This week’s rundown looks at the “View from Washington,” which might have you making the same facial expression at times as Baby Mahomes II after the Chiefs’ third Super Bowl win in five years.

Also covered:

• Forthcoming Legislation to Re-Establish Low-Income Water, Wastewater Assistance
• NSDC Affiliate Presentations this Friday

Let’s get to it.

View from Washington

The Senate was slated to begin a two-week hiatus from the Hill this week for the President’s Day holiday after a breakdown of major legislative initiatives forced extended action into Monday. The House flies in on Tuesday and exits Friday to begin its two-week President’s Day break.

Last week, the Senate attempted to move a vehicle for supplemental appropriations package, H.R. 815 (McMorris-Rodgers), designed to address immigration and border issues as well as aid for Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East. After failing to advance the legislation due to a lack of consensus on immigration and border policy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that the Senate will take up the foreign-aid portion of the supplemental spending bill, without immigration-related provisions.

Of note, months of negotiations on the border package were primarily among those on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which is the Senate committee of jurisdiction over forthcoming legislation to federally define “special district.” Much of the time and energy of the committee and its members involved on the issue has been dedicated to border policy negotiation, thus depriving some oxygen for definition policy talks.

In other Senate news, the Senate Commerce Committee approved its reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, S. 1939 (Cantwell), last week. The House’s version of the reauthorization, H.R. 3935 (Graves, Mo.), passed in July 2023. Currently, the FAA is operating on an extended reauthorization through March 8, 2024.

Looking ahead to this week, the House schedule is relatively light. The full Chamber is expected to vote on nine measures mostly pertaining to foreign policy on a suspension of the rules – a common procedure for non-controversial legislation on Tuesday evening. The House will also debate and take action on a measure, H.R. 7176 (Pfluger), to loosen restrictions on liquified natural gas import and export, and is also expected to do a ‘re-vote’ on the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Specific House actions on issues of special districts’ specific concern are also light this week; however, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Dianne Criswell is scheduled to appear before a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee for hearing on the use and quality of expanded FEMA resources. Check that hearing out on Wednesday, February 14, at 10 a.m. ET.

Both House and Senate are planned to be on recess next week. NSDC will continue to follow updates on these and other priorities.

Legislative insights provided by NSDC Partners at Karr Advocacy Strategies and Paragon Government Relations.

Low-Income Water and Wastewater Rate Assistance Program Bill on the Horizon

Senator Alex Padilla, D-Calif., is seeking to re-establish the pandemic-era Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, or LIHWAP. As drafted, the program would block grants to the states with the intention of assisting public water systems or treatment works in rural, underserved, and/or Tribal communities with aid to low-income households for arrearages and other rates. It would also provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance for accessing the funding. The NSDC Advocacy Team is open to feedback and thoughts from Members to guide potential advocacy and engagement on LIHWAP.

Hear from NSDC Affiliates this Friday

All NSDC Members are encouraged to join a series of NSDC Affiliate presentations before a live, hybrid meeting of NSDC Regular and Executive Members on Friday, February 16.

Mac Clemmens, Streamline Chief Executive Officer, will demonstrate the new NSDC website and NSDC Member Platform/intranet. Members will also hear from NSDC Affiliates EveryLibrary Institute and Citizenly.

Presentations will begin just after 10:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT. Register for the meeting here.