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To: Members, Affiliates & Legal Affairs Committee From: National Office Date: December 2000 / January 2001 The National Office is pleased to provide you with the December/January 2001 Legislative Update. The update will provide you with brief summary of recent Capitol Hill events current to January 11, 2001. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the National Office.
House Appoints Committee Leaders, Senate to Share Power to Reflect 50-50 Split
The House Republican majority on January 4 appointed key members to the top Committee leadership slots. Congressman Don Young (R-AK) is taking the place of outgoing, and now retired, Chairman of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Bud Shuster (R-PA). Representative Young had previously served as Chair of the House Resources Committee. Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) will continue in his role as Ranking Minority Member on the Committee. The Republicans have appointed individual committee members, while the Democrats are waiting until after the Presidential inauguration to announce their appointments.Congressman Sherwood Boehlert’s (R-NY) departure from the House Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee, as required under Subcommittee term limits, leaves vacant a key leadership spot affecting AMSA’s issues. Sources indicate that Congressmen Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-MD) or John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) are top candidates for the Subcommittee Chairmanship. Subcommittee staff have indicated that the appointment process may take at least another week. Congressman Boehlert will assume the Chair of the Science Committee.
Senate Republican leader Trent Lott (R-MS) and Democrat leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD) agreed on January 5 to an unprecedented power-sharing arrangement within all committees. While Republicans will continue to chair each committee, the majority and minority will share equally in membership, committee finances and staffing, and the ability to set voting procedures on the Senate floor. Senator Robert C. Smith (R-NH) will remain as Chairman of the Environment & Public Works Committee. The specific membership of the committees has not yet been determined.
Congress Passes, President Signs AMSA-Supported Wet Weather Legislation
On December 18, Congress approved its "Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act" (H.R. 4577) providing FY 2001 funding for the Labor Department, Health & Human Services Department, and other federal agencies which had been funded until then on continuing resolutions. After considerable pressure by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee leadership, the full text of the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000 was among the items incorporated into the final appropriations bill. The legislation features provisions addressing combined sewer overflow (CSO) controls, an authorized 2-year, $1.5 billion grant program for sanitary sewer overflow (SSOs) and CSOs projects, and an authorized 3-year, $45 million grant program for wet weather watershed pilot projects. AMSA supported passage of the Wet Weather Water Quality Act because the bill incorporated major portions of the municipal wet weather coalition bill, the Urban Wet Weather Priorities Act (H.R. 3570). We acknowledge that this legislation does not address all of AMSA’s concerns, especially in the area of SSO liability and stormwater permitting. Nevertheless, given the atmosphere in Congress that enabled only those environmental bills which were supported without opposition to be enacted, the passage of the Wet Weather Water Quality Act marks a significant first step on the road to a much larger effort. AMSA plans to build on this momentum by gaining support for legislation to help close the $23 billion funding gap in paying for the country’s water and wastewater needs. The National Office, through its leadership role in the Water Infrastructure Network, is busy at this moment mapping out a strategy for WATER-21 – a 5-year, $57 billion package in federal funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. At the earliest opportunity, AMSA and WIN will be working to garner support from the new Congress and Administration.Winter Conference Legislative Strategy Session to Help Solidify Plans for 107th
AMSA will facilitate a general discussion of the Association’s legislative priorities in the 107th Congress as part of AMSA’s 2001 Winter Conference. The Legislative Strategy Session will take place from 12:15 - 1:45 pm on Wednesday, January 31, 2001. On the agenda will be issues related to water infrastructure funding, TMDLs, wet weather, biosolids, as well as other issues identified by the membership. Members are encouraged to attend this important meeting to provide their perspectives regarding AMSA’s legislative strategy over the next two years.Tentative Congressional Recess Schedule Posted
The tentative congressional schedule for the House and Senate has been released. These dates may be subject to change.
107TH CONGRESS RECESS SCHEDULE
DATE
EVENT
January 3 107th Congress Convenes January 6 (1 pm) Joint Session to Count Electoral Ballots January 20 Presidential Inauguration February 17-25 President’s Day Recess April 7-22 Easter Recess May 26-June 3 Memorial Day Recess June 30-July 8 Independence Day Recess August 4-September 3 August Recess October 5 House Target Adjournment (no target adjournment estimated for Senate)
