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Why there’s such an impasse in Congress: Some questions and answers
Progressives have called for Senate action on the social programs bill before taking a vote in the House on traditional infrastructure.
These are the four big climate items in the reconciliation bill in Congress | Analysis
Fighting climate change is key for House progressives. Many won't support the $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure bill unless a more robust climate bill also passes
Biden administration to restart oil and gas leasing
WASHINGTON — The Interior Department will make significant steps toward restarting its leasing programs for onshore and offshore oil and gas development in the coming months, the Biden administration said in a court filing Tuesday. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management anticipates holding a sale for offshore leases in October or November, the administration said. […]
National Park Service renews mask mandate for all visitors
In May, the agency said it would require only unvaccinated people to wear masks. Recently, as the delta variant of the coronavirus has led to a spike in cases throughout the country, the NPS also required people from areas of high transmission to mask up, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
How Congress will attempt the biggest expansion of U.S. social programs since FDR | Analysis
Here's what happened last week, what the bills would do if they become law, and what we know about what will happen next.
U.S. Senate OKs $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure bill; Pa.’s Casey, Toomey split on vote
Every Senate Democrat and 19 Republicans voted in favor of final passage.
‘Big and bold’ infrastructure bill still falls short on helping states fight climate change
“We’re going to do things to reduce climate emissions, but we’re going to spend more in ways that we know increase them,” one expert said
Democrats unite around ‘climate corps’ that could employ youth
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged on Tuesday to include a Civilian Climate Corps in a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill later this year, as a broad swath of Democrats rallied around a framework of employing thousands of young people to do conservation work. Schumer, D-N.Y., appeared with a handful of congressional Democrats, led by […]
Nat’l parks struggling with maintenance, including Pa., would get a boost under Biden budget request
A 2018 National Park Service study found about $12 billion of overdue maintenance in the agency.
Heading for a national park this summer? The ‘biggest season in the history of the Park Service’ predicted
With many international destinations still difficult to reach, and some COVID-19 restrictions still in place, senators said they expect swarms of visitors to national parks.
Biden admin says it will permanently restore migratory bird protections
The former Trump-era rule barred government authorities from holding companies liable for environmental violations leading to the deaths of birds protected under the century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Congressional panel splits on regulation of ‘orphaned’ oil and gas wells
The Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing was held to consider a bill introduced by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., that would authorize $8 billion over 10 years to reclaim oil and gas wells that were abandoned by defunct companies and not properly cleaned up. The measure represents a first step in a priority laid out in President Joe Biden’s infrastructure and jobs plan late last month.