Environment

HJRES 78 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that granted endangered species status to the San Francisco Bay-Delta population of the longfin smelt, a fish native to California's Bay-Delta region. If passed, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing the smelt from receiving federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. The rule, published in the Federal Register in July 2024, aimed to protect this specific fish population from threats like habitat loss and water management practices. This resolution does not create new policy but directly reverses an existing regulatory action affecting the smelt and its ecosystem.

The Protecting American Energy Production Act (HR 26) states that Congress believes states should have primary authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for oil and natural gas on state and private lands. It prohibits the President from imposing a moratorium on fracking without a new law passed by Congress. This bill directly affects federal executive authority by preventing unilateral federal bans and reinforces state regulatory roles. The key provision ensures any federal restriction on fracking would require a specific act of Congress, rather than executive action.