{"id":4772,"date":"2025-04-10T14:51:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T14:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waterways.org\/?p=4772"},"modified":"2025-04-10T14:55:05","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T14:55:05","slug":"nwc-federal-spotlight-april-9-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waterways.org\/wordpress2\/nwc-federal-spotlight-april-9-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"NWC Federal Spotlight (April 9, 2025)"},"content":{"rendered":"

A special thanks to\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Valley Water<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for their generous support of this Federal Spotlight. Your commitment helps drive our mission forward.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

NWC members,<\/p>\n

Spring has officially arrived in Washington, and the city is buzzing. Tulips are blooming along Pennsylvania Avenue, cherry blossoms are in full display around the Tidal Basin, and everything feels alive, in motion, and full of possibility. That same energy is mirrored on Capitol Hill this week, where members of Congress are moving quickly to advance major legislative priorities before heading out for a two-week recess. Like the season itself, there\u2019s growth, tension, and plenty happening just beneath the surface. We encourage you to take a few moments to dig into the developments captured in this week\u2019s Spotlight \u2013 there\u2019s a lot to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n

There are many moving pieces in DC <\/strong>right now \u2013 budget negotiations, reconciliation planning, workforce reorganization, and sweeping changes to federal disaster recovery and permitting policy. This week\u2019s Spotlight breaks it all down, with updates on what\u2019s happening, what\u2019s ahead, and how it could affect the water resources community. Several public comment periods are currently open<\/strong>, including on the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 and Waters of the United States. NWC has prepared draft comment letters for both and welcomes member feedback as we finalize.<\/p>\n

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for NWC\u2019s Legislative Summit, held March 10\u201312, 2025<\/strong>. We had meaningful discussions, high-impact speakers, and valuable insight from across the water resources community. For those who couldn\u2019t attend \u2013 or would like to revisit the content \u2013 a recap and links<\/a> to featured presentations are now available on our website. Also, mark your calendars: our 2025 Annual Meeting in Norfolk is set for September 23\u201325<\/strong>. Registration will open soon but in the meantime, we are accepting speaker and session ideas here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, we\u2019re thrilled to welcome Tract<\/strong> as the newest member of the NWC family. We\u2019re also excited to share that Chelsea Polanco has joined the NWC team<\/strong> in a part-time capacity to support member management, event planning, and sponsorship. Chelsea\u2019s role expands on responsibilities previously held by both Tiffany Faulkner and Kathleen Turner, who transitioned and\/or retired out of their positions over the past several months. We\u2019re grateful for their service to NWC and delighted to have Chelsea on board as we continue working together to advance resilient, well-managed water resources infrastructure and policy nationwide.<\/p>\n

As always, we are here for any questions, comments, or suggestions you might have. Please feel free to reach out.<\/p>\n

Julie, Cherise and Chelsea<\/p>\n

The NWC team<\/p>\n

NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0W<\/strong>ELCOME TO NEW NWC MEMBER TRACT. <\/strong>Tract is a team of digital infrastructure experts who provide master-planned data center parks to facilitate speed and certainty in developing new data center capacity. We work with hyperscalers, operators, local communities, landowners, and energy companies to incorporate long-term planning and scaled sites in a way that streamlines development cycles and benefits all stakeholders. Our approach is collaborative, working closely with cities and counties to ensure development is targeted for optimal locations. This maximizes revenue and economic development benefits for the community, while also being good stewards of the land and minimizing impact on neighbors.<\/p>\n

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n

BLOG. <\/strong>Possible unintended consequences with White House NEPA order (<\/strong>Dawson & Associates, March 21, 2025). The blog<\/a> from Dawson & Associates discusses potential unintended consequences of the White House’s recent Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidance on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementation. It raises concerns that the new directive may introduce confusion and delays, particularly by encouraging agencies to assess climate-related effects without clear boundaries, which could complicate permitting and infrastructure development.<\/p>\n

BLOG. <\/strong>A lawyer\u2019s look at the Trump Administration\u2019s \u201cnational energy emergency order.\u201d<\/strong> (Dawson & Associates, Feb. 17, 2025). A blog<\/a> \u00a0provides a legal perspective on the Trump administration\u2019s National Energy Emergency Executive Order, examining its statutory basis and potential legal challenges. The author highlights the broad authority the order invokes under existing energy and national emergency laws but questions its long-term implications and the precedent it may set.<\/p>\n

