"After virtually ignoring the nation's biggest environmental issue for years, Republican leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are planning a major hearing on climate change on Sept. 18 and are inviting leaders of 13 federal agencies to testify. It will be the first time since President Obama unveiled his climate action plan in June that administration officials will testify on Capitol Hill about the agenda."
"Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., who will preside over the hearing, sent out letters Aug. 6 inviting testimony from leaders of the Environmental Protection Agency; the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Commerce Department; NASA; the U.S. Agency for International Development; the Export-Import Bank; and the White House Office of Science and Technology.
In the letters, Whitfield asks nine questions about how each agency devotes its time, money, and resources to climate-change policies and requests each official to include answers in his or her written testimony at the hearing. The subcommittee had asked the agencies to respond by Wednesday about who will testify. By press time Wednesday evening, only the Defense Department had confirmed it will provide a witness, although a Pentagon spokesperson was not able to provide the name. The subcommittee expects to confirm more witnesses in the coming days."
Amy Harder reports for National Journal August 22, 2013.
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