Energy and Climate Debate:

Congress returns from the Columbus Day holiday this week to full schedules in both chambers, including several energy and environment hearings of interest. In the meantime, the Obama Administration has a busy week of energy and climate events as it continues it preparations for the international climate negotiations at the end of the year in Paris.

The House will focus heavily on the leadership race to replace retiring Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH). With Representative Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) sudden decision to drop out of the speaker’s race, House leadership and legislation as a whole are in limbo, and as Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) determines whether or not to enter the fray, the consequences range from highway reauthorization expiring October 29; to a threat to the debt limit, which must be addressed by November 3; to Medicare premium increases; to federal government spending, with the current continuing resolution scheduled to expire December 11; to the Positive Train Control reprieve deadline expiring December 31; to a need to renew the Export-Import Bank, whose authorization expired at the end of June, and so on. The House is expected to take up this week its reconciliation package, which would repeal pieces of the 2010 health care law and defund Planned Parenthood for a year, and several committees will hold energy and environment related hearings.