Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | November 3-November 9, 2025

Highlights:

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs agreed on the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act (S.861) reintroduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and cosponsored by five Republican senators. The bipartisan bill, if passed, would streamline the application process for federal disaster recovery assistance, reducing the burden on disaster survivors seeking immediate assistance. 

Reps. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.) and Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) introduced the Ohio River Restoration Program Act (H.R.5966) along with six bipartisan cosponsors. The bill, if passed, would create an Ohio River National Program Office in the Environmental Protection Agency to restore and protect the Ohio River, which is the second-most endangered river in the country. To learn more, check out EESI’s joint briefing with the Ohio River Basin Alliance about Ohio River restoration efforts. 

Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced the Flood Protection and Infrastructure Resilience Act of 2025 (S.3140) to prioritize long-term flood resilience in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The bill, if passed, would also improve the USDA's ability to provide technical and financial assistance to rehabilitate aging watershed dams.

To catch up on all of the recent environmental and energy legislation in Congress, read the pdf here.