NWC Federal Spotlight (September 30, 2021 edition)

 Happy World Maritime Day NWC members—

Thank you again for attending NWC’s 2021 Annual Meeting last week! Since sending out the meeting recap on Monday, we received another ppt from the meeting from Mr. David Maurstad (FEMA) who spoke about Risk Rating 2.0. To view his presentation, click here. Note: Risk Rating 2.0 becomes effective tomorrow for new policies, Renewed policies are under the new rates starting April 1, 2022. Otherwise, below are several items of potential interest to NWC members.

In this issue:

  • Capitol Hill Happenings
    • End of the FY2021 Fiscal Year
    • What’s up with the infrastructure and reconciliation packages?
    • Next steps on the debt ceiling
    • Water Resource Development Act 2020/2022
    • Upcoming Capitol Hill hearings of interest
  • Federal Agency Corner
    • EPA Hosting Biweekly Calls on Environmental Justice
    • EPA releases FY2022 Guidelines for Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grants
    • FEMA issues final rule for mitigation programs
    • FEMA Co-Hosts Alliance for Climate Action Forum Every Wednesday in October
    • FEMA hosts a Federal Agency Roundtable and Partnerships webinar
    • FEMA will open its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program on September 30
    • FWA revokes Trump rule on Migratory Bird Treaty Act
    • USDA opens Rural Business Development Grant Program
    • USCG meeting/ National Maritime Security Advisory Committee

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Thank you again for your support of NWC!

Best,

Julie Ufner, NWC President and CEO

Capitol Hill Happenings

Both the House and Senate are in session this week and face a spate of legislative challenges. First, the end of the 2021 fiscal year is today at 11:59pm ET with the 2022 fiscal year starting at 12am tonight. The challenge? None of the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the federal government have been signed into law. That means Congress will have to pass a continuing resolution to keep the federal government open at FY2021 levels until an agreement is reached. Second, this is D-week for reconciliation and the bipartisan infrastructure package, although it is looking increasingly likely that a vote may be pushed off. Third, if the above isn’t enough, earlier in the week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the U.S. will hit their debt ceiling by October 18.

 Congress passes short term CR. Congress has been busy at work this week to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through Dec. 3. Today, the House and Senate successfully passed a CR that keeps the federal government open through Dec. 3, as well as provides funding for emergency disaster relief and relocation funds for Afghan refugees (Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act/H.R. 5305, as amended by the Senate). It does not contain a provision to suspend the debt ceiling though, which must be addressed separately from the CR. However, the measure does include a short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program until Dec. 3. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature to prevent a government shutdown at midnight. For more information, click here.

What’s up with the infrastructure and reconciliation packages? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to bring up last month’s Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure package for a vote as early as this evening. However, the fate of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill has been increasingly tied to the larger $3.5 trillion dollar reconciliation package which expands the nation’s federal safety net services and addresses climate change. In the House, Speaker Pelosi has dealt with pushback from members who are concerned if the bipartisan bill passes, it may kill momentum for the $3.5 trillion package.  At a press conference today, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md. was asked whether the House had the votes to pass the Senate’s bipartisan measure and he replied, “Nope.” Meanwhile, on the Senate side, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have already publicly indicated that they will not support a $3.5 trillion dollar package and Sen. Manchin said he like to see a measure closer to $1.5 trillion. This is relevant in the Senate where Democrats narrowly hold the chamber 50-50 (with Vice President Harris as the tiebreaker). This week, the White House has met several times with Sinema and Manchin to hammer out a reconciliation compromise that the Democratic caucus can support. To learn more about the challenges facing these two bills, click here. 

Next steps on debt ceiling. As referenced above, the U.S. will hit its debt ceiling on October 18. What is the debt ceiling? It is essentially a limit to how much the U.S. can spend and has to do with existing spending, not future spending. Democrats had made efforts to attach a provision to push back the debt ceiling debate until next year, but the Republicans refused to include that provision in the CR. How this will play out is uncertain.

Water Resource Development Act 2020/2022: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), they identified those sections of WRDA 2020 that need implementation guidance. To date, implementation guidance for 11 sections has been released and the others are pending and expected in the next several weeks. To see the list of WRDA 2020 provisions, including whether implementation guidance is needed, click here.

On WRDA 2022, last week the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee sent a letter to all Senators. In the letter, EPW requests that Senators submit requested “legislative text, agency technical assistance, or requested report language” for WRDA 2022 by December 17, 2021. Senate staff has stressed that if entities have legislative language, that it is important to meet with your Senators now. Tentatively, EPW plans to move their bill in Spring 2022.

NWC has asked their caucuses—Navigation, Flood Control, Water Supply and Hydropower—to develop potential policy positions for NWC’s Legislative Committee to consider. Please refer below for more information about upcoming NWC caucus meetings.

