LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Subject: Federal Matters of Interest to Contra Costa County
Submitted For: Legislation Committee
Department: County Administrator’s Office
Referral No: 2024-04
Referral Name: Federal Update
Presenter: P. Schlesinger and J. Davenport, Thorn Run Partners
Contact: L. DeLaney, 925-655-2057
Referral History:
The Legislation Committee of the Board of Supervisors regularly receives reports on federal legislation and budget matters of interest to the County and provides direction and/or input to staff and the County’s federal lobbyists, as necessary.
Referral Update:
The County’s federal lobbyists will be present, via Zoom, to provide an updated report to the Committee. See Attachment A.
CSAC: Congress Returns for Post-Election Session
November 14, 2024
Following the highly contentious November 5 general election, a new era of unified political control of Washington is on the horizon. With Donald J. Trump set to make his return to the White House next year and Republicans flipping the Senate and maintaining their majority in the House, the GOP will control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue for the first time since 2017-2018. During that time, congressional Republicans were successful in sending then-President Trump several major pieces of legislation, including the $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Before Republicans can flex their newfound political muscle, lawmakers will attempt to put the finishes touches on several major items that are pending before the 118th Congress. To be sure, the GOP’s significant electoral gains have set the tone for the lame-duck session, which began in earnest on November 12th.
The single most consequential item for lawmakers to address in the coming weeks is the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget. Ahead of adjourning in October, Congress approved - and President Biden signed into law - a Continuing Resolution (CR) extending FY 2024 spending levels through December 20th. While many rank-and-file members are pushing for passage of a full-year appropriations package, GOP leaders are considering extending the current stopgap measure into March of next year, which would allow a unified Republican Congress to craft a spending bill that aligns more closely with President Trump’s fiscal priorities. Looking ahead, House GOP leaders have indicated that they plan to confer with the president-elect and are expected to largely defer to Trump’s preference for how to address the yet-to-be-resolved FY 2025 appropriations process.
Aside from the budget, Congress is expected to finalize the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024, which will likely be the vehicle for several other priority measures, including a reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Other bills that could be considered in the lame duck include a package of health-care extenders, a disaster relief measure to address the fallout from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, and an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program.
In addition to the aforementioned items, another bill that could gain traction in the lame-duck session is the bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (S. 4753), which remains outgoing Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin’s (I-WV) top priority. The legislation, which was approved by the committee on a 15-4 vote, would support the development of both clean energy and traditional fossil fuel projects via various streamlining and permitting reforms. Chairman Manchin is expected to make an aggressive push to attach the bill - or certain provisions from it - to the NDAA or another must-pass piece of legislation.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Proposes Telehealth Expansion
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently issued a proposed rule to broaden access to its telehealth services. Along with waiving co-payment fees for virtual care, the agency plans to establish a new grant program creating telehealth access at non-VA facilities in rural, highly rural, or medically underserved (defined as homeless individuals and residents of public housing) areas at non-VA facilities. Under the current proposal, county governments would be eligible to apply for funding directly. Public comments on the proposal are due on or before January 13, 2025 via the Federal Register.
House Approves Bipartisan Bill to Change Social Security Benefit Rules for Pensioners
This week, the House approved legislation (H.R. 82) that would repeal two provisions in law - the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) - that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension benefits from state or local governments. The WEP lowers Social Security benefits for individuals who worked in jobs where they did not pay Social Security payroll taxes and now receive pension or disability benefits from those employers. Similarly, the GPO reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive pension checks. It should be noted that the House rejected a related bill - the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act (H.R. 5342) - that would have replaced the WEP with a new formula.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s): RECEIVE the report and provide direction/input as needed.
Fiscal Impact (if any): None.