(July 31, 2019) – Members of the US House of Representatives passed a sweeping two-year budget deal last week, before adjourning to leave Washington, DC and head back to their home districts for the August recess.  The Senate is expected to take up and pass the budget this week before also adjourning for the summer until after Labor Day in September.

With Congress set to pass an omnibus appropriations package this fall under new increased spending levels, bipartisan legislation in play to reauthorize and increase funding for the CWSRF, and work set to ramp up on the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) with clean water policies expected to be a focus, the August recess provides NACWA members an important opportunity to engage with their federal elected leaders and invite them to a facility tour to demonstrate the importance and value of public clean water utilities.

Over the past few years, strong advocacy and congressional engagement by NACWA members has played an important role in advancing key legislation into law. This includes legislation such as the 2018 Farm Bill, action to codify EPA’s Integrated Planning framework into the Clean Water Act, and increased appropriations for the SRFs and other federal water infrastructure funding programs.  As Congress moves into a crucial policy juncture on clean water polices this fall, NACWA member advocacy and engagement will be more critical than ever.

Please contact Jason Isakovic or Kristina Surfus, NACWA’s Legislative Directors, with any questions.