The Department of the Interior (DOI) notified the national
Association of Counties (NACo) that it would begin issuing
payments to counties for the remaining 2015 Payment in Lieu of
Taxes (PILT) funds later today.
Funds appropriated for 2015 PILT payments included $37 million
that did not become available until October 1, 2015. Due to the
impacts of sequestration, $34.5 million will be distributed to
county governments in today’s payment.
In other developments, the Bureau of Justice Assistance this week
announced fiscal year 2015 State Criminal Alien Assistance
Program (SCAAP) awards. In total, 50 California counties are set
to receive roughly $12.8 million (individual county awards can be
viewed here), with the State of California receiving nearly $44.2
million. California’s combined total represents roughly 34.5
percent of the more than $165 million that was made available for
SCAAP.
It was a historic week in the nation’s capital as Pope Francis on
September 24 became the first pontiff to address a joint session
of Congress. Following the pope’s momentous speech – in which he
called on lawmakers to tackle such issues as racial equality,
climate change, immigration, and the death penalty – House and
Senate leaders quickly took steps to avert a potential government
shutdown.
After a month-long congressional recess, lawmakers returned to
Capitol Hill the week of September 7 to a long list of unfinished
business and looming deadlines. Among the most pressing issues
are the Iran nuclear agreement, fiscal year 2016 spending, a debt
limit increase, and a reauthorization of MAP-21.
On Thursday, July 9, the House Natural Resources Committee
approved HR 2898, designed to provide relief to drought-stricken
California and the Western United States. The bill, entitled the
Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015, would boost
water supplies to the Central Valley by, among other things,
providing federal resource agencies with additional operational
flexibility.
Following the Independence Day recess, lawmakers returned to the
nation’s capital the week of July 6 to pick up where they left
off on the fiscal year 2016 appropriations process. House
appropriators continued to consider their funding measures at a
record pace, unveiling on July 8 a $39.3 billion Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) spending bill. In total, the legislation
would provide $337 million less than current spending and $2.1
billion less than President Obama’s budget request.
On Wednesday, June 24, the Senate Environment and Public Works
(EPW) Committee approved a much-anticipated six-year highway
reauthorization bill. The legislation, entitled the Developing a
Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act, or the DRIVE
Act, was cleared by the committee on a 20-0 vote.
On Wednesday, June 24, the Senate Environment and Public Works
(EPW) Committee approved a much-anticipated six-year highway
reauthorization bill. The legislation, entitled the Developing a
Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act, or the DRIVE
Act, was cleared by the committee on a 20-0 vote.
With the October 1 start of the new federal fiscal year still a
few months away, House Republican leaders have managed to reach
the halfway point in their bid to clear all 12 fiscal year 2016
appropriations bills. As of this writing, the following six
measures have been approved by the full House of Representatives:
Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS); Transportation-HUD (T-HUD);
Energy & Water (E&W); Legislative Branch; Military
Construction-Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA); and, Defense.
Following the Memorial Day recess, Senate lawmakers returned to
Capitol Hill on May 31 for a rare Sunday session in an effort to
reauthorize key surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act (PL
107-56) that were set to expire on June 1. Among other things,
the legislation (HR 2048), which the House approved on May 13,
would phase out the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk
collection of U.S. phone records. Instead, it would require law
enforcement officials to obtain a warrant before seeking such
information.
Sonoma County Supervisor Testifies
re: Fee-to-Trust Reform
On Thursday, May 14, the House Subcommittee on Indian, Insular
and Alaska Native Affairs held an oversight entitled
“ Inadequate Standards for Trust Land Acquisition in the
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.” Sonoma County Supervisor
David Rabbitt testified before the subcommittee on behalf of
CSAC.
House Continues to Make Progress on FY 16 Appropriations;
Transportation Reauthorization Deadline Looming
Following a brief recess, House lawmakers returned to Capitol
Hill the week of May 11 to pick up where they left off on the
fiscal year 2016 appropriations process. On May 12, the House
Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee
released its fiscal year 2016 spending bill. The measure, which
was cleared by the subcommittee on May 14, includes a $35 million
increase in funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance
Program (SCAAP), a key CSAC priority.
Lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C. this week following their
two-week spring recess to face a crowded legislative agenda. As
reported in the lead story, and in a victory for CSAC, the
president signed legislation (HR 2) on April 16 that extends the
Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program and also provides for a
continuation of several key health and human services programs.
In addition, the bill permanently corrects the Medicare program’s
physician payment formula (known as the “doc fix”). Additional
information on the new law can be found below.
House and Senate Approve Competing Budget Resolutions; Lower
Chamber Clears “Doc Fix” Bill with Secure Rural Schools Extension
Both the House and Senate approved this week their respective
fiscal year 2016 budget resolutions (H Con Res 27 and S Con Res
11). Although Congress, by law, is statutorily required to pass a
final budget blueprint by April 15, that deadline is rarely met.
This year will likely be no different, as lawmakers have
adjourned for a two-week spring recess and will have little time
to negotiate a final deal prior to the mid-April target date.
On March 17, House Republicans unveiled a fiscal year 2016 budget
resolution that seeks to balance the budget in eight years by
proposing $5.47 trillion in spending cuts. The savings would be
achieved primarily by repealing the 2010 health care law (PL
111-148, PL 111-152) and by making significant changes to
Medicare, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP).
Congress Considers Keystone Pipeline and Immigration-related
Legislation; Up Next Week, President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016
Budget Proposal
After a nearly month-long debate, the Senate on January 29
approved legislation (S 1) that would authorize construction of
the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline. Nine Democrats joined with
Republicans to approve the $8 billion project authorization bill.
Less than two weeks into the 114th Congress, House
Republican leaders marshaled through the lower chamber
legislation (HR 240) blocking President Obama’s Executive Order
on immigration, a move conservatives have insisted on since the
new policy was announced in November. The immigration provisions
were attached to a broader Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
spending package via a series of floor amendments. It should be
noted that the Department is currently operating under a
continuing resolution, which is set to expire on February 27.
