If enacted, this bill would implement a five-year research and preparedness program aimed at understanding and mitigating the adverse health effects stemming from the environmental consequences of nuclear warfare. This program would collaborate with agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to gather scientific data on the potential long-term impacts of nuclear conflict. The funding authorized for this initiative is set at $10 million per year for fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
Summary
House Bill 4703, titled the 'Health Impacts of Nuclear War Act of 2023', seeks to mandate research into the health consequences of nuclear war, particularly its environmental impacts. The bill highlights the severe health risks that would arise from nuclear explosions, such as increased cancer rates, malnutrition, infectious diseases, and other health issues resulting from environmental degradation caused by nuclear detonations. Critical environmental changes noted include drastic temperature drops, significant reductions in crop yields, and damage to the ozone layer, all leading to long-lasting public health crises.
Contention
Discussions surrounding HB 4703 emphasize the necessity of including the health implications of environmental impacts in emergency preparedness plans for nuclear threats, moving beyond a focus solely on immediate catastrophic events. Critics of the current preparedness approach argue that it largely overlooks the prolonged health consequences that might follow nuclear detonations. By advocating for comprehensive studies and preparedness measures, this bill addresses critical gaps in national security concerning health crises emerging from potential nuclear conflicts.
Lower Energy Costs Act This bill provides for the exploration, development, importation, and exportation of energy resources (e.g., oil, gas, and minerals). For example, it sets forth provisions to (1) expedite energy projects, (2) eliminate or reduce certain fees related to the development of federal energy resources, and (3) eliminate certain funds that provide incentives to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases. The bill expedites the development, importation, and exportation of energy resources, including by waiving environmental review requirements and other specified requirements under certain environmental laws, eliminating certain restrictions on the import and export of oil and natural gas, prohibiting the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing (a type of process used to extract underground energy resources), directing the Department of the Interior to conduct sales for the leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands and waters as specified by the bill, and limiting the authority of the President and executive agencies to restrict or delay the development of energy on federal land. In addition, the bill reduces royalties for oil and gas development on federal land and eliminates charges on methane emissions. It also eliminates a variety of funds, such as funds for energy efficiency improvements in buildings as well as the greenhouse gas reduction fund.