The FY20 budget process is moving forward in the House of Representatives, with a few “mini-bus” bills that each include multiple appropriations expected to pass before July. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell leader has made it clear that the Senate won’t consider these Democratically led bills, and there has been very little effort in the Senate…
With an FY2019 budget passed and another government shutdown avoided, we can begin to look toward the FY2020 appropriations. Process In normal years, the administration’s proposed budget would be out by now; it comes out shortly after the State of the Union. However, given the shutdown the proposal is unlikely to be out until mid-March….
Communities along the coast know that the federal government is a critical partner in maintaining the health of our nation’s shores and beaches. ASBPA wants to hear how the government shutdown is impacting your community, business or research! As the partial government shutdown continues, how is your coastal community or work being impacted? Are you…
2018 Year in Review ASBPA’s 2018 Government Affairs agenda continued to focus on three main areas: 1) Federal Funding, including advocating for funding for coastal projects and coastal research, and changing policies and authorities to allow federal funding to be used for coastal resilience; 2) Expediting coastal projects through more efficient permitting and better integration…
On Friday, March 23rd, the President signed the FY18 omnibus budget bill, funding the government through September. Coastal agencies finally have predictable funding for the remainder of the year after four short-term continuing resolutions in the past six months prevented them from planning or fully spending out their budgets. ASBPA had weighed in on a…
Congress passes a $89 billion disaster response bill with funding for coastal restoration and research. Disaster Response Bill Early in the morning of February 9th, Congress passed HR 1892, legislation that set two year spending limits (“budget cap”), lifted the debt ceiling, and allowed for a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government for six…
On August 21st, ASBPA – together with our friends at Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association – submitted comments to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) on how to streamline National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) permitting and regulatory process. As many of our members well know, coastal restoration and resilience projects, particularly those in the…
As Congress heads out of DC for its August recess/district work period[1], here’s an update of where coastal FY18 appropriations stand. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) coastal appropriations. The full House of Representatives passed the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill on July 27th as part of a “mini-omnibus” that included Defense, Veterans Affairs, and…
Years – even decades – of experience has proven that sound science is essential for sound coastal management and protection. So any efforts to undercut coastal science, either by cuts in funding or a general dismissive attitude – is cause for concern. Early calls for drastic budget cuts in federal spending for crucial coastal agencies…
Many people think they know all about kids after they have one. Then they have a second one and discover he or she is nothing like the first child. One slept through the night, the other was up all the time. One was always smiling, the other colicky. Some like sports, others like music. The…