Busy Week on the Hill

Both the House and Senate are active this week on a number of measures of interest to state drinking water programs.  Among them are:

• House Interior & EPA Appropriations Subcommittee meets this evening (May 15) at 5:30PM (eastern) to mark up FY 19 funding for EPA. Click here to view the markup this evening.
• Senate Interior & EPA Appropriations Subcommittee to hear from EPA Administrator Pruitt on the FY 19 budget request takes place tomorrow at 9:30AM (eastern). Click here to view the hearing.
• Senate Appropriations Committee plans to mark up FY 19 EPA funding during the week of June 11.
• The FY 18 Farm Bill (HR 2) is awaiting floor action in the House. An amendment has been offered to revise WOTUS scope to apply protection to only relatively permanent waters and wetlands and further defines ‘relatively permanent’ to mean continuous flow for at least 290 days of the year except in conditions of extreme weather such as drought.
• The House may take up the Administration’s $15 billion FY 18 rescissions proposal toward the end of this week; however, action next week is considered more likely.