Congress took a historic step for equality last week, while continuing to grapple with crises at home and abroad.
On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to a seat on the Supreme Court, with all 50 Senate Democrats and three Republicans – Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) – backing her nomination. When Justice Stephen Breyer retires later this year, Jackson will be sworn-in as the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, breaking a glass ceiling that should have been cracked long ago.
Meanwhile, even as the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be subsiding, Congress and the Biden administration are working to help those impacted by the virus and prepare the country for future outbreaks. In a 223-203 vote, the House passed a $55 billion measure Thursday to help restaurants and other businesses still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, sending the measure to the Senate. The bill would provide $42 billion to replenish a fund for struggling restaurants, food trucks, bars, caterers, brewpubs, bakeries and more after the money ran out last year.
The measure also would provide $13 billion for small businesses that suffered revenue losses of at least 40 percent during the pandemic, without regard to what industries they operate in, with grants capped at $1 million each. ACRA is tracking the bill closely and, should the additional small business relief become law, will provide information on how CRM firms can access it.
However, the Senate delayed action on a $10 billion emergency spending bill to fund the Biden administration’s pandemic response over concerns about immigration and public health policy. Senate Republicans – and some moderate Democrats – want Senate Democrats to allow a vote on an amendment that would extend the Trump-era Title 42 order that makes it easier to deport migrants at the border due to the COVID pandemic. The administration wants to end Title 42 by late May.
Congress also is focusing on the crisis in Ukraine, passing bills through both chambers that would suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus and ban Russian oil imports. These moves are designed to punish Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, but these and other sanctions could have ripple effects at home if they exacerbate inflation and send the global economy into choppy waters.
At the same time, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reminded the world that, the pandemic and war notwithstanding, the threat of climate change remains real. The Panel last week called for deep emissions reductions across all sectors in this decade, as well as increased efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere such as tree planting and carbon removal technologies, as global temperatures from greenhouse gas emissions could rise nearly 3.2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
The climate was a focus of the budget proposal that President Biden released the week before last. The plan aims to increase domestic spending by 7 percent from current levels for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, including more funds to fight climate change. The plan also seeks to reduce the federal budget deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, in part via tax increases on wealthier Americans and corporations.
Typically, Congress ignores much of what is in the President’s budget proposal as the House and Senate Budget Committees begin drafting their own budget resolution. But it is expected that the Democratic majorities in both chambers will try to keep some of the tax increases on wealthier Americans, and, heeding the warnings from the UN’s climate panel, some of the increased spending on climate.
Support for Preservation
Congress also is likely to provide more funding than the President proposed for the Historic Preservation Fund. The President suggested $151.2 million for the HPF in the coming fiscal year – less than the $171 million that Congress provided for the current year. However, most believe Congress will provide more than what the White House proposed, and ACRA and its allies in the preservation community are pushing Congress to provide $200 million for the Fund, to help SHPOs and THPOs handle the increased number of Section 106 reviews expected as a result of last year’s bipartisan infrastructure bill.
ACRA also is asking Congress to pass legislation that would, for the first time in U.S. history, provide a specific requirement in law that federal agencies consult with Tribes. The bill, the RESPECT (Requirements, Expectations, and Standard Procedures for Effective Consultation with Tribes) Act (H.R. 3587), was introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-NM).
In a letter to the Committee, ACRA President Dan Cassedy wrote, “The protection and preservation of Tribal sacred sites is one of the most important responsibilities ACRA member firms undertake when conducting cultural resource investigations. . . . By codifying consultation for Federal agencies, the RESPECT Act will ensure that Tribal Nations are meaningfully involved throughout a project’s consideration. It will provide clarity for businesses, communities and government agencies about their roles and responsibilities on federally supported projects. It will mean that Tribal Nations will no longer be forced to expend time and resources fighting for a seat at the table, and it will prevent needless delays in projects. Most of all, it will ensure the U.S. government fulfills its trust responsibility to Tribal Nations.”
Advocating for the Industry
Advocating for cultural resource management and a stronger federal consultation system have long been top priorities for ACRA – and they will be the focus of ACRA’s second annual Virtual Advocacy Week May 2-6, 2022. That week, you can join other CRM professionals in meeting virtually with your members of Congress to discuss issues important to the industry. ACRA will arrange your meetings and provide training beforehand. Meetings will be scheduled throughout the week to accommodate your schedule and those of congressional offices.
Just because you can’t make it to DC doesn’t mean that you can’t make an impact. ACRA needs time to get your meetings scheduled, so sign up now and make sure the CRM industry is at the table.