Upcoming Capitol Hill hearings of interest:

  • Hearing on Hurricane Ida and Beyond: Readiness, Recovery and Resiliency (Tuesday, October 5 at 11am ET) before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. To learn more, click here.
  • Hearing to examine the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency response to Hurricane Ida (Wednesday, October 6 at 10am ET) before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. To watch the hearing, click here.
  • Hearing on Emerging Contaminants, Forever Chemicals, and More: Challenges to Water Quality, Public Health, and Communities (Wednesday, October 6 at 11am ET) before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. To learn more, click here.
  • Hearing to examine the status and management of drought in the western United States (Wednesday, October 6 at 2:30pm ET) before the Water and Power Subcommittee (Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. To learn more, click here.

Federal Agency Corner

  • EPA BIWEEKLY CALL. EPA Hosting Biweekly Calls on Environmental Justice: Next Call is October 12: The purpose of these calls is to inform the public about EPA’s environmental justice work and enhance opportunities to maintain an open dialogue with environmental justice advocates. Due to limited space, participation in these calls will be on a first come, first-served basis. Pre-registration is highly suggested, but not required. If you are unable to join a call,  meeting materials and a recording of the meeting will be posted to this page after each call. Click here to pre-register.
  • EPA GRANT OPPORTUNITY. EPA releases FY2022 Guidelines for Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grants: On September 21, the EPA announced a funding opportunity for Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grants. This opportunity will close on December 1, 2021, 11:59pm ET. Under the guidelines, “Only eligible entities who do not have, or are not a part of (i.e., a coalition member), an open cooperative agreement for a Brownfields RLP at the time of application may apply for funding.” For grant recipients with an open cooperative agreement may request additional funding through the program’s non-competitive, supplemental funding process. To learn more, click here (and see related documents).
  • FEMA FINAL RULE. FEMA issues final rule for mitigation programs: On Sept. 10, FEMA published the final rule in the Federal Register that includes an update to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs and mitigation planning regulations. The rule is effective October 12, 2021. For more information, click here.
  • FEMA WEEKLY CALL. FEMA Co-Hosts Alliance for Climate Action Forum Every Wednesday in October (October 6 from noon-2pm ET): On Oct. 6, the Resilient Nation Partnership Network will kick off the 6th Annual Partnership Forum, “Alliances for Climate Action,” co-hosted with FEMA and NASA. This four-week virtual series will occur every Wednesday in October from noon – 2 p.m. ET. To learn more or to RSVP, click here.
  • FEMA WEBINAR. FEMA hosts a Federal Agency Roundtable and Partnerships webinar (Oct. 13 from 2:00pm—3:30pm ET) to discuss the importance of partnerships in FEMA’s grant programs. Presenters from U.S.  Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and others will participate. For more information, click here.
  • FEMA GRANT OPPORTUNITY. FEMA opens its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program on September 30: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The application process opened on September 30 and closes on January 28, 2022 at 3pm ET. To read the funding notice, click here.
  • FWS FINAL RULE/ADVANCE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized a rule earlier this week that revoked the Trump Administration’s rule on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The FWS plans to take public comment to determine how they can best move forward with implementation. Furthermore, the FWS published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register on an agency incidental take program. To read the Deportment of Interior’s press release on these FWS actions, click here.
  • USDA GRANT OPPORTUNITY. USDA opens Rural Business Development Grant Program: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service is accepting grant applications for their Rural Business Development Grant program. The purpose of this program economic development and job creation projects through the awarding of grant funds to eligible entities. Applications will compete in two separate categories, business opportunity grants and business enterprise grants, for use in funding various business and community projects that serve rural areas.  Applications close on Feb. 28, 2022, at 4:30pm. To learn more, click here.
  • USCG TELECONFERNECE. USCG meeting/ National Maritime Security Advisory Committee: Thursday, October 28 from 1pm—3pm ET. The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee will meet to discuss cybersecurity risks that may cause a transportation security incident. This meeting is open to the public. For more information or to learn how to submit comments, click here.

SCHEDULED NWC Caucuses Meetings

  • NWC’s Navigation Caucus will hold Quarterly Meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 2pm. The next NWC Navigation Caucus Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 12 at 2pm. During this meeting, the caucus will discuss potential WRDA 2022 priorities as well as a general statement of philosophy for the caucus. A calendar invite with zoom link has been sent out to the NWC Navigation caucus members. If you are interested in serving on this caucus, please let Julie Ufner, NWC President and CEO, know and she will add you to the membership list.
  • NWC’s Flood Control Caucus will meet next on Tuesday, October 12 at 4pm. During this meeting, the caucus will discuss potential WRDA 2022 priorities as well as a general statement of philosophy for the caucus. A calendar invite will be sent out to caucus members. If you are a NWC members and interested in serving on this caucus, please let

UPCOMING WATER AND WATERWAY EVENTS

NWC members, do you have a meeting, conference, webinar or other type of education session coming up that you want NWC members to know about?

If so, send Julie Ufner, NWC President, a quick email (Subject Line: Upcoming Waterways Events for NWC) with the following: Date (and time, if applicable), Name of event, who is sponsoring it, its purpose and the website where more information can be found. We can keep a running list of them here, as well as list them on the NWC website.

Thanks all!