Week ahead: Senate looks for way forward on energy, water bill

Lawmakers returning to Washington after a weeklong recess have a tough challenge ahead as they try to find a way to move a stalled appropriations bill for energy and water development.

The bill was bipartisan throughout the Senate’s entire legislative process. But before leaving town the first week of May, Democrats refused to allow the bill to go forward due to a dispute over an amendment from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) regarding the purchase of heavy water, a material that can be used to make nuclear weapons, from Iran.

{mosads}The Obama administration says buying the heavy water would reduce Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons, but Republicans say doing so would give Tehran money for its program.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tried twice to move the energy and water bill forward, but Democrats refused both times to give him the 60 votes needed.

McConnell could try again, or the two parties could attempt to come to some sort of compromise to move the $37.5 billion energy spending bill forward.

Elsewhere, congressional committees have hearings planned on Obama administration policies and other matters.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will meet Thursday with Susan Beard to consider her nomination to be the Department of Energy’s inspector general. She’s currently an attorney in the Energy Department, but President Obama tapped her last month to be the top internal watchdog.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, the House Science Committee’s energy subcommittee is planning a Wednesday hearing on the Energy Department’s office of fossil energy. Lawmakers are likely to discuss the research and development priorities of the office, including carbon capture technology, and Obama’s request to reduce its funding.

Chris Smith, the assistant secretary for fossil energy, will be the sole witness.

The House Natural Resources Committee’s oversight subpanel will meet Thursday for a hearing on the Bureau of Land Management’s ongoing efforts to revamp how it plans resource development on its land, a process it’s dubbed Planning 2.0.

The committee’s federal land subpanel will also meet that day to discuss various bills to adjust the borders of specific federal land holdings.

Off Capitol Hill, the Alliance to Save Energy will hold its annual Energy Efficiency Global Forum Wednesday and Thursday. Among the keynote speakers will be Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.

The Energy Department will host its Better Buildings Summit Monday through Wednesday. Top speakers will include Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro and other executive branch officials.

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