Legislative Activity

Cabinet Update

The Senate is expected to continue voting on President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees. A floor vote for the confirmation of Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) to serve as the Secretary of the Department of the Interior is expected to take place this week. The Senate is scheduled to proceed to a cloture vote on his nomination today, and if cloture is invoked, Democrats will have 30 hours of debate before a confirmation vote will take place. This follows a failed attempt by Senate Republicans to confirm Rep. Zinke by voice vote on February 17, which was halted by Democratic opposition. The confirmation vote for Governor Rick Perry to serve as Secretary of Energy is expected to take place in March.  

This Week’s Hearings:

• On Tuesday, February 28, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Environment and Subcommittee on Oversight, will hold a joint hearing titled “At What Cost – Examining the Social Cost of Carbon.”

• On Wednesday, March 1, the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans, will hold a hearing to discuss “Modernizing Western Water and Power Infrastructure in the 21st Century.”

• On Wednesday, March 1, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing to consider “Flood Control Infrastructure: Safety Questions Raised by Current Events.”