Committee InfoDescriptionHello Senators and welcome to the Senate Environment and Public Works committee. The Environment and Public Works committee is responsible for regulating pollution, highway construction and repair, environmental aspects of the continental shelf, toxic substances other than pesticides, fisheries and other general issues of environment and infrastructure. This committee is chaired by Democrat Barbara Boxer of California, and the Ranking Minority Member is Republican James Inhofe of Oklahoma. There are twelve members in the majority and seven members in the minority. Sub committees include Children’s Health, Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, Green Jobs and the New Economy, Oversight, Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Water and Wildlife.According to the New York Times, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Democrats recently “quashed a three-day-long Republican boycott and passed global warming legislation using a procedural move that could undermine support from moderate senators if the bill reaches the floor.” Because the majority ignored the Republican minority in the committee, it is highly unlikely that the legislation will successfully move forward in the Senate. In addition, the legislation brought up issues involving the use of nuclear energy sources, an issue that continues to be taboo in American environmental reform. In addition to passing recent legislation dealing with global warming, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee website cites “recent committee activities [to] include the passage of landmark Everglades restoration legislation, the protection of barrier islands and ground water resources, investigation of the environmental effects of bioengineering, review of new technologies and scientific standards in achieving infrastructural growth and natural habitat renewal, and oversight of the Superfund program, solid waste and recycled materials, stratospheric ozone depletion, global climate change, private property rights, and Federal regulatory reform.” The Committee on Environment and Public Works has jurisdiction over all bills, resolutions, and other matters relating to the Standing Rules of the Senate, Rule XXV of the Senate. According to the committee’s website, “ in 1963, the responsibility for creating new laws to achieve air and water pollution control, rural and community economic development, and relief from natural disasters was given to the committee. Various legislation including the Clean Air Act in 1970 and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 brought the committee recognition as the Senate's forum for protection of the environment. In 1977, the committee was assigned the jurisdiction over endangered species, fish and wildlife refuges and programs, and the regulation of nonmilitary nuclear power. The committee's oversight extends to programs in five cabinet level departments and seven independent agencies, including the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration and the Coast Guard, the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the GSA's Public Buildings Service, the Council on Environmental Quality, the civil works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Mississippi River Commission, and the nonperforming functions of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” If you are still interested in learning more about the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, view their website http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Home. Home or the Library of Congress’ website at http://www.loc.gov/index.html. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us: zuzannas@wharton.upenn.edu and karlamo@sas.upenn.edu. We look forward to working with you all next February at the Penn Model Congress Conference 2009. We look forward to working with you all next February at the Penn Model Congress Conference 2010. -------------------- Hi, my name is Karla Molina. I am sophomore in the college majoring in history. This is my second year in Penn Model Congress and I am pumped!!! I am the community service rep of ACELA, the Latino affinity group on campus. I am also in the Franklin Community hopefully implementing a new community service group on campus next semester called Young Philadelphia Leaders (YPL). I am also a member of SAW (Studen Ambassadors of the World) a group on campus involved in global community service programs. Obviously I am very involved in the community service on Penn's Campus so if you have any questions on how to get involved or just questions about college life feel free to contact me. I look forward to meeting all of you. Have a great Penn Model Congress. Hey! I’m Zuzanna Stepniakowska, and I am a freshman in Wharton from Memphis, TN. I’m planning in concentrating in Business and Public Policy and maybe also pursuing a minor in American Public Policy. In addition to Penn Model Congress, I’m involved with the Penn Global Health Initiative and intramural basketball. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or comments. The issues which we will be debating are extremely complicated and I hope this jurisdiction paper serves as a useful reference. My e-mail address is zuzannas@wharton.upenn.edu. I look forward to working with all of you and will you see you in February! Chairs
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Account LoginConference DatesMarch 31 - April 3, 2011 RegistrationRegistration is now closed. InformationClick here for more details about PENNMC 2011! Check us out on Facebook!
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