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GOP labels Interior oil leasing report an ‘attack,’ environmentalists call it ‘weak’
The U.S. Interior Department recommended increased fees for oil and gas exploration on federal lands as part of a long-awaited report released Friday that environmental groups said didn’t go far enough in limiting fossil fuels and Republicans derided as an attack on domestic producers. The report, ordered by President Joe Biden during his first week in […]
How paid leave, immigration could get left behind in Biden’s social policy bill
WASHINGTON-Congressional Democrats cheered on the floor of the U.S. House after approving President Joe Biden’s massive social spending and climate bill. But a major struggle lies ahead in the coming month in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats cannot lose any votes within their party if they are to send the so-called Build Back Better measure […]
Sage-grouse protection plans under review by Biden administration
The Bureau of Land Management is updating Obama-era plans to manage the greater sage-grouse in 10 Western states. The BLM has published a request for comments to help update management plans for the bird’s habitat in Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and other Western states. The Interior Department agency will review new scientific data, including the […]
Senate confirms first tribal member in history to lead National Park Service
The U.S. Senate approved by voice vote late Thursday the nomination of Charles F. Sams as the first confirmed National Park Service director since 2017. Sams, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton, Ore., will be the first tribal member to lead the Park Service in the agency’s […]
Finally – Democrats get Build Back Better bill through the House
WASHINGTON — Lower prescription drug costs. Expansion of the child tax credit through 2022. Access to affordable child care. Universal preschool for every three- and four-year old. Tax cuts for low-income workers, and tax hikes for corporations and billionaires. The largest federal ever single investment to confront the impacts of climate change. Those were just […]
U.S. House censures Arizona’s Paul Gosar, boots him from committees
The U.S. House voted 223-207 Wednesday to censure Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and strip him of his committee assignments, following his social media post of a manipulated cartoon that depicted him attacking Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois voted with all Democrats present […]
Pick to lead U.S. Fish and Wildlife vows ‘collaborative conservation’ at agency
President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pledged Wednesday to let science guide decision-making at the agency and to collaborate with government and private partners. Martha Williams, the former director for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that wildlife […]
Some senators’ Rx for inflation: More fossil fuels
Days after global leaders agreed for the first time to decrease coal usage and subsidies for fossil fuels, U.S. senators battled over rising gasoline prices and urged action on the high cost of energy—including by increasing production of coal, oil and gas. The Tuesday hearing, led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin, […]
Biden signs bipartisan infrastructure bill: ‘America is moving again’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill during a ceremony at the White House packed with some 800 supporters, heralding what he said was a “truly consequential” spending bill that will improve Americans’ day-to-day lives. But Democrats also emphasized that there is more to come—a $1.85 […]
Climate funds in infrastructure bill aimed at drought, wildfires, floods
The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill isn’t just about roads and bridges—it also spends billions to address wildfire, drought, flooding and other effects from climate change, Interior Department officials said Wednesday. The $1.2 trillion measure, which is awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature after the House cleared it last week, includes pay raises for wildland firefighters, funding […]
U.S. House sends $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to Biden for his signature
WASHINGTON–The U.S. House cleared a $1.2 trillion physical infrastructure bill and took a major step toward passage of a landmark $1.85 trillion over ten years social spending and climate bill late Friday, following months of wrangling between Democrats’ progressive and moderate wings. The votes marked a milestone in the marathon negotiations among members of the […]
Senate Republicans block a voting rights bill for the third time this year
Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked another voting rights bill, this one named for Georgia civil rights icon John R. Lewis. On a 50-49 vote, the Senate declined to proceed to debate on the latest Democratic effort at a nationwide voting rights overhaul meant to stymie Republican-led state laws restricting voting access. It was […]