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Government Affairs News

Week in Review

May 26, 2023

Bills to Address America's Supply Chain Voted Out of Committee
On May 23, 2023, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved multiple bills that address many of the current supply chain issues. The following legislation was approved out of committee:

  • H.R. 1836, the Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act of 2023, introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), builds upon the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, allowing the Federal Maritime Commission to review complaints about market manipulation and anti-competitive operations of maritime exchanges.
  • H.R. 3316, streamlining the environmental review process for major projects, by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), extends One Federal Decision (OFD) environmental review streamlining provisions – such as combining environmental documents among agencies, concurrent agency reviews, creating reasonable page limits for documents, and reasonable time limits for reviews – to port, aviation, and pipeline projects, as applicable. OFD was already approved in law for highway projects under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
  • H.R. 3365, the Supply Chain Improvement Act, introduced by Rep. John Duarte (R-CA), ensures that priority consideration is given to projects that would improve or build resiliency into the supply chain under the INFRA and MEGA discretionary grant programs. 
  • H.R. 1500, the Intelligent Transportation Integration Act, by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), directs the Secretary of Transportation to create and implement a program to bolster transportation management and the efficiency of Federal-aid highways by leveraging third-party data.
  • H.R. 915, the Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard Act, introduced by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), increases efficiency and highway safety in the supply chain network by requiring the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to develop a new Safety Fitness Determination process to change the way a motor carrier is rated.

NECA's Take: NECA has been closely monitoring any legislation that addresses supply chain issues. These pieces of legislation should help IIJA projects get approved by federal agencies in a more timely manner.

 

Small Business Growth Act Introduced to Lift 179D Cap to $2 Million
On May 25, 2023, Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) introduced the Small Business Growth Act. This legislation would lift the Internal Revenue Code Section 179 deduction cap from $1 million to $2 million with a phase-out threshold of $3.5 million. The bill aims to build off of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act success in Section 179, continuing to assist small businesses purchase necessary equipment and expand their businesses.

NECA's Take: NECA applauds Rep. Moore for introducing this pivotal piece of legislation. NECA prioritizes giving small businesses opportunities for growth, especially with the rising demand within the electrical construction industry. We continue to advocate for permanency and expansion of successful provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

House Fails to Override Biden’s Solar Veto
On May 24, 2023, the House voted to override the President’s veto of the solar resolution passed earlier this month. To override this veto, a two-thirds majority was required. The measure failed, receiving support from 8 Republicans and 197 Democrats.

NECA's Take: NECA is grateful to the House members that did not vote to overturn the President’s veto. This measure gained less support than it had when it originally passed, due in part to NECA and NECA contractors’ efforts to educate members of Congress on the real impacts that revoking the solar tariff pause would have on the industry. We continue to support bolstering American manufacturing of these components to meet the demand. Thank you to all of the NECA contractors who took action on this important issue.

 

NECAPAC Update

Special thanks to Matthew Cappadonna of Mid-West Electric Co. for renewing his PLC membership!

NECAPAC Total 5/25/23 - $278,889
Operational Fund Total 5/25/23 - $126,645

 

NECA On the Move
This week, the NECA Government Affairs met with Senator Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA), Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer (R-OR), and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-CA).