Energy Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     Arctic drilling measure nears finish line By Timothy Cama Congress is expected to vote in the coming week on final passage of Republicans' tax reform bill, which would also open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and natural gas drilling. The conference committee responsible for reconciling the House and Senate tax bills -- which includes top ANWR drilling proponents Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), is due to unveil their final bill late Friday, setting up potential votes for next week. Murkowski and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have said ANWR drilling would be in the legislation. Since the bill is being considered under budget reconciliation rules, it only needs 51 votes to pass. Some House Republicans expressed concern about opening up ANWR, but in recent days have said its inclusion in the tax bill would not be a deal breaker. The GOP is eager to pass the tax bill before Christmas to secure a major legislative victory for the year. Under the initial proposal that passed the Senate, the Interior Department would be required to hold at least two auctions for drilling rights leases in ANWR's Coastal Plain area in the next 10 years. The vote would cap off decades of advocacy by most Alaska leaders, some Alaska Native groups, the oil industry, Republicans and others to open up ANWR for drilling. Environmentalists have been furiously fighting the proposal at every step, arguing that drilling would be devastating for AWNR's ecology, its imperiled fauna and the climate. But greens and Democrats have recognized that their time and options for stopping drilling are running out, particularly since the drilling provision is in a budget bill.  The Senate also could act on Trump administration nominees who are pending before the year ends. The nominees still in the Senate's hopper include Andrew Wheeler to be the Environmental Protection Agency's deputy administrator, Kathleen Hartnett White to be chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Quality, Barry Myers to be the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's administrator and Jim Bridenstine to be the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's administrator. A Senate panel cleared Myers on Wednesday. Myers was, until recently, the CEO of AccuWeather, Inc., which he co-founded. The company provides weather forecasting information similar to the National Weather Service. Democrats had raised concerns that Myers would be conflicted.   Recent stories: House chairman invites Patagonia CEO to testify on monuments  Zinke reprimanded park head after climate tweets  Time running out for opponents of Arctic drilling  EPA moves toward updating lead water pipe standards  Zinke promises 'zero tolerance' after 35% of Interior employees report harassment  Trump's EPA chemical safety nominee withdraws nomination  Final GOP tax bill would allow Arctic refuge drilling  Senate panel clears Trump's nominee for NOAA  Watchdog: Trump officials improperly withheld funds for advanced energy office EPA watchdog to probe Pruitt's $25,000 privacy booth Feds: Arctic saw record-low sea ice, second warmest year on record  Emails: Disney annoyed by Obama push to use 'Frozen' brand  Feds push court to dismiss children climate change lawsuit  Energy commissioner undaunted by delay in Perry coal rule consideration         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Energy Newsletters     Forward Energy Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Breaking News: Corker to support tax bill in boost to GOP

View in your browser     Corker to support tax bill in boost to GOP Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Friday that he will support the GOP tax plan, saying the legislation represents a "once-in-a-generation opportunity." His announcement Friday came shortly after fellow GOP Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) also came out in support of the tax legislation. The reversals all but guarantee Senate Republicans will be able to pass their bill. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Breaking News     Forward Breaking News     You Might Like       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Healthcare Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     GOP poised to repeal ObamaCare mandate By Peter Sullivan The Republican tax bill appears headed for passage in the coming week, which also brings a blow to ObamaCare. The tax bill would repeal ObamaCare's individual mandate, a major accomplishment for Republicans in chipping away at the health law. Health care groups warn that the move would destabilize markets and cause premiums to rise. Republicans say the repeal of the mandate is lifting a costly penalty for people who choose not to buy coverage. The deadline for funding the government is also looming, with questions still hanging over the fate of a range of healthcare measures that could be attached to a government funding bill. Most prominently, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is still pressing for passage of two bills aimed at stabilizing the ObamaCare marketplace and helping to make up for repeal of the mandate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promised her he would support passage of those bills before the end of the year. Collins is hoping they will be attached to the government funding bill to provide a vehicle for them to get through Congress. But there are still major questions about whether House Republicans will go along. Conservatives are opposed to the bill's funding for key ObamaCare payments to insurers, known as cost-sharing reductions, saying it is simply spending money to prop up the health law. A showdown could be brewing between the House and Senate on the issue. States are getting even closer to running out of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Both parties say they want to provide funding, but they have still been fighting over ways to pay for it. CHIP funding could be attached to the spending bill next week, but it is also possible the issue would have to wait until the January funding bill, which would further frustrate advocates. Industry groups are also pressing to delay a range of ObamaCare taxes before the end of the year, such as those on health insurance and