NECA Legislative Top Three 1/31/20: EPA Announces WOTUS Rule Change
1. Clean Water Rule to be Replaced
Last Thursday, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the long-anticipated replacement of the Obama-era WOTUS rule.
NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA has long supported repeal of the WOTUS rule. In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin rescinding the WOTUS rule. This recent EPA announcement is the completion of the rule change.
2. House Ways and Means Committee Holds Hearing on Infrastructure Investment
The House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing "Paving the Way for Funding and Financing Infrastructure Investments."
NECA’s Look Ahead: The hearing was held shortly after House Democrats released their infrastructure blueprint document referred to as the “Moving Forward Framework.” NECA is urging Congress to enact a sweeping infrastructure plan in 2020 that will rebuild and modernize our nation’s electrical grid and broadband infrastructure, as well as our roads, bridges, waterways, clean water and wastewater infrastructure, and building infrastructure. America suffers from an over $2 trillion infrastructure investment gap, and these discussions can pave the way to correcting our current trajectory.
3. House Leaders Introduce NECA-Supported Legislation to Prohibit Reverse Auctions
Following the Senate passage of S. 1434, legislation to prohibit the use of reverse auctions on federal construction projects, the House introduced its companion to this legislation, H.R. 5644. NECA submitted a letter to Congress in support of this responsible contracting reform. We at NECA view reverse auctions as an irresponsible and unscrupulous method for creating a race to the bottom in both price and product craftsmanship.
NECA’s Look Ahead: With passage through the Senate already secured, NECA remains optimistic that this sensible reform will be enacted into law in a short time. Our staff continues to meet with lawmakers to build co-sponsorship of the House legislation and to educate Members on the matter.