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The Energy and Commerce Committee today unanimously passed S. 611, the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act – companion legislation to H.R. 2853, a bill introduced by Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Vice Chairman Gregg Harper (R-Miss). The legislation helps smaller and rural communities across the country deal with the technical and financial challenges of regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Often, smaller and rural communities face significant hurdles when it comes to maintaining, replacing, and upgrading their aging drinking and wastewater infrastructure

Analysts at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are providing, for the first time, a method for measuring the economic potential of renewable energy across the United States.

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owners and manager of three Michigan apartment complexes – Parkside East Apartments, in East Lansing, Michigan, Holt Manor Apartments in Holt, Michigan, and Kelly Manor Apartments in Owosso, Michigan – for discriminating against families with children.

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) release of their initial strategic plan to assess risks associated with algal toxins in public drinking water as required under legislation authored by Rep. Latta, H.R. 212, The Drinking Water Protection Act:

The PTC Elimination Act this week received its 50th cosponsor. The bill, authored by U.S. Congressmen Kenny Marchant (TX-24) and Mike Pompeo (KS-04), would make the tax code simpler, fairer and more competitive through a phase-out and repeal of the renewable energy Production Tax Credit, or PTC.

Mayor de Blasio today announced a new plan to create 15,000 units of supportive housing over the next 15 years. The sweeping plan will target even more New Yorkers in need than previous plans, including homeless veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and street homeless individuals

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird today announced the final environmental review of an innovative landscape-scale blueprint to support renewable energy development and conservation on 10 million acres of federal public lands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the California desert.

The Multi-State Mortgage Committee (MMC) announced a Settlement Agreement and Consent Order between 50 state mortgage regulators and Prospect Mortgage, LLC (NMLS ID 3296). A multi-state examination conducted by eight states revealed a pattern of charging improperly disclosed and unsupported fees paid to the company’s affiliate, C2C Appraisal Services, LLC.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today announced HUD’s latest national one-night estimate of homelessness, highlighting a continuing decline across the nation. The results are based on HUD’s ‘point-in-time’ estimates, which seek to measure the scope of homelessness on a single night in January each year.

The Charles County Department of Public Works would like to remind citizens that the next household hazardous waste collection for this year will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5. The household hazardous waste collection site is located in the parking lot of the Department of Public Works building, located at 10430 Audie Lane, off of Radio Station Road in La Plata. Collection hours are 9 a.m. – 3 p.m

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced a $145,101 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Project Based Voucher grant for the Housing Authority of the City of Napa. The grant will provide 17 Section 8 VASH vouchers for the Valley View Senior Homes

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced legislation to help prevent youth homelessness, improve support services and housing for youth and families, and help ensure children are raised in supportive, stable households.

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) today testified before a meeting of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) about the Flint water crisis and changes to federal policy that can be made to promote transparency and accountability for city residents.

The House Natural Resources Committee held a legislative hearing on the Protecting America’s Recreation and Conservation Act, a bill that proposes extensive and dismantling changes to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Rep. Tsongas has championed the LWCF and has been one of the leading voices calling for its reauthorization.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act

The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 1210, the Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act introduced by Congressman Andy Barr (KY-6) in a bipartisan vote of 255 to 174.  The bill promotes affordable home financing and discourages the practice of securitizing and selling of mortgages that led to the 2008 financial crisis and the resulting taxpayer bailouts of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and large systemically important financial institutions.

U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper (both D-DE) today sent a letter to House-Senate conferees negotiating a final Highway and Transportation Bill compromise, urging them to focus on our nation’s crumbling infrastructure by shortening the authorization period for the bill and using the savings to maximize annual investment levels for all surface transportation programs

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Calif.) questioned U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White on the SEC's actions related to risk-sharing by the GSEs during a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled “Examining the SEC’s Agenda, Operations, and FY 2017 Budget Request."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1 million grant to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) to conduct research on the effects of drought and extreme weather on the state’s water resources. The study will examine the conditions that contribute to the current drought, looking at the effect decreased water supply and unpredictable water quality have on agriculture, the environment, and the hydropower sector in both urban and rural settings

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), ranking member of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee and one of the “Big Four” transportation leaders that got the House to pass a six-year surface transportation bill, today spoke out about urgent priorities for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at the first Conference Committee meeting to reconcile the Senate and House transportation reauthorization bills.