House:
In March, the U.S. House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, a resolution expressing the sense in Congress that the Robert Mueller report should be released to the public, among other bills and resolutions. In the House Natural Resources Committee, a hearing was conducted on examining the polices and priorities of BOEM and BSEE, along with another hearing on the budget priorities at the Department of Interior.
Senate:
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee conducted a hearing to review the qualifications of David Bernhardt to become the next Secretary of the Interior. He currently serves as Deputy Secretary and was nominated for the top spot when former Secretary Zinke vacated the position. In addition, the full Senate voted on the New Green Deal climate resolution aimed at eliminating fossil fuels. The procedural vote on the measure, S.J. Res 8, failed 0-57 as most Democrats voted present to protest what they perceived to be a shame vote.
White House:
The 400-plus-page Mueller report was sent to the Attorney General. A federal judge in Alaska issued a ruling blocking a 2017 Trump Executive Order that would have repealed an Obama Administration move that created sanctuaries in Alaska and other places offshore restricting them from various activities, including drilling. President Donald Trump repeated his threat to close the southern border, saying that U.S. “detention areas are maxed out & we will take no more illegals,” at a time the U.S. has moved to cut aid to Central America. The President also issued a new permit for TransCanada Corp.’s controversial Keystone XL pipeline Friday, doubling down on his commitment to the project after a court ruling blocked his previous permit.
