The Colorado Chapter of NUCA

Appropriations Fights Loom In September

House and Senate lawmakers left town at the beginning of August deeply divided over annual funding – but in a possible sign of progress, water infrastructure spending cuts proposed by House Republicans are significantly lower than those initially put forward in 2023. 

Just before leaving town on August 1, the House voted mostly along party lines to pass their version of the FY2025 Interior/Environment Appropriations bill, which would cut the EPA’s budget by 20%, a decrease of $1.8 billion. Unfortunately, the legislation contains significant problems. Under the proposal, the Drinking Water SRF is slated to receive $883 million (down from $1.126B in FY2024) and the Clean Water SRF $1.203B (down from $1.126B). Earmarks remain an issue, with the proposal allocating $1.033B out of the total of $2.086B to 895 drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects nationwide. It is not expected to become law in its current form, and negotiations with the Senate and the White House will have to take place before any spending agreement is reached.

The Senate has yet to advance any spending

bills out of the chamber, but has begun the process of moving their bills through the Senate Appropriations Committee. Their bill, in contrast, does not significantly alter water funding from FY2024 levels.

Both chambers will return in September under immense pressure to reach a spending agreement, with a deadline to fund the government by September 30th. It is worth noting that the FY2024 appropriations process outlasted 2023, and with election 2024 ongoing it is likely that we end the federal fiscal year on September 30 under a Continuing Resolution (CR) keeping funding flat until early 2025. NUCA will continue to advocate for sustainable levels of water infrastructure funding and will keep our members updated on any developments in Congress.

U.S. House and Senate Pass Bipartisan WRDA Acts

Both chambers of Congress passed their version of the "Water Resources Development Act" (WRDA) before leaving for their August break. The U.S. House of Representatives approved WRDA (H.R. 8812) on July 22 on a 359-13 vote, while the Senate unanimously passed its version (S. 4367) on August 1. This legislation regularly authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop and construct projects to improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other aspects of this nation's maritime and water infrastructure. 

Since the bill versions contained different priorities, the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee Committee and the House's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will begin the conference process to resolve the differences between the two bills. Their work is expected to conclude in September.

“NUCA applauds Congressional action to move this important legislation forward for the sixth consecutive Congressional session. WRDA projects are foundational to America’s water infrastructure and are vital to the health of our communities and our economy," said NUCA chief executive officer Doug Carlson in a statement. “NUCA strongly supports this bipartisan legislation and calls on Congress and the Administration to swiftly sign it into law. The sooner these projects see dollars, the faster our members can get to work making them a reality.” 

NUCA Government Affairs Committee

Meetings: In Person and Virtual

The next in-person NUCA Government Affairs Committee meeting will take place at the Fall Board of Directors Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, November 6-8, 2024. All NUCA members are welcome to attend.

Committee members can participate in the monthly online meetings. Please email the Government Affairs office or NUCA's Zack Perconti for more information about these meetings and their logon details at zackp@nuca.com.

Political Conventions Formally Nominate Top-Ticket Candidates

The 2024 elections are well-underway across the nation and within our two major political parties. The Republican National Convention formally nominated former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) in July at their Milwaukee, Wisconsin convention for President and Vice-President, respectively. 

The Democrats formally certified Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as their 2024 Presidential ticket on August 6, leading to the party's convention to be held August 19-21 in Chicago, Illinois. 

While NUCA does not take a candidate position in Presidential elections, our NUCA-PAC has been already involved in several Congressional campaigns in the 2024 election cycle, lending valuable assistance to incumbents and candidates who support this nation's utility construction industry.

See our NUCA-PAC section below for more information about our association's almost half-century-old political action committee.

Go online to check your voter registration at vote.gov and be sure to make a plan to vote.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.

Lead Pipe Rule Advances To Final Review

The EPA's proposed new final rule requiring the phase out of lead service pipes over the next 10 years entered its final phase of review in late July.

The final rule is being reviewed by the White House's Office of Management and Budget and is expected to come out by Oct. 16. EPA’s “Lead and Copper Rule Improvements” would direct water utilities to remove all obsolete service lines made of lead. 

