By @Kyle Packham
The United States House of Representatives passed 213-203 on November 3 the $25.4 billion FY24 House Interior-Environment appropriations bill, which is deemed to be dead-on-arrival in the Senate and has already received a veto threat from the White House. The bill cuts funding for the U.S. Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies by 34.5 percent overall compared to FY23 funding levels. The National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC), of which CSDA is a founding member, is tracking potentially substantial impacts to federally-funded programs special districts leverage.
Of concern in the House bill are cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which face a combined 63 percent axing in funding from FY23 allocations. Beyond the cuts, NSDC is also monitoring other policy riders in the bill including the repeal of the Water of the United States, or “WOTUS,” rule, specifying which waterways are considered “navigable” and subject to Clean Water Act permitting. The House bill would also prevent EPA from allowing states to mandate electric off-road vehicles, including lawn mowers and other small vehicles not meant for road travel.
The House Interior-Environment legislation is a stark contrast to the Senate’s $42.7 billion version of the proposal (S. 2605 [Merkley]), which largely preserves programs year-over-year. The two appropriations committees will need to comprise on $18.3 billion worth of difference between the two bills.
Newly selected Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had teed up the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill for consideration the week of October 31-November 3. However, enough Republicans – primarily from the Northeast – voiced opposition to moving the full bill with $1.5 billion in posed Amtrak cuts to cause a delay in Floor consideration at least to the week of November 6.
The U.S. Senate is also taking appropriations action. The Upper Chamber leveraged the House-passed Military Construction-Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) appropriations bill to pass a “minibus” package of three appropriations bills, including MilCon-VA, Agriculture-Food and Drug Administration, and THUD. The package passed 82-15. A stark difference between the two chambers – the Senate’s minibus moved on a bipartisan vote with fewer policy riders undercutting major investments in the nation’s infrastructure and climate policies with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as well as the Inflation Reduction Act.
All in all, a $120 billion difference in price tag remains between the House and Senate appropriations packages. The House and Senate must each pass their appropriations packages, negotiate, and ultimately compromise on their differences ahead of the current continuing resolution’s expiration on November 17 to prevent a government shutdown. Speaker Johnson has acknowledged to House members that another continuing resolution through at least January 15 will likely be necessary to give appropriations leaders time to negotiate a full FY24 appropriations package.
Passing a continuing resolution to extend government funding past January 1 would lead to a 1 percent across-the-board cut in discretionary program spending due to a provision in the debt ceiling bill aimed to inspire Congressional action on funding bills before years’ end. This would lead to a cut in the vast majority of federal programs providing funding opportunities that special districts are able to access. Speaker Johnson has floated the idea of a “laddered” continuing resolution that would stagger end-dates for each appropriations bill.
Meanwhile, lawmakers must consider either a reauthorization or extension of the Farm Bill, which authorizes major federal hunger, agriculture, conservation, forestry, and rural development programs. The Farm Bill must be passed, usually, every five years; however, programs within the 2018 Farm Bill began expiring on September 30. Senate Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., is calling on Congress to include a brief extension in the likely continuing resolution to be introduced ahead of November 17. Safe from programmatic lapses are many of the Farm Bill’s conservation programs, which received authorizations in the Inflation Reduction Act thought FY31. Otherwise, Stabenow said she is committed to passing the benchmark legislation in 2024, but the path forward on the Farm Bill remains murky at this point.
Congress must also pass reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration by the end of the year. FAA’s taxing authorities and programs were extended with the current continuing resolution through December 31. Finally, Congress must pass a reauthorization or extension of the National Flood Insurance Program by November 17, which is likely to be included in another continuing resolution.
This article was contributed by NSDC as a CSDA member benefit. NSDC will continue to track the appropriations and reauthorization bills as they move through Congress. Contact Cole Arreola-Karr, NSDC Federal Advocacy Director, at colek@nationalspecialdistricts.org for more information.
#AdvocacyNews
#FeatureNews
#Revenue
#Budget
#Water
#Airport