In the News
How Ohio train wreck could complicate permitting overhaul
by Jeremy Dillon
Last month’s train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio has led to finger-pointing from both sides of the political aisle, but it is also now hardening attitudes on a still-live issue on Capitol Hill: permitting overhaul. The connection may not be perfect, but progressives see the accident as a warning sign — that deregulation leads to disastrous environmental results. “You get things like [East Palestine] when you take shortcuts,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), … Continue Reading
March 06, 2023
Democrats introduce bill, set hearing on crypto energy use
by Andres Picon
Democratic lawmakers are moving ahead with their crackdown on crypto mining's toll on energy resources and the environment with a first-ever Senate hearing on the issue on Tuesday. Members of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety will question experts and review legislation from Chair Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) that takes aim at the energy-intensive and highly polluting crypto mining industry. The "Crypto-Asset … Continue Reading
March 06, 2023
Natural Resources to vote on energy, permitting package
by Kelsey Brugger and Emma Dumain
House Republicans are barreling ahead with a partisan energy and permitting package, despite considerable Democratic opposition. On Thursday, the House Natural Resources Committee plans to vote on a mega bill, the "Transparency, Accountability, Permitting and Production of (TAPP) American Resources Act," which bundles three pieces of legislation from Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chair Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), and Rep. Garret Graves … Continue Reading
March 02, 2023
Jared Huffman, Mary Peltola introduce bill in US Congress to support seaweed farming
by Cliff White
U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) and U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) have introduced the Coastal Seaweed Farm Act of 2023, a bill directing NOAA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to produce a joint study evaluating the benefits and impacts of coastal seaweed farming. The bill would also create the Indigenous Seaweed Farming Fund, a grant program to reduce cost barriers for indigenous communities to get involved in coastal seaweed farming. “The climate is … Continue Reading
February 28, 2023
Top Story with Tom Llamas
February 28, 2023
Democrats push to end security exemption on Capitol Hill as Republicans demand the right to carry guns
by Ryan Nobles and Haley Talbot
WASHINGTON — Staff Sgt. Aquilino Gonell recently retired from the U.S. Capitol Police after he was injured in the Jan. 6 attack. But he remains worried about one, seemingly small, security gap on Capitol Hill that could lead to a big problem. Members of Congress and, often, the people they enter the Capitol with are not screened by security when they enter the Capitol complex. “Oh, it is disturbing,” Gonell said. “The protocol is for them to … Continue Reading
February 28, 2023
The upHill battle on permitting reform
by James Bikales
A TELLING EXCHANGE ON PERMITTING: House Democrats on Tuesday mostly rejected Republicans’ legislative offerings to ease federal permitting reviews, dismissing them as “gutting” the public input process set up under the National Environmental Policy Act. “I know we have to modernize our laws…but I don’t think these are serious proposals,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who has previously expressed openness to reforms to boost clean … Continue Reading
February 27, 2023
GOP Demands Rail Safety Fixes After Years of Ignoring Rail Safety
by Sam Brodey
The first—and perhaps most revealing—reactions on Capitol Hill to the toxic train derailment in Ohio played out in passive-aggressive Twitter exchanges between powerful officials. On Feb. 13, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted that congressional inquiry and “direct action” from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were needed to “address this tragedy.” “Fully agree,” replied Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Omar’s ideological … Continue Reading
February 17, 2023
House Dems urge Haaland to pivot BLM toward conservation
by Scott Streater
House Democrats want the Bureau of Land Management to focus more on conservation as a means to address a "biodiversity crisis" driven by climate change. In a letter dated Wednesday and sent to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, 40 Democrats said this can be accomplished by directing BLM to identify federal rangelands that could qualify as wilderness or as areas of critical environmental concern (ACECs). The letter was led by Reps. Jared Huffman of California and Diana DeGette of … Continue Reading
February 16, 2023
Huffman Tours Redwoods Rural Health Center’s Remodeled Facilities
by Lisa Music
Redwoods Rural Health Center (RRHC) in Redway hosted Congressman Jared Huffman at their West Coast Road location on February 13 for a tour of the recently renovated medical and dental offices funded by federal grants through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Congressman Huffman, representative of the 2nd Congressional District, has been a champion of legislation to aid in health center funding. On Monday, RRHC’s Executive Director, Tina Tvedt Schaible expressed gratitude … Continue Reading
February 15, 2023
World Bank chief steps down months after Dems demanded resignation
by Stephen Neukam