NUCA supports the replacement of all lead pipes in the United States, estimated to be around 9.2 million service lines into homes, businesses, and schools. Our industry and NUCA support the “Financing Lead Out of Water” (FLOW) Act (H.R. 1407/S. 726), which would expand use of private activity bond eligible projects to include lead line replacement, and provide additional dedicated funding for lead service line replacement. 

#WeDigAmerica | #NUCA60

Check your voter registration status and learn more about important upcoming election deadlines at vote.gov.

NUCA Thanks Our Many National Partners For Their Generous Support Of NUCA's Washington Summit & Advocacy Programs

Current NUCA Muster Advocacy Alerts!

Get involved! NUCA encourages each member to get involved in our association's Congressional advocacy campaign. And it is very easy to do so: just click on the Muster title links below to submit a pre-written letter to your own federal lawmakers about each issue, and let them know what is on your mind! It will only take a minute, and you can add your own story and thoughts.

Support the LIBERTY Campaign! This grassroots pro-business campaign supported by NUCA seeks to find common ground on uncontroversial border enforcement and immigration law reforms supported by both parties. 

Support the Fair and Open Competition Act (HR 1209/S 537)! This bill (called FOCA) supported by NUCA will stop government mandated Project-Labor Agreements (PLAs). It passed out of the House Oversight Committee on July 12, 2023, on a 22-20 vote, and is awaiting a vote in the full House.

Second Session, 118th Congress Schedule

Congress left for its month-long "work period" recess on August 1. The lawmakers are back in their districts or states, making this a great time to invite them and their staff on a jobsite visit. Several NUCA Chapters have scheduled Congressional jobsite visits, and NUCA National enthusiastically applauds them for their "go-get-them" initiative! (NUCA's Zack Perconti can assist your company with these visits; please contact him for more information.)

All 435 House members are up for re-election in 2024, with 34 U.S. Senators joining them on the campaign trail. Lawmakers traditionally spend as much time back in the district or state campaigning during this August "work period."

Both chambers come back into session on September 9 for the entire month, leaving on September 27. If they do not pass their FY2025 spending packages by September 30, they will pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open to at least after Election Day, Nov. 5.

Congress returns for work in a lame-duck session Nov. 12-22, and then from Dec. 2-20. They will most likely use every day for legislative catch-up work.

The last full day of the 118th Congress will be January 2, 2025. The new 119th Congress begins at noon on January 3.

For the remainder of the legislative session – in addition to essential appropriations work – NUCA is focused on practical results that might be achieved before the election – namely, advancing critical workforce development legislation and damage prevention language in the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) PIPES Act reauthorization. 

A full House-Senate Congressional calendar for 2024 can be downloaded here.

Sign Up For NUCA Muster Advocacy Alerts

Get involved! Did you use our Muster system this month to let Congress know your opinion of their legislative priorities? If you're a NUCA member, your Washington government affairs team wants you to be part of our Capitol Hill advocacy program! NUCA urges you to sign up to receive our Muster advocacy alerts. These emails will alert you to pending legislative action where your opinion can make a difference.

It's easy to sign up via the link below. Use your personal home address if you can do so, since our online Muster advocacy program finds your members of Congress via your voter registration address. But business addresses work just as well to receive our alerts.

I'm a NUCA member and I want to receive NUCA's Advocacy Alerts!

For Breaking Legislative News:

Follow @NUCA_National on Twitter!

Join NUCA's Government Affairs Committee!

Get involved! If you enjoy analyzing politics and find the inner workings of Congress and our industry's legislative program interesting or useful to your business, why not take the next step and join NUCA's Government Affairs Committee? Membership is open to all NUCA members, and we welcome the active participation of those seeking to make a difference in their industry, and to help shape NUCA's official policies on legislation.

Help shape the legislative and advocacy program of your association. Contact NUCA's Vice President of Government Affairs Zack Perconti to get started today.

The House's Cannon HOB subsurface

infrastructure being rebuilt, 2019. Photos: AoC.

National Utility Contractors Association

Governmental Affairs Department

3925 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 300

Fairfax, Virginia 22039

703-358-9300