The White House Tuesday issued veto threats for two GOP-sponsored 2016 appropriations bills likely to be taken up by the House this week. One is the Energy and Water appropriation, which the White House says underfunds clean energy jobs programs and contains "ideological riders" such as one that would thwart efforts to protect clean water.

"A Senate committee passed a bill Tuesday that would reform the federal government’s regulation of toxic chemicals for the first time in decades."

"Since his first homily in 2013, Pope Francis has preached about the need to protect the earth and all of creation as part of a broad message on the environment. It has caused little controversy so far."

"Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are urging their Republican colleagues to stop a bill aimed at improving scientific transparency at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."

"Proposed 200-mile pipeline would ship North Dakota crude across U.S.-Canadian border".

"Facing a thicket of candidates and ballot measures in the November election, Florida voters sent one resounding message to elected officials: More must be done to protect the state’s natural habitats — including the long-suffering Everglades."

"One of congressional Republicans' major attempts to regain a say over water resources projects while maintaining their self-imposed earmark ban may have hit a brick wall."

An electric utility industry group this week released a report warning that EPA's "Clean Power Plan" to address climate change could hurt grid reliability. The report offers ammunition for the plan's opponents -- especially Republicans from coal-mining and coal-burning states. But a number of critics say the report's analysis is flawed.

"Congress on Tuesday passed a bill focused on improving energy efficiency in buildings and water heaters, a move celebrated by both parties for breaking longstanding partisan gridlock."

"House appropriators on Wednesday advanced a $35.4 billion bill that would fund energy and water development for fiscal year 2016." Democrats failed to remove GOP policy riders.