The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee over the weekend released a new reauthorization bill that is very similar to the bill it passed two years ago, which died from inaction from other committees. This new bill provides $304 billion in contract authority, some 90% of which goes out through formula. Though some proposed programs were eliminated from the earlier version of the bill, several notable new programs remain, including new apportionment programs focused on carbon reduction and resilience. What follows is a brief rundown of some of the more relevant items in the bill.
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Biden Announces American Jobs Plan
Yesterday afternoon President Biden introduced his American Jobs Plan in Pittsburgh. This wide-ranging proposal would invest in transportation infrastructure of all types, affordable housing, public schools, colleges and childcare facilities, VA hospitals, water, electricity transmission, electric vehicles, broadband, workforce development and more.
Plan Overview:
According to the initial outline released by the administration, the plans seeks to: create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China.
Continue reading Biden Infrastructure Plan Summary at National Association of Regional Councils.
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In response to a Federal Register notice that proposes to raise the population threshold for the designation of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), NARC has submitted comment to the Office of Management and budget opposing the change. Comments on this notice are due by March 19, 2021. NARC members are encouraged to utilize this language for their own purposes if that is helpful for you.
Read the letter here.
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NARC Analysis: American Rescue Plan
Last week, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law. The $1.9 trillion bill will provide additional relief to address the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. NARC has created a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes some of the major pieces of this new bill. Feel free to share with your colleagues and membership and reach out to the NARC staff if you have any questions about the legislation.
Continue reading NARC Analysis: American Rescue Plan at National Association of Regional Councils.
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Twenty-one NARC-member regional councils have written to congressional leadership requesting critical funding for transit agencies to maintain operations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain their resources.
Click here to view the letter.
The agencies call for $32 Billion in emergency federal funds to be included in an upcoming stimulus package to be passed before the end of 2020. This figure has been identified by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) as what is needed to ensure that transit agencies “can survive and help our communities and the nation recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.”
COVID-19 has caused massive drops in transit ridership and lost revenue has forced transit agencies across the country to consider service and personnel cuts.
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Late yesterday afternoon, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus released the long-awaited bill text for their $908 billion coronavirus relief package. The legislation is a two-part stimulus plan: a $748 billion package focusing on areas of agreement and a separate $160 billion bill that includes the most controversial provisions for lawmakers — additional funding for state and local government and liability protections. It’s important to keep in mind that while many lawmakers see this bill as the most concrete and realistic compromise on COVID-19 relief we have seen in months, House and Republican leadership see it as a marker for broader negotiations and not a final vehicle for aid.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the Senate floor last week to introduce the HEALS Act, the Senate Republicans’ plan for a coronavirus relief package that would follow up the CARES Act passed earlier this year. “Our nation stands now at an important crossroads in this battle,” McConnell said. “We have one foot in the pandemic and one foot in the recovery. The American people need more help. They need it to be comprehensive.
Continue reading NARC HEALS Act Summary at National Association of Regional Councils.
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Congress has managed to hold to a two-year reauthorization schedule for the last three Water Resource Development Acts (2014, 2016, and 2018) and it looks like they are on track to increase that streak to four this year. This past Wednesday, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to move H.R. 7575 The Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA 2020) out of committee. The bill is now headed to the House floor.
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As we approach the dog days of summer, the federal appropriations process is finally heating up. This follows several months of being on hold as Congress tried to address the growing coronavirus pandemic, the staggering drop in unemployment, and cries for action regarding racial injustice and police brutality.
With Election Day less than four months away, several critical questions remain. Will Congress finish its consideration of all twelve appropriations bills before the September 30th fiscal year (FY) 2021 deadline?
Continue reading Summer Federal Appropriations Update at National Association of Regional Councils.
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NARC, along with the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has written to congressional leaders to request that Congress appropriate at least $20 billion in flexible transportation funds through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP) in the next coronavirus relief bill. Read the full letter here.
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