Energy & Environment Update - July 2015

In This Issue:

- Energy and Climate Debate

- Congress

- Administration

- Department of Energy

- Environmental Protection Agency

- International

- States

- Excerpt from Energy and Climate Debate:

The House and Senate return this week for a busy July work period before departing again for the August recess.

Upon their return, the House resumes negotiations on the fiscal year 2016 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, as well as other funding measures. After announcing earlier in the week that the House would postpone votes on final passage until after the Independence Day recess, it concluded its first day of debate June 25 on the fiscal year 2016 Interior-Environmental Protection Agency appropriations bill, adopting 15 amendments by voice vote and reducing the Environmental Protection Agency’s funding by another $100 million from the original measure. The bill already includes several policy riders blocking the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon rules for power plants, ozone, fracking, the Waters of the U.S. Rule, and others. The debate will continue as Congress returns from the Independence Day recess, focusing on the second half of the measure, which includes the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate rules, the Department of Interior’s fracking rule, and social cost of carbon calculations, among other things likely to attract amendments and riders. The Senate will take up No Child Left Behind reform, veteran’s legislation, and the Department of Defense Appropriations bill. The Export-Import Bank reauthorization and highway authorization debates loom as well. Additional issues that may see some time and attention in Congress before the August recess include student performance, the medical device tax, medical research, customs enforcement, cybersecurity, air traffic control, appropriations, and nominations. The two chambers will also conference over the final trade package.