On Monday May 10, the U.S. Department of Treasury released guidance on the State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Included in the guidance is the flexibility to use Recovery Funds to invest in broadband infrastructure, services and programs to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including capital investments in public facilities, investments in housing and neighborhoods and other guidance counties advocated for. The U.S.
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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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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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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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This past Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act). The 1,815-page legislation would provide a $3 trillion follow-up to the $2.2 trillion CARES Act aid passed into law in March. This summary provides a breakdown of the bill’s contents, with a focus on key items for regions including transportation and economic development provisions.
Continue reading NARC’s Heroes Act Summary at National Association of Regional Councils.
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Read NARC's analysis of the recently passed CARES Act, which will provide the country with $2.3 trillion of aid to counter the physical and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue reading NARC Analysis: CARES Act at National Association of Regional Councils.
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2019 State of the Union Address: NARC Supports Call for Infrastructure Development
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NARC Staff
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February 6, 2019
Among multiple 2019 initiatives mentioned during his Tuesday night State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump spoke of his desire to work with Congress to develop bipartisan legislation to “deliver new and important infrastructure investment.” Emphasizing the critical nature of these improvements, the President added, “this is not an option.
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