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The Week in Climate Hearings: Daylight Killing Time
The fires of the world, the assassinations of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero, and the "ICE of Europe"
Brad Johnson
July 14, 2026
Wildfire on the moor above Tintwistle, England, July 12, 2026. Credit: Isla…
The relentless heating of hundreds of billions of tons of greenhouse pollution is fueling deadly wildfires across Europe and North America, including one turning the forest of Fontainebleu to ash, and an Andalusian fire that has killed at least 12 people. Torrential deluges have killed dozens in Bangladesh and left thousands homeless. The record-shattering European heat wave in June killed as many as 14,000 people. Extreme heat is settling on southern California, New England, and the Midwest.
After bringing home the National Guard troops who assisted Trump’s military occupation of the District of Columbia, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) has mobilized the Guard to fight wildfires in northern Minnesota. D.C. is still occupied by thousands of troops from 21 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, including 162 troops from Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and 27 from Democratic Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii.
Trump’s roving bands of armed ICE thugs have assassinated two people this week, shooting down Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on his way to work in Houston, Texas, and murdering Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, leaving a three-year-old daughter.
Trump’s ongoing war with Iran (he’s claiming it’s new) has sent the price of oil skyrocketing, guaranteeing booming windfall profits for the oil industry, much as AI hyperscalers are feeding fracked gas profits. Trump announced the shrinking of the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments in Utah to permit more mining and drilling.
Congress has returned to Washington. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is still recuperating from a fall, and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) is dead. The notoriously closeted Graham, who was famous for his love of launching wars in the Middle East and attaching himself with doglike loyalty to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and then Donald Trump, was remembered fondly by many of his Democratic colleagues for his sense of humor. His sister Darline Graham Nordone was quickly sworn in to replace him.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La., no relation) shambolic House of Representatives can’t accomplish real work, so is committed to passage of an anti-science, anti-health bill (H.R. 139) to make Daylight Saving Time permanent across the country. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) noted in Monday’s Rules Committee hearing that this bill is dangerous and stupid:
“I dug into in the science and the facts around the issue and found that science and medical professionals have overwhelmingly endorsed permanent Standard Time rather than daylight saving time because permanent Daylight Saving Time is the wrong choice for our health and safety.”
House Energy and Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) then brazenly lied in his testimony before the Rules Committee in support of the bill, claiming “Everything I’ve seen in terms of the studies would indicate that it’s the switch that is the problem.”
Pallone is one of many Democrats who have joined Trump to support this attack on public health.
Smoke from the East Evans Creek Fire, Ore., July 13, 2026. Credit: JackAZ Photo
Tuesday, July 14
House Energy and Commerce subcommittees are marking up several energy and environment bills on Tuesday.
In the morning, the energy subcommittee marks up six nuclear energy bills, including ones to loosen regulations on uranium enrichment and plant construction. In the afternoon, the environment subcommittee marks up seven diesel engine pollution and mineral recycling bills, including the BUSES Act (H.R. 9317) to overturn local anti-idling municipal ordinances such as New York City’s and the LOCOMOTIVES Act (H.R. 3194) to prevent state regulation of train pollution.
Wednesday, July 15
At 10 am, the House Natural Resources Committee marks up a wide array of bills, including one on NOAA sexual harassment, a bill to extend a freeze on Right Whale protections on behalf of the lobster industry, re-authorization of the Water Resources Research Act, and other bills.
Also at 10 am, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee marks up several bills and votes on nominees. The legislation includes a bill supporting NOAA’s purchase of new Hurricane Hunter aircraft and one encouraging better federal disaster communications capabilities. Currently serving members of the National Transportation Safety Board and Surface Transportation Board have been renominated.
At the same time, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
votes on the nomination of Kevin Lilly to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and on S.4949, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026. Kevin Lilly is the acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks at the Interior Department—a position that oversees both the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lilly is a Texas wealth manager with no conservation experience. He holds the acting position illegally. Lilly resigned his position as the chair of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in order to join the Trump administration as a political appointee. Lilly founded Avalon Advisors, the “largest privately owned wealth management firm in Texas,” according to Southwestern University.
At 2:30 pm, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee receives testimony on 15 public lands, forests, geothermal, coal, and mining bills. Witnesses have not yet been publicly announced.
Thursday, July 16
At 10 am, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee examines the nomination of David Cummins to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. Cummins is a senior vice president of Serco, an international government contractor known as the “ICE of Europe” for their global network of private prisons and deportation flights.
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