Trump-appointed World Bank Chief David Malpass is stepping down from the organization by the end of June, months after House Democrats called on him to resign following comments that implied climate change denial. “This afternoon, I shared with the World Bank Group’s Board of Directors my intention to step down by the end of the World Bank’s fiscal year,” Malpass said in a statement announcing the decision. Malpass came under fire after his response … Continue Reading
February 14, 2023
Rep. Huffman tours Baduwa't Mad River Estuary Restoration Project
by Sophie Lincoln
MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman was in McKinleyville Monday to tour the recently-completed Baduwa't (Mad River) Estuary Restoration Project site. The site is one of several recent environmental conservation projects that Huffman has helped fund on the North Coast. "We just toured some really wonderful restored areas that have enhanced public access for boating and fishing and just hiking in this beautiful area," Huffman said. In addition to the … Continue Reading
February 11, 2023
Highway 37 pact unites agencies on widening, elevation projects
by Will Houston
A collective of state agencies has forged a new agreement that proponents say will commit them to addressing grueling congestion on Highway 37 while expediting planning for a proposed rebuild of the commuter corridor threatened by sea-level rise. Six transportation and environmental entities have agreed to begin by widening the highway along a 10-mile traffic bottleneck. At the same time, the coalition agreed to begin initial work to plan for a proposed elevated highway. “This … Continue Reading
February 10, 2023
Democrats urge EPA to do more against plastic pollution
by Ellie Borst
Prominent Democrats are asking EPA to ramp up its efforts in tackling plastics production and pollution. A letter, sent Thursday by California Rep. Jared Huffman and Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Cory Booker of New Jersey, warns EPA about the oil and gas industries' plans for "doubling down" on petrochemicals and plastics manufacturing in response to the "transition to clean energy." Forty-five other members of Congress also signed on to the letter. "Plastic production harms our … Continue Reading
February 09, 2023
'SCOTUS before WOTUS': House Republicans rage over water rule
by E.A. Crunden
Republicans are united in their outrage over a newly finalized water regulation from the Biden administration and want agencies to wait until a key Supreme Court decision later this year to take further action. Sparks flew during the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing Wednesday, marking what is set to be the first of many acrimonious debates over the Biden administration's definition of "waters of the United States," or WOTUS. That … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
House committee OKs oversight plan over climate objections
by Kelsey Brugger
The House Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday adopted its oversight plan, which Democrats decried as an "industry wish list" that ignores the climate crisis. The plan details Republican concerns about President Joe Biden's actions on oil and gas drilling, critical minerals, renewable energy, grazing, tribes, endangered species, spending, and other matters. Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) said Congress has "constitutional responsibilities" to conduct "essential oversight of … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
Watch the SHORTER STATE OF THE UNION, With Rep. Jared Huffman
by Hank Sims
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress tonight at 6 p.m., available on basically every channel. Not feeling it? Well, Rep. Jared Huffman has packaged his own State of the Union address for residents of California’s Second District — i.e., you — and guess what? It’s much, much shorter, and it’s available now. Watch it above. Following Biden’s longer state of the union, LeBron James will likely break Kareem … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
State pact seeks to advance fixes to Highway 37 flooding and traffic woes
by Colin Atagi
A coalition of state traffic and environmental agencies announced Wednesday they will work together to redesign Highway 37, the North Bay’s key east-west route, adding new lanes in each direction to help unclog traffic and advancing other near-term fixes to address chronic flooding problems. The effort, which state and local officials touted as historic, focuses on the 21-mile state highway linking Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties from Interstate 80 in the east to Highway 101 at … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Democrats bash McCarthy over spending demands in debt ceiling talks: ‘hypocrite’
by Mike Lillis
House Democrats are slamming Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week after he demanded steep spending cuts as part of negotiations with President Biden to lift the debt limit. They’re pointing to the trillions of dollars piled onto the debt under Republican administrations, wondering aloud why GOP leaders didn’t prioritize cuts when they had the power to do so. “These people are such hypocrites,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Congressional … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Polarized local reactions to Biden’s State of the Union address
by Jeremy Hay
The nation’s polarized condition was evident in the reactions of North Coast Democrats and a local Republican Party leader to President Joe Biden’s Tuesday night State of the Union speech. Democrats thought Biden’s 73-minute address hit the right notes, held Republicans to account and demonstrated the 80-year-old president’s leadership strengths. “I thought he did a great job. I thought he was upbeat. He was positive. I felt that he was very … Continue Reading