on medical devices. Those moves might have to wait until January as well, though. Recent stories Medical device companies press to lift ObamaCare tax this month Senate Health leaders ask states for input on opioid epidemic Welfare reform moving to center of Republican agenda ObamaCare call center giving callbacks due to high demand Health groups call on states to override Trump ObamaCare order Senator presses DOJ on opioid campaign criticized for 'scare tactics' Ryan: We need to revisit ObamaCare Ohio legislature passes bill barring abortion over Down syndrome diagnosis ObamaCare expected to suffer enrollment decline as Trump cuts timeframe Alabama result deals heavy blow to ObamaCare repeal     Send tips and comments to Jessie Hellmann, jhellmann@thehill.com; Peter Sullivan, psullivan@thehill.com; Rachel Roubein, rroubein@thehill.com; and Nathaniel Weixel, nweixel@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @jessiehellmann, @PeterSullivan4, @rachel_roubein, and @NateWeixel.         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Healthcare Newsletters     Forward Healthcare Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Cybersecurity Issuewatch Newsletter

View in your browser     Lawmakers struggle with surveillance reform   By Morgan Chalfant As lawmakers look to close out 2017, the focus in Washington is chiefly on securing a funding deal and the Republican push for tax reform. However, some cyber-related issues are sure to get attention as lawmakers tussle over reform of a controversial spy law that allows U.S. intelligence officials to conduct surveillance on non-Americans outside the United States without a warrant. The provision, called Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), is poised to expire at the end of the year. Lawmakers have signaled they would look to include language in a short-term funding bill that would extend the spy program until January, giving members of Congress more time to hash out a final renewal proposal. The Trump administration has pressed Congress for a clean reauthorization of the spy program, describing it as a critical tool for national security. But civil liberties advocates are alarmed over the incidental collection on U.S. citizens that occurs through the program, pushing for more transparency and privacy controls.  There are a number of competing proposals in Congress to renew and reform the program, including one pushed by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) that would institute more protections for Americans' data. Goodlatte described the proposal as striking "a balance that promotes national security and civil liberties" at a hearing Wednesday that featured testimony from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Congress faces a December 22 deadline to pass a funding package and avert a government shutdown. Now that the House has passed a bill to reorganize and elevate the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) cyber mission, all eyes are on whether the Senate will take up similar legislation. The reorganization, long a priority of House Homeland Security Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas), has received a strong endorsement from President Trump's new Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who urged the Senate to pass similar legislation. However, the proposal faces an uncertain future in the upper chamber, where companion legislation has not yet been introduced. McCaul's bill, which has bipartisan backing, would replace the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) at DHS with a new operational agency to handle cyber and critical infrastructure protection, called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. A spokeswoman for the Senate Homeland Security Committee told The Hill on Friday that the panel "is reviewing legislation as it relates to NPPD." McCaul described the legislation as crucial to prioritizing DHS's cyber mission in a recent interview. "This gives them the authorities they need, that they've been asking us for, for quite some time," McCaul told The Hill. "The next thing we will be doing is oversight and making sure the capability exists within the department to carry out this very important mission," the Republican lawmaker added. "This threat is ever evolving and getting worse by the day, not better." President Trump is slated to unveil his national security strategy in an address Monday afternoon at the Ronald Reagan Building, which could include discussion of cybersecurity. When previewing the strategy on Tuesday, national security adviser H.R. McMaster accused Russia of employing "new generation warfare," referring indirectly to Moscow's intervention in the 2016 presidential election. "These are very sophisticated campaigns of subversion and disinformation and propaganda, using cyber tools, operating across multiple domains, that attempt to divide our communities within our nations and pit them against each other and try to create crises of confidence," McMaster said. Meanwhile, Trump continues to downplay the special counsel investigation into potential collusion between his campaign and Moscow during the presidential election, telling reporters Friday that "there is absolutely no collusion." "I have nothing to do with Russia.  Everybody knows it," Trump said before departing to give remarks at an FBI graduation. "That was a Democrat hoax.  It was an excuse for losing the election, and it should have never been this way, where they spent all these millions of dollars."   In case you missed them, here are some of our recent stories: Cyber experts identify new malware targeting critical infrastructure Bipartisan senators: Americans need more security info for internet-connected devices Trump 'strongly' objects to cyber provision in defense bill Homeland Security, private sector launch election security group Cloudflare offers free security service for elections Hurdles remain for Trump's big tech push Hackers demand ransom for California voter database Deputy AG defends Mueller amid charges of political bias White House unveils report on modernizing government IT 'Moneytaker' group stole millions from US, world banks, report says         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Cybersecurity Newsletters     Forward Cybersecurity Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.