House hearings on ARRA infrastructure spending announced

Bureau of Reclamation and United States Geological Survey
What: Discussion of $1 billion distributed by the Department of the Interior for shovel-ready water projects, including project oversight.
Where: House Water and Power Subcommittee (1324 Longworth)
When: Tuesday, April 28, 10 a.m.
Witnesses: Bill McDonald, acting commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; Matthew Larsen, associate director for water, USGS; Ron His Horse Is Thunder, chairman, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association; Dan Keppen, executive director, Family Farm Alliance; Rich Atwater, CEO and general manager, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, president WaterReuse Association; and Mike McDowell, general manager, Heartland Consumers Power District

Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation
What: Project report on how DOT is spending $48 billion of stimulus funding and how EPA is spending $6 billion.
Where: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (2167 Rayburn)
When: Wednesday, April 29, 11 a.m.
Witnesses: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

White House Office of Management and Budget
What: Discussion of how OBM reviews federal regulations, particularly its role in the scientific regulatory process.
Where: House Science and Technology Subcommittee (2318 Rayburn)
When: Thursday, April 30, 10 a.m.
Witnesses: Rick Melberth, director of Federal Regulatory Policy for OMB Watch; Rena Steinzor, professor at the University of Maryland Law School; and Caroline Smith DeWaal at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Other witnesses TBA.

Economic stimulus oversight field hearings announced

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Chairman Towns, D-N.Y.) will hold a series of oversight field hearings on stimulus spending under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (PL 111-5).

Contact: Lawrence Brady - Democratic Staff Director at 202-225-5051

Date Tuesday, April 21, 10 a.m.

Place Brooklyn Borough Hall; 209 Joralemon Street; Brooklyn, N.Y.

Note Date changed to April 21 from April 20. Time changed to 10 a.m.

Witnesses Scheduled:
William C. Thompson Jr. - comptroller, City of New York

Timothy Gilchrist - senior advisor for infrastructure and transportation, Office of New York Democratic Governor David A. Paterson

Edward Skyler - deputy mayor for operations, City of New York

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Date TBA

Place California location TBA

Note This hearing is planned for early June.

House Democrats Release Summary of $825 billion Recovery Plan

On January 15, House Democrats along with President-elect Barack Obama’s economic team, revealed their $825 billion two-year economic recovery plan. According to a press statement released by the House Committee on Appropriations, this package is the first step in an effort to create and save millions of jobs and jumpstart the economy. The proposed package contains $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in targeted investments. These efforts include infrastructure, clean energy, education and lowering healthcare costs to name a few. The plan calls for $90 billion in infrastructure investment, which would include:

Modernizing Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways

• $30 billion for highway construction;
• $31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure with investments that lead to long term energy cost savings;
• $19 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments;
• $10 billion for transit and rail to reduce traffic congestion and gas consumption:
• $3 billion for airport improvement projects.

Committee markups of the bill are expected the week of January 19. Separate legislation is being prepared in the Senate. Congressional leaders aim to have a bill to President-Elect by mid February.

APWA has posted a Legislative Alert where you can write to your members of Congress and urge them to include infrastructure investment in the recovery plan. To view the alert, go to: http://capwiz.com/apwa/home.

For more information and to view the complete Appropriations Committee summary go to www.apwa.net/DR/index.asp?ID=721.