Update from Washington, D.C.
CSAC Officials Travel to Washington, D.C.; Senate Expected to Clear Short-Term Funding Measure
CSAC Officials Travel to Washington, D.C.
CSAC leaders were in the nation’s capital earlier this week to promote the association’s federal policy priorities. Led by President Ed Valenzuela (Siskiyou County), CSAC’s officers, along with association staff, met with key lawmakers, Biden administration officials, and congressional staff as part of their lobbying itinerary. The officers were in Washington, D.C, in conjunction with the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Legislative Conference, which brings together elected and appointed officials from all over the United States.
This year, CSAC’s leadership team focused its advocacy efforts on several of the association’s major legislative priorities, including reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, addressing the ongoing housing and homelessness crises, and improving disaster recovery and response. CSAC met with Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Randy Moore, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), and the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA). The officers also had an in-depth discussion with staff to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
For his part, Senator Padilla has championed a number of major pieces of legislation on behalf of California’s counties. For example, the senator is the primary sponsor of a Senate-passed bill (S. 3011) that would provide counties and other public entities with additional flexibility in the use of their American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. CSAC is working closely with Senator Padilla to build support for the legislation in the House. In addition to the ARPA flexibility bill, CSAC and the senator discussed his Stafford Act reform proposals (S. 3092; S. 3093), as well as his forthcoming legislation that will address affordable housing and homelessness.
With regard to Senator Feinstein, the primary focus of CSAC’s meeting was cooperative efforts to increase community resilience to catastrophic wildfires. In particular, the association has endorsed Senator Feinstein’s Wildfire Emergency Act (S. 2806), which is currently pending before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The legislation would utilize a three-pronged approach to reducing the wildfire threat, specifically by promoting large-scale forest restoration projects; hardening of critical infrastructure; and, increased training of key fire response personnel.
A similar discussion took place with Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, who was appointed to his position last summer. Chief Moore previously served as Pacific Southwest Regional Forester, where he was responsible for 18 national forests in California. Among other things, CSAC’s officers urged the Forest Service to increase the pace and scale of fuels reduction projects and other fire prevention programs to make forests more resilient. For his part, Chief Moore acknowledged that there is a significant need to increase fuels and forest health treatments, including the use of prescribed fire and thinning to reduce hazardous fuels. He also outlined the USFS’s recently announced comprehensive strategy, which would involve targeting these efforts in high-risk firesheds, including the Sierra Nevada Range in California.
The group also met with Jeff Olivet, who was recently appointed to serve as executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. CSAC leaders shared with Mr. Olivet their experiences in confronting homelessness in their respective communities. As the administration’s leading voice on homelessness policy, Mr. Olivet is responsible for coordinating the federal response to the burgeoning crisis, including working in partnership with the Council’s 19 federal member agencies. Under Olivet’s leadership, the USICH is expected to return to a Housing First model, which focuses on providing people with housing before addressing the underlying issues that may have led to their homelessness.
Finally, CSAC met with White House IGA Director Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Luke McGowan, a senior advisor within the IGA Office who serves as a primary intergovernmental contact for the Biden administration on county-related issues. The group discussed a wide range of topics, including the administration’s ongoing efforts aimed at implementing key provisions of ARPA and the bipartisan infrastructure law – the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA).
With regard to this year’s NACo conference, attendees had the opportunity to hear presentations from a number of elected officials, including President Biden. As part of his remarks, the president touched on a range of topics, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of the nation’s economy. He also highlighted key aspects of ARPA and IIJA. Additionally, the president stressed the importance of passing his proposed Build Back Better legislation. Also presenting at the conference was Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Administrator Michael Regan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and a number of other lawmakers.
Caucus attendees also received a federal policy update from Paragon Government Relations, CSAC’s federal advocacy team. For a complete list of the interim policy resolutions that were adopted at this year’s conference, please click here.
Senate Expected to Clear Short-Term Funding Measure
The Senate is expected to advance a stopgap appropriations bill (H.R. 6617) this week that would extend government funding beyond the February 18 expiration of the latest Continuing Resolution (CR). Pursuant to H.R. 6617, federal programs would continue at current levels through March 11 with a few exceptions, including additional cybersecurity funds for the Department of the Interior. The bill also would continue a temporary designation of fentanyl as a controlled substance.
While GOP congressional leaders generally support the measure, several Republican senators have indicated their intention to offer amendments that Democrats view as controversial, including a proposal challenging the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. A separate amendment would prohibit the federal government from purchasing, supplying, or distributing drug paraphernalia.
For interim policy resolutions, CSAC’s co-sponsored resolution regarding implementation of behavioral health crisis lines was adopted, as well as several other resolutions sponsored by California supervisors. While there are still several political issues in play, the chamber is expected to clear the temporary spending measure before adjourning for the Presidents’ Day recess. Once approved and signed into law, H.R. 6617 will give congressional leaders an additional three weeks to finish negotiating what is expected to be a year-end omnibus budget bill.