SERIES.<\/strong> Guiding through Change: Understanding Policy Shifts in the Trump Administration<\/strong> (K&L Gates, ongoing). A series<\/a> by K&L Gates provides an overview of President Trump\u2019s early 2025 policy actions, noting that nearly 150 executive orders were issued within his first two days in office. The series highlights sweeping changes across immigration, energy, technology, defense, and social policy, including enhanced immigration enforcement, proposed changes to birthright citizenship, a national energy emergency, and significant investments in artificial intelligence. K&L Gates offers legal insights into how these actions may affect businesses and regulatory frameworks.<\/p>\n

WEBINAR. <\/strong>Loper Bright: Navigating the New Regulatory State and Implications for the Trump Administration Agency <\/strong>(K&L Gates). The K&L Gates webinar<\/a>, titled “Loper Bright: Navigating the New Regulatory State and Implications for the Trump Administration Agenda” discusses the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo<\/em>, which overruled the Chevron doctrine that had mandated judicial deference to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous statutes. This landmark ruling requires courts to independently interpret statutes without defaulting to agencies’ perspectives. The article explores how this shift may affect the legislative, regulatory, and judicial processes, particularly concerning the Trump administration’s policy initiatives.<\/p>\n

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CONGRESSIONAL\/ GOVERNMENTWIDE SPOTLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n

OVERVIEW. <\/strong>Both chambers of Congress are in session this week,<\/strong> the final legislative week before a two-week recess for Easter and Passover. Lawmakers are scheduled to return on Monday, April 28. Before the break, House Republican leadership is aiming to pass a procedural budget resolution that would unlock reconciliation authority for President Donald Trump\u2019s tax and spending priorities.<\/p>\n

House faces challenge passing Senate budget resolution. <\/strong>Speaker Mike Johnson (R\u2013La.) is facing internal pushback from members of the Republican Conference over the House \u2013 Senate compromise resolution (H.Con.Res.14<\/a>) approved by the Senate over last weekend. A number of Republicans are currently expected to vote \u201cno,\u201d with objections centering on the structure of the resolution\u2019s spending targets, which some argue give the Senate too much flexibility to scale back cuts originally sought by the House. With a narrow majority, Johnson can lose no more than three Republican votes if the resolution is to pass without Democratic support.<\/p>\n

Current House party breakdown. <\/strong>The current House breakdown is 222 Republicans and 211 Democrats, with two vacancies \u2013 one in Texas\u2019s 18th District following the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner (D\u2013Texas), and one in New York\u2019s 26th following the death of Rep. Brian Higgins (D\u2013N.Y.). Two special elections held in Florida last week resulted in Republican wins in the 16th and 35th Districts.<\/p>\n

Proxy vote proposal sparks House recess.<\/strong> Additionally, last week\u2019s House schedule was impacted by a separate issue involving a proposal from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R\u2013Fla.) that would have allowed new parents to vote by proxy. The rule governing debate on the proposal failed early in the week, prompting Speaker Johnson to recess the House for the remainder of the week. While floor action was suspended, some committee hearings continued as planned. Johnson and Luna have since reached a compromise to rely on the informal \u201cvote pairing\u201d system. This approach requires bipartisan cooperation, and how it will work in practice remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

Trump Pulls UN Nomination for Stefanik.<\/strong> In a related development, President Trump has withdrawn Rep. Elise Stefanik\u2019s (R\u2013N.Y.) nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, citing the need to preserve the GOP\u2019s narrow majority in the House. Stefanik is expected to rejoin Republican leadership, although it remains unclear in what capacity.<\/p>\n

FY 2025 AND FY2025 APPROPRIATIONS. <\/strong>The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has 60 days from enactment of the full-year continuing resolution on March 15 to release its FY2025 Work Plan. As part of that legislation, Congress rescinded approximately $1.4 billion in unobligated IIJA Construction account funds, a move that may limit the Corps\u2019 ability to support new or expanded construction projects in this cycle. While the President has designated certain Corps accounts<\/a> in the FY2025 bill as emergency requirements \u2013 exempting those funds from sequestration \u2013 the IIJA rescission applies specifically to prior-year balances and remains in effect. As a result, stakeholders should expect a potentially leaner work plan than in recent years, particularly in the construction portfolio.<\/p>\n

