Sponsor: Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA-03) referred to Energy & Commerce Committee
Date Introduced: November 5, 2021
H.R. 5907 - Water Infrastructure for Rural & Impoverished Communities Act, To authorize the provision of water and waste facility direct loans and grants to counties that has had 20% or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years
Sponsor: Filemon Vela (D-TX-34) referred to Agriculture Committee
Date Introduced: November 5, 2021
H.R. 5965, To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a pilot program to enter into contracts for payment of costs associated with using eligible hydrogen
Sponsor: Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY-20) referred to Energy & Commerce Committee
Date Introduced: November 12, 2021
News
New York Times: Outcomes at the COP26
India and China, which both heavily rely on coal, agreed to watered down language of “phasing down” coal instead of “phasing out.” China announced it would start “phasing down” the use of coal in 2026 but its representatives did not state what the timeline would look like. Leaders of more than 100 countries, including Brazil, China, Russia and the United States, vowed to end deforestation by 2030. More than 100 countries, including the US and China, agreed to reduce methane emissions by 30% by the end of the decade. India stated it would reach zero emissions by 2070, but by 2030, it would generate at least half of its energy from renewable sources.
Transportation & Infrastructure
The latest from the House and Senate Committees on cybersecurity, national security, manufacturing, supply chains, port authority, metropolitan transit, or airport.
Legislation
H.R. 5925 - Supply Chain Emergency Response Act, To direct the Transportation Secretary to establish a program to provide grants to owners of cargo vessels being rerouted from the Western seaboard of the United States through the Panama Canal
Sponsor: Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL-26) referred to Oversight & Reform Committee; Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Date Introduced: November 9, 2021
H.R. 5936, To include requirement relating to ransomware attack deterrence for a covered U.S. financial institution in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
Sponsor: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) referred to Financial Services Committee
Date Introduced: November 9, 2021
H.R. 5960, To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for engagements with State, local, Tribal and territorial governments
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) referred to Homeland Security Committee
Date Introduced: November 12, 2021
H.R. 5962, To manage supply chain risk through counterintelligence training
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) referred to Oversight & Reform Committee
Date Introduced: November 12, 2021
News
The Washington Post: Crash deaths are on the rise across the nation. The infrastructure bill opens the door to a safety overhaul
The funds — intended for improving streets, cars and human behavior — represent a sliver of a $1.2 trillion package crafted to upgrade the country’s roads, bridges, pipelines and Internet connections, and the infrastructure overhaul is coming about as speeding has increased and seat belt use has fallen during the pandemic. But Transportation Department officials and outside safety experts say the bill, crafted by members of both parties and administration officials, also opens the door to a major shift in federal safety policy.
White House: President Biden’s Executive Order Establishing Priorities and Task Force for Implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
President Biden signs executive order establishing an Infrastructure Implementation Task Force to coordinate effective implementation across the government and advance the Administration’s priorities, the Executive Order also establishes a Task Force. The Task Force is co-chaired by National Economic Council Director, Brian Deese, and the White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator, Mitch Landrieu.
Immigration & Detention
The latest from the House and Senate Committee on immigration, detention, homeland security, border security, asylum seekers, criminal justice reform, Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), U.S. Marshal Service (USMS), alternatives to detention programming, reentry programming, or Bureau of Prisons.
Legislation
H.R. 5923 - Preserving the Integrity of Our Laws Act, To prohibit settlement negotiations and agreements between heads of any Federal agency, or an employee thereof, and an undocumented immigrant, who brings a civil action against the United States or entered the United States unlawfully
Sponsor: Rep. Patrick “Pat” Fallon (R-TX-04) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: November 9, 2021
News
The Hill: Record Number of Immigrants Funneled into Alternative Detention Programs
A record 136,026 immigrants are now being monitored under Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), up from 86,000 at the beginning of the year. That growth has alarmed critics who say the program causes mental and physical harm to immigrants while doing little to divert them away from ICE's brick-and-mortar facilities. ISAP, now in its fourth iteration, was launched in 2004 as a way to monitor immigrants in removal proceedings through a mix of home and field office visits, court tracking and electronic surveillance.
Public Health & Safety
The latest from House and Senate committees on health insurance, COVID-19 and testing, gun safety, Medicare & Medicaid, telehealth, Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (CHIP), CDC, FDA, or rural hospitals.
Legislation
H.R. 5923 - Preserving the Integrity of Our Laws Act, To prohibit settlement negotiations and agreements between heads of any Federal agency, or an employee thereof, and an undocumented immigrant, who brings a civil action against the United States or entered the United States unlawfully
Sponsor: Rep. Patrick “Pat” Fallon (R-TX-04) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: November 9, 2021
News
The Hill: Record Number of Immigrants Funneled into Alternative Detention Programs
A record 136,026 immigrants are now being monitored under Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s
Finance & Federal Partnerships
The latest from House and Senate committees on taxation, retirement, small business, federal contracting, or monetary policy.
Legislation
H.R. 5923 - Preserving the Integrity of Our Laws Act, To prohibit settlement negotiations and agreements between heads of any Federal agency, or an employee thereof, and an undocumented immigrant, who brings a civil action against the United States or entered the United States unlawfully
Sponsor: Rep. Patrick “Pat” Fallon (R-TX-04) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: November 9, 2021
News
The Hill: Record Number of Immigrants Funneled into Alternative Detention Programs
A record 136,026 immigrants are now being monitored under Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s