Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Nothing motivates Congress like a holiday! House committees are moving a flurry of year-end bills that have a real chance of becoming law.
Why it matters: The future of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, licensing at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and a broader set of permitting policies will be up for grabs over the coming months.
Driving the news: The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday reported a bipartisan reauthorization of the pipeline safety bill.
- T&I leaders navigated the bill through the amendment process without any poison pills.
- That included a bipartisan effort from Reps. Jared Huffman and Scott Perry to add language scrutinizing CO2 pipelines, which could've upset the delicate bipartisan balance on the bill.
- The last bipartisan PHMSA reauthorization — the 2020 PIPES Act — expired in September.
Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Committee today approved a series of energy permitting bills to clarify right-of-way access, hasten geothermal leasing and automatically approve oil project permits in Alaska.
- This comes after the House Energy and Commerce on Tuesday advanced a huge slate of energy bills, including two industry-backed bipartisan nuclear bills and Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers' hydropower permitting overhaul.
Between the lines: All this year-end legislative action feels a little like the Willy Wonka river scene — there's no earthly way of knowing where we're going.
- Getting almost anything onto the House floor is going to be extremely challenging after the departures of Kevin McCarthy, Bill Johnson and George Santos (rest in power).
- That's going to be the highest hurdle for bipartisan bills like the PHMSA reauthorization and E&C's nuclear permitting legislation.
- Partisan messaging efforts like the NatRes bills could have an easier shot on the floor. Of course, those are doomed in the Senate.
Zoom in: Procedural and partisan divides also could keep a lot of this stuff from getting done.
- E&C shares jurisdiction on the PHMSA reauthorization, and the panel hasn't moved on it yet.
- Democrats in September accused the GOP of politicking on a historically bipartisan issue after the E&C Republicans released their own draft pipeline proposal that would promote natural gas and go after local gas bans.
- In a statement, a Dem E&C aide slammed committee Republicans for not holding more hearings or addressing "our concerns with their disturbingly partisan bill."
- E&C spokesperson Sean Kelly said Republicans on the panel are "looking forward to reviewing T&I's legislation, much of which is addressed in our pipeline legislation."
Plus, E&C leadership has held up the Senate versions of their NRC overhaul and nuclear fuel supply bills from being added to the final defense bill.
- Instead, they're seeking a separate negotiation on nuclear issues, which would be laborious and have few guarantees of a legislative vehicle.
What we're watching: Must-pass bills are currently the only path for priority energy bills. But those are mostly done with (and approps is a mess). So … fingers crossed for next year's NDAA?
- Still, we expect a real discussion about moving the pipeline reauthorization and finding some vehicles for these nuclear bills.