For FY2026 appropriations, appropriators are hearing from members while awaiting the President\u2019s budget request which is expected in late April or May. \u00a0House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R\u2013Okla.) has indicated that subcommittees should be ready to begin markups shortly after its release.<\/p>\n

The Energy and Water Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R\u2013Tenn.), held a member day hearing on April 8. Members advocated for Army Corps, Bureau of Reclamation, and DOE priorities. Republicans emphasized permitting and nuclear energy, while Democrats focused on clean energy and resilience programs.<\/p>\n

NOMINATIONS AND PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENTS.<\/strong> Adam Telle has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. If confirmed, he would oversee the USACE Civil Works program. Brent Sadler has been nominated as the next Maritime Administrator. Both nominations are pending before the Senate. Additionally, Lee Forsgren has joined the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works as Principal Deputy and is serving as Acting Assistant Secretary until Telle is confirmed.<\/p>\n

WORKFORCE AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS. <\/strong>The Department of Defense has opened a second round of its Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), with applications due by April 14. The program offers financial incentives and paid leave for voluntary separations through the end of the fiscal year. While USACE has not issued a formal statement, internal reports and member feedback suggest that thousands of Corps employees across headquarters, division, and district offices may have opted into the DRP. How the DRP will impact studies, projects, permits and policy processes and approvals remains uncertain.<\/p>\n

At DoD, per Defense One<\/a>, an ongoing hiring freeze has created confusion and staffing gaps. Civilian personnel report inconsistent guidance, delayed onboarding, and limited communication. Commanders have expressed concern about operational readiness and the long-term impact on agency capacity.<\/p>\n

DoD is also conducting a department-wide civilian workforce reorganization. Internal memos obtained by DefenseScoop<\/a> show that service branches have been asked to submit plans for potential position eliminations or consolidations by mid-April. The effort is being coordinated through DOGE.<\/p>\n

A February 2025 OPM memo on \u201cGuidance on Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans Requested by Implementing the President\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency\u201d Workforce Optimization Initiative,\u201d<\/em>outlines the process for agencies to develop Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans (ARRPs) and submit them to OPM and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It specifies that agencies should continue sending monthly progress reports on May 14, June 16, and July 16, 2025. The guidance emphasizes identifying positions for reduction or reclassification, including those that may be moved to the newly established Schedule Policy\/Career (formerly known as Schedule F), which allows for at-will dismissal of certain employees.<\/p>\n

Separately, the Departments of Transportation, Energy, and Housing and Urban Development have reissued the \u201cFork in the Road\u201d buyout program. Employees were given until April 7\u201311 to voluntarily separate in exchange for continued pay and benefits through September 30.<\/p>\n

The National Weather Service has begun consolidating key forecasting bureaus and is preparing for the loss of up to 1,000 staff through early retirements, buyouts, and other departures. The Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center are among those being merged. These cuts follow years of understaffing and are raising concerns about service delivery in critical sectors like agriculture, transportation, and energy.<\/p>\n

These actions are the subject of ongoing litigation. On April 8, the U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court’s order that required the Trump administration to reinstate approximately 16,000 probationary federal employees who were recently terminated. These mass firings occurred across six agencies, including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury. A federal judge in California had previously ruled that these dismissals violated federal law and mandated the employees’ reinstatement. This marks the third recent instance where the Supreme Court has sided with the administration in disputes over federal workforce reductions. While the California judge’s reinstatement order is paused, many affected employees remain on paid leave due to a separate case in Maryland involving additional agencies and states. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling as well. Since President Trump took office, over 24,000 probationary federal workers have reportedly been terminated,<\/p>\n

DEBT CEILING PROJECTIONS.<\/strong> The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the federal government could run out of borrowing authority<\/a> as early as August or September 2025 if the debt limit is not raised or suspended. The Bipartisan Policy Center has estimated the X-date could fall between mid-July and October<\/a>, depending on tax revenue and spending patterns. House Republicans have proposed linking a debt limit increase to reconciliation legislation that would extend provisions of the 2017 tax law. Some Senate Republicans are pushing for a stand-alone measure, but internal consensus has not been reached. April tax collections may influence the debate\u2019s timing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Hearings of interest:<\/strong><\/p>\n