Weekly Legislative Activities Report

The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. The following is the December 12th summary.

Note The House was in session from December 9th to December 11th; the next scheduled meeting is January 3rd unless otherwise notified.  The Senate was in session from December 8th to December 11th, and met in pro forma session on December 12th.

In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the “Search Bill Text” block, being sure to also click on the “Bill Number” option below the block.

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New Public Laws

No new laws.

Floor Action

No floor action.

Markups

No markups.

Hearings

On December 10th, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to receive testimony regarding investments in clean energy and natural resources projects and programs to create green jobs and to stimulate the economy.  There was no request for a DOI witness.  In his opening statement, Committee Chairman Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), stated that the purpose of the hearing was to get an early start on a stimulus economic bill to be taken up early in the next congress. Denis Galvin, retired deputy director, National Park Service, speaking on behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association, testified on ways the stimulus package would benefit the National Park Service.  He stated that National Park units not only provide green energy but also great educational opportunities for the traveling public.  Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) asked each witness for specific budget figures necessary to accomplish the projects they outlined.  Mr. Galvin stated that the National Park Service could spend approximately $1.5 billion in the 2-year period on its various projects.  He said that the moneys received through a stimulus package could provide as many as 23,000 additional jobs for restoration, renovation, curation, and centennial challenge projects, where matching funds are required.  By using the Americorp program, the National Park Service would not only be able to hire skilled and nonskilled laborers, but also the professional help necessary to provide the curatorial help needed to prepare a backlog of cultural resources to be catalogued, adequately preserved,  and available for view by the public in several Park Service units. 

New Bills Introduced

No new bills.

Upcoming Hearings and Markups

None scheduled.
For additional information, please visit the Legislative and Congressional Affairs Office website at http://www.nps.gov/legal/