This report provides a snapshot of the U.S. Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. POTUS’ Schedule* 9:00 a.m. EST – THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing | The White House… Continue Reading
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has been the lead domestic policy negotiator for President Donald Trump and his administration during the COVID-19 crisis, made clear in testimony Wednesday to congressional lawmakers that the White House believes passage of another major coronavirus response package will be necessary soon, notwithstanding a generally positive national jobs report … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity Department of Energy Cutting Energy Development Regulations This follows our earlier report highlighting the Trump Administration’s recent memo with specifics as to how the President expects agencies to carry out his previously issued energy Executive Order (EO) 13783 – “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth”. EO 13783 directs agencies to identify regulations that would … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these updates, … Continue Reading
Executive Branch Activity New Guidance Clarifying Energy Executive Order Last week, just four days before federal agencies’ initial plans were due to OMB, the White House issued a memo updating with more specifics as to how President Trump expects agencies to carry out his previously issued energy executive order (Executive Order 13783, “Promoting Energy Independence and … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Executive Branch Activity EPA, DOE, Interior, and Water 2018 Budgets Cut in President Trump’s Request to Congress EPA: President Donald Trump’s FY 2018 budget request, which was released last week, included a significant 31.4 percent decrease for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), from the current funding level of $8.2 billion to $5.7 billion. This represents the … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Squire Patton Boggs’ State Attorneys General Practice Group is comprised of lawyers who have served at senior levels in state AG offices around the country and whose practices focus, to one degree or another, on representing clients before these increasingly assertive and powerful, yet often overlooked, government agencies, as explained in detail here. In these … Continue Reading
Legislative Action Comprehensive Energy Legislation To begin the process of reconciling the House and Senate energy bills, the House has voted to go to conference and has appointed its conferees, which will include 24 Republicans and 16 Democrats. However, the Senate has yet to do the same. Work continues in the Senate to clear potential … Continue Reading
Legislative Action Energy Bill Last week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee released a 50-page section-by-section of the recently passed S. 2012 Energy Modernization Policy Act of 2016. Looking forward to a potential conference of the Senate and House energy bills, Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Zika Virus Priority Review Voucher Slated for House Floor Consideration House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced that S. 2512, Adding Zika Virus to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act, will be considered on the floor on Monday, April 11. This bill, introduced by Al Franken (D-MN) in the Senate, amends the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Comprehensive Energy Legislation This week the Senate will continue its floor debate of S. 2012, the comprehensive energy bill that Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) authored. Under the open amendment process 130 amendments were filed. While some of the non-controversial amendments were accepted last … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity EPA Continues to Review Air Quality The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the availability of its draft plan for the agency’s review of secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur (NOX/SOX). For information on accessing the draft, click here. Comments are due December 30. … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity Clean Water Proposed Rule The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has announced a proposed rule that would allow “changes to pollutant analysis methods that are used by industries and municipalities to analyze the chemical, physical, and biological components of wastewater and other environmental samples that are required by regulations under the Clean Water Act.” … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Waters of the U.S. Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a joint hearing to discuss the “Impacts of the Proposed Waters of the United States Rule on State and Local Governments.” The hearing addressed concerns with the proposed rule including costs, definitions … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Completes Keystone Consideration Last week, the Senate completed consideration of S. 1, the “Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act,” and passed the legislation by a vote of 62-36. Congressional leaders must now determine how to resolve differences between the two chambers’ Keystone bills before the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act is ready for … Continue Reading
Executive Activity Fiscal Year 2016 Budget for EPA On Monday, February 2, President Obama will announce his Fiscal Year 2016 Budget request to Congress to fund the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We expect a significant focus in the proposed budget on climate change and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is some concern that these … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Waters of the U.S. On Wednesday, February 4, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in conjunction with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, will hold a hearing to examine the impacts of the proposed Waters of the U.S. rule on state and local governments. Liquid Natural Gas On Thursday, January 29, the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Keystone Legislative Action Continues Amid Veto Threat, Legal Action Last Thursday, on January 8, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the “Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act” with a 13-9 vote. One day later, the House voted on Friday, January 9 to approve identical legislation by a 266-153 vote, with 28 Democratic … Continue Reading