It is time to connect with your Congressional Representative.
With the end of both Conventions and Congress on recess until after Labor Day, this is the right time to reach out to your Representative.
If you use Face Book, linking to your Representative is a good way to keep track of where they have been and possibly where they will be. Check in with the local district office to see if there are any upcoming public events. Or, ask to see if he or she has time to come by your facility for a tour.
First thing when dealing with a Member of Congress is to thank her or him for what they have done for your facility in the past. AND, continue to thank them for their past and future efforts.
In addition to issues you may have, CMANC recommends that you include the following in your conversation:
Appropriations, the “Targets” that Congress passed in 2014 for Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) funding levels are helping to meet the needs of ports and harbors in California, especially after the winter storms we had earlier in the year.
However, we need Congress to pass the FY 2017 (Starting October 1, 2016) Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill immediately upon their return to Washington. In the House of Representatives, this is H.R. 5055.
If collectively, the House and Senate cannot get an appropriations bill passed, we need them to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) whose funding level is based on FY 2016 Appropriations levels and for the Corps to allocate funds to any project that received appropriations or work plan fund during the previous three years.
Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), both the House and Senate have WRDA bills that have made it out of their respective policy committees and are waiting to be heard by the respective chambers. In the House, this is H.R. 5303. The House bill offers a long-term solution to navigation funding by taking the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) off-budget.
As of now, the House of Representatives will be in session for 17 days in September and then will not return to Washington until November 14th.
So, this is a good time to remind your Representative that:
The FY 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations needs to be passed;
If not an appropriations bill in September a Continuing Resolution needs to be passed that includes a funding level based on FY 2016 and authorization for the Corps to allocate funds to any project that received appropriations or work plan funds during the previous three years; and,
Pass WRDA, H.R. 5303, that provides a long-term fix to the continued short fall in navigation funding.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need some assistance.
California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference, 20885 Redwood Road, # 345, Castro Valley, CA 94546
|