February 28, 2024

Following the Presidents Day recess, both chambers returned to action this week. The most pressing issue facing Congress is a partial government shutdown that is set to begin this weekend. Despite being nearly five months into the current fiscal year, Congress has yet to approve any of the 12 annual spending bills that make up the federal budget. Since the October 1, 2023, start of the fiscal year, agencies have been operating under a series of short-term Continuing Resolutions (CR). Pursuant to the latest CR, four spending bills – those covering Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development – will expire at midnight on Friday, while funding for the remaining federal agencies will continue through March 8.

To head off a partial shutdown this weekend, congressional leaders in both chambers have discussed extending the first deadline to March 8, giving lawmakers an additional week to finalize spending levels for the first four appropriations measures. There has also been a discussion about delaying the second deadline until March 22. A stopgap funding bill with these new dates could be unveiled as soon as today. It should be noted that President Biden is scheduled to make his State of the Union address on March 7^th.

CA Delegation Works to Overturn FEMA Decision that would Restrict Reimbursement for Project Roomkey Costs

Last week, Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Laphonza Butler (D-CA) wrote to President Joe Biden urging him to rescind a policy change that could cost California’s local governments upwards of $300 million. The policy, which was announced by the Region 9 Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), would significantly limit the amount of federal reimbursement that counties and cities can receive in connection with implementing the State of California’s Project Roomkey initiative.

Launched by Governor Newsom in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Project Roomkey was designed to provide non-congregate shelter (NCS) for people experiencing homelessness and was a cornerstone of the state’s strategy to protect life and mitigate the strain on an already overwhelmed health care system. In response to the urgent public health crisis, a number of California’s counties took unprecedented action to move large numbers of high-risk homeless individuals into empty motel and hotel rooms.

Despite assurances that California jurisdictions would receive full reimbursement from the federal government for Project Roomkey expenses, FEMA announced in October of last year that it would only cover emergency NCS stays for up to 20 days for the period between June 11, 2021 and May 11, 2023. FEMA’s decision to deny federal reimbursement for stays exceeding 20 days represents a flagrant retroactive policy determination and, according to the most recent numbers provided by Cal OES, is expected to cost California’s local governments roughly $300 million. 

In addition to Senators Padilla and Butler, a number of members of California’s House delegation are actively working to reverse FEMA’s policy shift. For his part, Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA) is circulating a sign-on letter to his House colleagues that urges FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to reconsider any action that would limit the expected reimbursement to California’s local governments for the cost of administering Project Roomkey.

Rep. Valadao Sponsors Bill to Create Flexible Grant Program for Rural Communities

On February 23, Representatives David Valadao (R-CA) and Andrea Salinas (D-OR) introduced bipartisan legislation – the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act (H.R. 7444) – that would create a flexible grant program to help rural communities. Specifically, it would help rural areas address urgent needs, including but not limited to, affordable child care, housing, and job training. It also would provide technical assistance grants to help rural communities navigate existing federal funding opportunities and ensure they get their fair share of private and federal investments. A one-page summary of the legislation is available here.

Legislation Introduced to Protect Water Resources After Wildfires

Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO) recently introduced legislation – the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act (H.R. 7294) – that would help communities and water users protect their water supply after natural disasters on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. Among other things, the legislation would create a new Emergency Forest Watershed Program (EFWP) within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would help streamline recovery efforts and protect water resources downstream of national forests. It also would allow local governments and water providers to enter into agreements with the Forest Service to implement watershed recovery protection measures.

Western Lawmakers Push for Improvements to Housing Conditions for Federal Wildland Firefighters

A bipartisan group of western lawmakers recently sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS) requesting immediate action to address reports of substandard housing conditions and exorbitant rent increases plaguing federal wildland firefighters. The lawmakers called for insight on the current quality of federal housing and the scope of these reported rent increases. A copy of the letter can be accessed here.