FILE - A man hooks a fish on the Snake River in Idaho Falls, Idaho on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. Some top officials in Idaho are raising alarms over the Republican attorney general’s decision not to join a 24-state lawsuit against new waterway protections by the Biden administration. Instead, the state will be joining another lawsuit filed in Texas, which Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador’s office says is a better fit for his state's interests. Waterways like Idaho's Big Lost River could be impacted by the newest version. The waters eventually flow into the Snake River, traveling more than 1000 miles (1600 kilometers) to the Pacific Ocean. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP, File)
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Energy & Environment
Energy & Environment
The Big Story
Senate votes to overturn Biden water regulations
The Senate on Wednesday passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn the Biden administration’s Waters of the United States rule.
The resolution passed the chamber in a 53-43 vote. Four Democrats — along with Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), who caucuses with Democrats — voted with Republicans in favor of the repeal.
The CRA allows Congress to overturn an executive branch rule with a simple majority in both chambers.
The Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule defines which waterways are subject to federal regulations, including for construction and mining permits.
A White House statement threatening to veto the measure said getting rid of the Biden rule would lead to an “uncertain, fragmented, and watered-down regulatory system.”
Earlier this month, Biden issued the first veto of his presidency for a CRA resolution overturning a Labor Department rule allowing money managers to weigh environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.
Biden is expected to veto this latest measure as well and supporters do not appear to have the votes to override a veto.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
The Biden administration held an auction of new oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday in a move that is required by law but likely to further rankle environmentalists. Oil companies bid on more than 2,600 square miles of the Gulf for oil and gas development, although a total of 114,000 square miles were up for bid.
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) announced on Wednesday that he will support the House GOP’s energy package, which the chamber is set to vote on this week.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday pushed back against a GOP congressman who voiced skepticism about the threat of climate change, suggesting the issue was being used by the Biden administration to secure funding and was not a serious concern.
The Energy Department released a new strategy on Wednesday to expand domestic offshore wind energy. Energy Department officials unveiled their new plan to met President Biden’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, which could power 10 million homes. It’s part of a larger goal to achieve 110 gigawatts or more by 2050, according to the Energy Department.
Twitter on Tuesday restricted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) congressional account for seven days after she repeatedly posted an image of a poster about a rally called “Trans Day of Vengeance.” Read more
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