NWC News Alert (Jan. 16, 2024)

Dear NWC Members,

Good afternoon NWC members! I wanted to provide you with a brief update on a couple of issues, especially for those involved in Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) requests.

The House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I), overseeing the WRDA process on the House side, has extended the members only WRDA portal deadline until Friday, Jan. 29. This extension applies to studies, programs, and policy ideas. If you haven’t already, now is the opportune time to contact your member of Congress to support and facilitate these ideas.

In other news, the current Continuing Resolution for four federal appropriations bills (Agriculture, Energy/Water, Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs) concludes this Friday, January 19. The remaining eight appropriations measures, including authorization for the National Flood Insurance Program, expire on February 2, 2024. Although there is a House-Senate leadership agreement on funding levels, it is not universally accepted. House and Senate leaders are contemplating another Continuing Resolution to allow additional time for negotiations until March 1 and March 8, respectively. The vote on this matter is expected later this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces challenges within his own party, particularly with the top-tier spending approach. The House Republican majority, currently at 220-213 with three vacancies, is further narrowed due to the absence of Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) this week. This leaves a 2-vote margin, with Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) set to retire from Congress next week.

Congressional Hearings of Interest:

Lastly, a friendly reminder that registration is open for NWC’s 2024 Legislative Summit (March 11-13, 2024)—Early Bird ends Jan. 26. The summit will take place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, from Monday, March 11, through Wednesday, March 13, 2024. The event will feature insightful sessions and speakers discussing federal water and waterways resource changes and opportunities. For the latest information on speakers, sessions, and registration details, please visit our 2024 Legislative Summit page.