Energy/Environment

House Democrats on Wednesday pointed to today's record-setting heat in Washington D.C. as the latest sign that the Earth is warming.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) managed a speech on the House floor in which several Democrats joined to say that Congress needs to find a way forward on climate change in light of the growing number of incidents of extreme weather, which included Hurricane Sandy last year.

A nearly unanimous House voted Wednesday to lift barriers to the development of hydropower around the country, something that the bill's supporters say would help develop cheap, clean energy and create jobs.

Members voted 416-7 in favor of the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act, H.R. 678. A similar bill passed last year with bipartisan support — the only "no" votes this time around came from Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) scheduled a vote on the nomination of Sally Jewell to lead the Interior Department for Wednesday evening.

The House on Wednesday advanced legislation that would make it easier to develop hydropower around the country by using Bureau of Reclamation waterways.

Members voice-voted the rule for the legislation, which is H.R. 678, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is seeking an agreement with Republicans to allow a vote Wednesday on the nomination of Sally Jewell to lead the Interior Department.

Jewell is the head of outdoor gear giant REI, Inc. and would replace outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Salazar’s recent pledge to review a decision about an wildlife refuge in Alaska may have smoothed the way for her confirmation (more on that here).

The House on Tuesday barely passed legislation that would extend a national battlefield preservation program in a vote that saw most Republicans oppose it after Heritage Action for America called on members to vote it down.

The House approved the bill 283-122 — a clear majority, but about a dozen votes over the two-thirds majority needed for passage. The GOP brought the bill up under a suspension of House rules, which allows for quicker consideration, but requires a supermajority vote to clear the chamber.

Senate Republicans on the Environment and Public Works Committee this week criticized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for improperly releasing private personal and business information to environmental groups.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), the lead Republican on the committee, and other committee Republicans charged that the EPA answered a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request last year by including business information that should have remained private.

House Republicans next week will again pass a bill aimed at speeding the development of small hydropower generation facilities around the country.

The House passed a similar bill last year, but the Senate never took it up. As a result, the GOP will take up H.R. 678 next week — the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act.

Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.) said Tuesday that he has received assurances directly from Exxon Mobil that the oil company will stay in Arkansas until an oil spill in the city of Mayflower is completely cleaned up.

"I spoke with Exxon Mobil folks last night and this morning," Griffin said in an interview with KARK 4 television. "They're there every day on the ground, working with what's called the unified command, which is local, state, federal officials all together.

A bipartisan group of senators told the Obama administration Thursday to stop the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) from “shriveling up and leaving millions of Americans out in the cold.”

WAP provides grants to states to help low-income families save money on their heating and cooling bills by weatherizing their homes to make them more energy-efficient.