S 47 – Senate LWCF re-authorization on the Calendar ( 1-09-19 )
A broad public lands package that would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund has re-emerged in the Senate and could see a vote soon. ( Thanks to the E&E Newsletter )
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) this morning placed S. 47 on the calendar via Rule 14, which allows lawmakers to bypass the committee process and bring legislation directly to the floor. That gives McConnell the authority to call up the bill whenever he wants to schedule it. A 680-page package failed in late December after months of negotiations because of objections from Republicans Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky. It contained several parochial bills important to Western lawmakers, as well as language to renew the popular LWCF program that’s been expired for nearly four months (E&E Daily, Dec. 20, 2018).
Senate leadership last month told package sponsors Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) that the measure would be one of the first pieces of legislation voted on in the 116th Congress. Murkowski, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, filed S. 47 yesterday. It’s almost identical to the December version. “I’d like to be able to get to it as soon as possible,” Murkowski told reporters. Today, Murkowski and Cantwell issued a joint statement: “While we are disappointed that this package could not pass last year, we remain committed to its provisions and the spirit of our bicameral agreement.
“The vast majority of bills in this package have been considered through the regular order process and have strong support from members of both parties. States and communities throughout the west, in particular, are counting on us to work together to pass them into law.” But the effort faces a new threat in 2019: the partial government shutdown, now in its 19th day. Senate Democrats have vowed to block floor votes on all legislation that doesn’t reopen shuttered federal agencies, including the Interior Department.
Democrats last night made good on that pledge not to vote on bills unrelated to the government shutdown when a procedural vote to consider legislation to impose sanctions on Syria failed (E&E Daily, Jan. 9). It’s unclear how that political strategy will affect the wide-ranging natural resources policies, extensions and protections contained in the public lands package.
LWCF on separate House track
On the House side, Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva told reporters his plan still is to file a separate bill related to reauthorizing LWCF. “Just in case this nirvana never happens,” the Arizona Democrat said, referring to the broader public lands package. Grijalva expressed skepticism the lands package ultimately would make it out of the Senate. “I’m working under the assumption that ain’t gonna happen,” the chairman said, which is why he is prepping a separate LWCF bill for consideration “as soon as possible.” He has said he wants to reintroduce an LWCF bill this month. It could contain the same language that last year’s legislation did: permanent reauthorization with reforms to state and federal fund allocations. But Grijalva also has said he could put an additional provision in the bill to fully fund LWCF at its $900 million annual authorized level (E&E Daily, Jan. 4). The chairman has acknowledged, however, that any funding component related to the bipartisan program ultimately could be stripped out. Those negotiations are ongoing.
