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April 2023

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$6 Billion In Drinking Water SRF Funding Released

Energy and Permitting Reform Bill Passes House

"Permit America to Build" Coalition Formed

Rural Broadband Construction Bill Introduced By T&I Chairman Graves

WOTUS Repeal Effort Passes Congress, But Finds Biden Veto

Celebration of Construction: On The Washington, D.C. National Mall

NUCA/PAC: Going Strong Since 1976

First Session, 118th Congress Schedule

NUCA Official Letters To Congress

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The Newsletter of the NUCA Governmental Affairs Department

$6 Billion In Drinking Water SRF Funding Released,

New Drinking Water Needs Survey and Assessment Published

On April 4 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $6.5 billion for states, tribes, and territories for projects to upgrade drinking water infrastructure through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

The DWSRF allotments to states are based on the results of EPA’s 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA). The survey, which is required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, assesses the nation’s public water systems’ infrastructure needs every four years. The findings are used to allocate DWSRF grants to states. The survey estimated water utilities need $625 billion in infrastructure investments over the next 20 years to ensure the nation’s public water supplies are safe and efficiently delivered.

Almost $3 billion of the funding announced will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement. However, about $40 billion is estimated to be needed to replace all 9.2 million lead service lines in the U.S. 

The IIJA is investing over $50 billion in total national water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between FY 2022 and FY 2026.

Energy and Permitting Reform Bill Passes House

The U.S. House passed on March 30 225-204 the "Lower Energy Costs Act" (HR 1), the GOP bill promoting domestic energy production. More direct to this industry, H.R. 1 will also institute comprehensive permitting reforms to speed the approval process used for critical infrastructure construction projects.

The Lower Energy Costs Act will increase domestic energy production, reform the permitting process for all industries, reversing anti-energy policies advanced by the Biden Administration, streamline energy infrastructure and exports, and boost the production and processing of critical minerals.

"Key contributions from Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members will prevent federal water regulations from being abused to block needed energy projects and will apply One Federal Decision streamlining reforms to pipeline projects. Energy costs remain unbearably high for too many Americans, and this bill will make a real difference," said House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-MO). 

The bill's fate in the Senate remains uncertain. While the bill, at least in its entirety, is not expected to advance further, it serves as a starting point for Republicans as they seek to negotiate with Democrats on finding a way to speed up the permit approval process for energy projects. NUCA will continue to work with Congress to support a compromise on permitting reform.

"Permit America to Build" Coalition Formed

In a letter sent to Congressional leaders on March 27, nearly 350 organizations--including NUCA--called on Congress to “Permit America to Build” by passing meaningful, durable permitting reform before the end of summer.

This effort, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, brings together over 200 state and local chambers as well as leading business, policy and labor organizations in a coalition called "Permit America to Build."

The coalition signals the unified support for reforming America’s outdated permitting process in which federal permits take an average of 4.5-7.5 years to be approved depending on the project.

Project developers and financers must have an appropriate level of certainty regarding the scope and timeline for project reviews, including any related judicial review.  

These coalition organizations find a consensus that a modernized permitting process requires predictability, efficiency, transparency, and stakeholder input.

NUCA supports the goals of this coalition as its agenda moves forward this session.

Find our more about this important coalition.

Rural Broadband Construction Bill Introduced By T&I Chairman Graves

A bill to remove barriers for communities seeking to use Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants to develop high-speed broadband access was introduced in the House on March 23.

The "Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility" (E-BRIDGE) Act removes hurdles for broadband projects under EDA grants, including difficult last-mile efforts that often delay rural broadband deployment. It also ensures that local communities can partner with the private sector in carrying out broadband projects and gives communities more flexibility in complying with their funding match requirements.

“The E-BRIDGE Act will help spur projects that attract jobs and businesses to expand economic development and opportunity in rural and poor communities," said Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). NUCA supports this legislation and will work with the Chairman as this bill moves towards passage. More.

WOTUS Repeal Effort Passes Congress, But Finds Biden Veto

The Senate on March 29 adopted a resolution that would repeal the Biden administration’s clean water regulations, on a 53-43 vote. Four Democrats sided with Republicans in favor of eliminating the Biden Administration's changes to the Waters Of The United States (WOTUS). The House passed its repeal on Feb. 2 on a 227-198 vote.

The Biden White House said it opposed this change and as expected issued a veto on April 6. Both chambers have promised veto-override votes after Congress returns for work on April 17. Supporters of the override must reach a two-thirds majority in each chamber, which may be a very high hurdle to reach in a partisan Congress.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) sponsored the Senate version of the resolution and called the President's veto “blatant executive overreach...leaving millions of Americans in limbo and crippling future energy and infrastructure projects with red tape."

The issue of which waters to regulate under WOTUS is also currently before the Supreme Court, which in the coming weeks will issue a decision in a case that largely centered around wetlands.  More.

NUCA Official Letters To Congress & Federal Agencies

March 30, 2023 - NUCA Coalition to FHWA Administrator Bhatt: Request for 90-Day Extension of Buy America Requirements

March 29, 2023 - NUCA Coalition to Sen. John Thune: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2023

March 27, 2023 - NUCA Coalition to Congress: Letter on Permitting Reforms in Infrastructure

March 14, 2023 - NUCA Coalition to House Agriculture Committee: USDA Rural Broadband Programs

March 13, 2023 - NUCA Letter to OMB: BABAA Implementation Guidance

All formal NUCA correspondence with Congress and federal regulatory agencies can be found at nuca.com/letters.