While most of the attention in Washington is focused on President-elect Donald Trump and the new Congress taking power in January, the current Congress still has time to act on crucial legislation affecting electric cooperatives in its final “lame duck” session from now until Christmas.
“There’s still a lot on the table before the new administration and new Congress take office — including the Farm Bill, disaster relief, and funding the government at the very least,” said Hill Thomas, NRECA’s vice president of legislative affairs.
As dozens of newly elected lawmakers arrived in town in November, NRECA’s team of lobbyists held Co-op 101 sessions to educate them about not-for-profit electric co-ops and the needs of the rural communities they serve.
“In many cases, our statewide managers and grassroots members already have relationships with these new members,” he said.
Among the key co-op issues that the 118th Congress could take up in its final weeks:
The Farm Bill. This five-year bill — set to expire at the end of this year — is full of programs that are essential to co-ops, including funding for broadband, electric infrastructure and rural economic development.
Funding the federal government. With government funding set to expire Dec. 21, lawmakers have several options: pass individual appropriations bills, agree on one big spending bill, or extend current funding levels into next year and let the new Congress deal with the budget. At stake are dozens of important co-op priorities, including funding for the Rural Utilities Service Electric Program to modernize infrastructure and the ReConnect program to bring high-speed internet service to rural communities.
Permitting reform. NRECA and its members have been urging Congress to pass a permitting reform bill that would make it faster and cheaper for co-ops to get federal approval to modernize their systems or simply manage vegetation around power lines. – NRECA
