NASORLO Congressional visit takeaways 9-18-18
Thanks again Lauren and Susan for letting me join in meetings yesterday! I’ve written my takeaways from those conversations down, and welcome anyone’s additional insight/perspective. Also included the below article in case you all didn’t see this interview with Sen. Burr on his recent attention to LWCF.
Major takeaways following mtgs with staff from Bishop, Grijalva, and Sen. Burr:
- LWCF Authorization will likely lapse. There were very few discussions from House committee staff about expiration, conversation focused on reauthorization. The FY19 Labor-HHS Approps package which includes a CR through Dec 7 for ‘all remaining government spending’ does not include an LWCF authorization extension. This packaged passed Senate yesterday and the House is expected to take it up next week (conference report here, joint explanatory statement here).
- House Public Lands Package (w maintenance backlog & LWCF reauth as corner-stones) could move this Fall. Unclear how the midterm election could affect this… but House NR is in bipartisan negotiations and expects to include 1) HR6510 the maintenance backlog bill, 2) HR502 LWCF reauth, 3) other UT priorities, 4) sportsmen’s bill, etc. House NR appears to be sharing the outline of its potential package with the Senate to ensure it’s viable. However, as always, the devil is in the details. Could become a ‘Christmas tree’ of public lands priorities if not tightly reined in by leadership. Again, midterms make all of this unclear.
- Senate Burr-Cantwell Permanent Reauth coming. S 569 is a permanent re-authorization with full and dedicated funding and was passed out of Committee as a do pass with a 16 – 9 vote. There was some controversy over the permanent and dedicated portion of the bill. Plans are to attach it to ‘any viable moving vehicle’, likely a public lands bill.
Requests from Congressional staff to us:
- Continued education to MOC on importance and success of LWCF state-side program.
- Encourage & emphasize importance of permanent reauthorization by the end of the year (likely Dec7 deadline) to Congressional leadership.
