Federal Advocacy Update: March 10, 2025
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Republicans Race to Pass Party-Line Stopgap Funding Bill as Shutdown Looms
Washington is less than five days away from a government shutdown, and House Republican leaders —in coordination with President Donald Trump— have unveiled a seven-month funding patch that would keep the federal government running through September 30th. The Continuing Resolution (CR) includes billions of dollars of additional spending for deportations, veterans’ health care, and the military while cutting an even larger amount of non-defense program funding.
Specifically, the measure would increase defense spending by about $6 billion over current budgets, while non-defense funding would fall by roughly $13 billion. More than 70 programs that help children and families and millions in grants for healthcare facilities and equipment would not be renewed. However, the CR would provide a $567 million increase for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to meet projected needs.
Notably, while the bill includes $6 billion in mandatory veterans health care funding to address an immediate funding shortfall, it does not include an expected $22.8 billion in fiscal year 2026 advanced funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to care for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.
The stopgap spending measure also would maintain a freeze on more than $20 billion in special IRS funding and does not include an expected bipartisan provision that would have reversed cuts to doctors’ pay in Medicare, a cause spearheaded by a contingent of House GOP physicians. Moreover, the measure does not include any further disaster aid to address the recent California wildfires, nor does it address the looming debt ceiling deadline. Finally, a slew of previously authorized community projects (earmarks) would lose most or all of their funding under the current framework.
House Democratic leaders have already declared themselves firmly opposed to the GOP-written stopgap. They spent weeks trading offers with Republicans to clinch a bipartisan government funding deal before House GOP leaders decided to pivot to the patch through September, which would give President Trump substantially more leeway to shift federal cash. While Republicans have opted to advance what is likely to be a strictly partisan measure, the stopgap will not pass without Democratic support: at least 7 Democratic members in the Senate must join all 53 Republicans to bypass the filibuster and send the legislation to President Trump's desk.
The House may vote on the legislation as soon as tomorrow, which would give the Senate until midnight Saturday to pass the measure or trigger a shutdown. Moreover, Speaker Johnson reportedly plans to send members home early if the House manages to pass the legislation, adding additional pressure on Democratic Senators to accept the GOP stopgap and avert a shutdown.
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Trump Doubles Down on Sweeping Agenda in Joint Address to Congress
Last week, President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress for the fifth time. During his record-setting, marathon address, the president sparred with Democrats and outlined his ambitious agenda for his second term. In particular, the president reiterated his plans to crack down on illegal immigration and engage in mass deportations. He also defended his controversial tariffs amid the ongoing severe market sell-off and recent declines in economic performance data, including consumer confidence, inflation, unemployment, and other closely watched economic metrics.
President Trump also touted what he sees as early achievements in his second term, including the federal funding freeze and the aggressive cuts orchestrated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
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Senate Panel Hears Testimony on House-Passed Fix Our Forests Act
On March 6th, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Forestry held a legislative hearing to examine the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA; H.R. 471) and explore strategies to mitigate catastrophic wildfires. The bill, which passed the House with bipartisan support earlier this year, aims to improve forest health, bolster wildfire resilience, and safeguard communities in the wildland-urban interface. FOFA seeks to achieve these goals by streamlining environmental reviews, limiting excessive litigation, and accelerating forest restoration efforts.
The subcommittee heard testimony from local government and tribal leaders, wildfire management experts, and forestry and insurance professionals. Matt Weiner, CEO of Megafire Action, testified in strong support of FOFA, emphasizing the urgent need for federal action to address the worsening wildfire crisis. He pointed to decades of fire suppression, inadequate land management, climate change, and unchecked development in fire-prone areas as key drivers of increasingly destructive wildfires. Weiner also stressed that without long-term investments in firefighter pay, staffing, and infrastructure, even the most effective policies would fall short.
Gunnison County (CO) Commissioner Jonathan Houck raised concerns about FOFA’s expanded categorical exclusions and limits on judicial review. While NACo has endorsed the bill, Houck testified independently, urging Congress to prioritize investments in federal land management agencies and fully fund the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) programs instead.
Houck and others also highlighted severe workforce reductions within the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and other land management agencies. The Trump administration recently dismissed 3,400 Forest Service employees, 75 percent of whom held “red cards” indicating some firefighting training. An additional 7,000 job cuts are expected in the coming months, exacerbating staffing shortages in critical areas. These workforce reductions, coupled with stagnant budgets and a hiring freeze on seasonal workers, have disrupted wildfire mitigation efforts, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to implement FOFA’s provisions effectively.
While some environmental groups oppose the bill, several Democratic senators expressed cautious support for advancing the legislation. However, many also voiced deep concerns about Forest Service staffing cuts, warning that without a fully resourced workforce, efforts to reduce wildfire risks could be severely compromised.
Relevant Hearings and Markups
Wednesday, March 12 | 10 a.m. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee business meeting to consider 15 bills, including the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act (S. 861), which would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a unified disaster assistance system. Specifically, the measure would streamline the sharing of information among Federal disaster assistance agencies, expedite the delivery of life-saving assistance to disaster survivors, speed the recovery of communities from disasters, and protect the security and privacy of information provided by disaster survivors.
Tuesday, March 11 | 10 a.m. House Small Business Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee hearing on “Restoring the SBA: Putting Main Street America First.”
Tuesday, March 11 | 10 a.m. House Transportation Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing on “Water Infrastructure Financing: WIFIA and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund."
Tuesday, March 11 | 2 p.m. House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee hearing on “Enhancing Federal, State, and Local Coordination in the Fight Against Criminal Illegal Aliens.”
Tuesday, March 11 | 2 p.m. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing on “After the Hospital: Ensuring Access to Quality Post-Acute Care.”
Tuesday, March 11 | 2:30 p.m. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing on “Perspectives From the Field: Risk Management, Credit, and Rural Business Views on the Agricultural Economy Part 3.”
Wednesday, March 12 | 10 a.m. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “Housing Roadblocks: Paving a New Way to Address Affordability.” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson testifies.