Hoyer sets House vote for HR 1957 – GAOA – for July 22 !!
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) yesterday released plans for the coming weeks. Francis Chung/E&E News
The House has set a date for consideration of the “Great American Outdoors Act,” along with spending and defense legislation. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced last night that lawmakers would debate and vote next week on a sweeping conservation bill that would fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, plus put a dent in a $20 billion backlog of deferred maintenance projects on national parks and public lands (E&E Daily, June 23).
In a letter updating colleagues on the upcoming House floor schedule, Hoyer described the legislation, poised for a vote on July 22, as one that would “invest in the protection of America’s cherished National Parks for generations to come.” Senators in late June passed the bill, also known as “GAOA,” 73-25, and since that time, it has been considered a foregone conclusion that the measure would soon become law (Greenwire, June 17).
President Trump has committed to signing the legislation, which Republicans think could help buoy the reelection prospects of two vulnerable GOP incumbent senators and lead bill sponsors, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana (E&E Daily, June 2). In the House, Democrats did not include discretionary spending for the LWCF in their fiscal 2021 Interior-Environment appropriations bill as in previous years, a clear recognition that enactment of “GAOA” was imminent that would in turn make $900 million in mandatory spending available for the federal program annually. There is little doubt the House will pass the bill next week, but lawmakers are still preparing for some speed bumps along the way.
Rank-and-file Republicans have already objected to House Democratic leaders’ bringing the lands package to the floor under an expedited procedure that would have eliminated a debate on whether to allow votes on amendments (E&E Daily, June 18). Now these Republicans are discussing whether they can force their own leadership to demand certain amendments be made in order during floor debate on the underlying bill to address their concerns. House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Rob Bishop (R-Utah) is trying to get members of both parties animated over a provision included in the Senate-passed “GAOA” that would codify Congress’ practice of effectively ignoring a law designed to protect Western states from federal land grabs while ensuring that Eastern states aren’t deprived of LWFC dollars to which they are entitled (Greenwire, July 2). Bishop sent a letter to lawmakers July 2 in hopes of building a coalition around an amendment to protect the statute stipulating that no more than 15% of land purchased through LWCF funds to be added to the National Forest System can come from the west of the 100th meridian, which cuts through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
But the major sticking point ahead of House floor debate is likely to involve the Gulf Coast state congressional delegation, whose members are by and large incensed that the bill does not remove the cap on how much their states can receive in revenue from offshore oil and gas leasing, which funds the LWFC. In the Senate, Louisiana Republican Bill Cassidy attempted to address this discrepancy but was locked out by bill proponents who argued that “GAOA” must not be opened up to any amendments that could derail the entire legislative effort. Fellow Louisiana Republican Rep. Garret Graves has pledged to take up this issue in the House (E&E Daily, June 23).
It is not clear where Louisiana’s most prominent Republican in Congress, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, stands on the legislation, as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has expressed his enthusiastic support (E&E News PM, June 25). Multiple requests for comment to Scalise’s office from E&E News have not been returned. Also on the agenda for the next several weeks are the National Defense Authorization Act, spending packages and possible coronavirus legislation.
July 13, 2020
Dear Colleague:
Update on the July Floor Schedule
Dear Colleague:
As the House continues to do its job to address the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, and must-pass legislation, I write to share with you the schedule of Floor business for the remainder of July.
Committees are continuing to meet under the provisions of H. Res. 965 to mark up bills so they are ready for consideration on the Floor during the weeks of July 20 and July 27. I want to thank Members for their hard work in committee these past weeks as our committees have adapted to new procedures to ensure that the critical legislative work that we perform in service to the American people continues unabated. I also want to thank all those who have been observing social distancing guidelines and wearing masks while attending in-person meetings of the House and committees.
On Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21, the House will consider the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Votes are expected as early as 11:30 a.m.that Monday, and I expect Tuesday will have votes on NDAA amendments, motions to recommit, and passage stretching throughout the day. On Wednesday, July 22, we will consider the No Ban Act and the Access to Counsel Act. Also Wednesday, we will take up the Great American Outdoors Act, a Senate-passed bill to fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanently and invest in the protection of America’s cherished National Parks for generations to come. The House will also consider a bill that I have introduced with Rep. Barbara Lee, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass, Chairman Bennie Thompson, and Rep. G.K. Butterfield to remove the bust of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, the author of the 1857 Dred Scott ruling, from the Old Supreme Court Chamber and to address the issue of Confederate statues on display in the Capitol. On Thursday, July 23, and Friday, July 24, the House will consider the first package of FY2021 appropriations bills: State & Foreign Operations; Military Construction & Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; and Interior & Environment.
On Monday, July 27, the House will consider Rep. José Serrano’s legislation to create a National Museum of the Latino in the Smithsonian Institution. The House will also consider two child-care bills, H.R. 7027 and H.R. 7327. Later in the week, the House will continue its work on appropriations with consideration of a second package of bills in order to prevent a shutdown by ensuring that most government funding measures are passed well in advance of the end of the fiscal year. We will also consider the Water Resources Development Act as well as Senate-passed legislation to establish a Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, which has been championed in the House by Rep. Frederica Wilson.
During July, the House will continue to conduct its oversight work in response to the commutation of Roger Stone’s sentence and to the intelligence assessment that Russia paid bounties for the killing of U.S. service-members in Afghanistan. Of course, we hope that the Senate will act quickly with long-overdue action on the Heroes Act or other legislation to address the impacts of COVID-19 so the House can respond by the end of the week of July 27. Regardless, the House will return, if needed, to do its job whenever required to help Americans get through this crisis. As has been the case since the start of the pandemic, I will continue to provide at least twenty-four hours’ notice to Members prior to any unscheduled Floor action.
It is my hope that the House can complete its work on all of these items in a responsible and timely fashion and in a way that does not infringe on Members’ previously scheduled work as part of the August District Work Period. If we are able to do so, the House will have passed legislation to fund 96% of the government before the end of July for the second time in two years, reflecting the commitment of the Democratic House Majority to governing responsibly For The People.
Sincerely,
STENY H. HOYER
House Majority Leader
