NEMWI Weekly Update
October 18th, 2021
https://www.nemw.org/wp-content/themes/NEMW_ATTCK/images/nemw_logo.png
U.S. House of Representatives Introduces
Urban Water Legislation
Updated as of October 15, 2021
 
NEMWI’s Great Lakes Legislative Tracker highlights that this past week the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Act of 2021. This legislation, if signed into law, would require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture to maintain the Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program.
 
Additionally, Congressman Mike Quigley from Illinois fifth congressional district recently introduced the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act. If signed into law, the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act would encourage reduction of disposable plastic products in units of the National Park System.
 
The Northeast-Midwest Institute and its Great Lakes Washington Program will continue to monitor the progress of Great Lakes legislation in the months ahead. The updated Great Lakes Legislative Tracker can be viewed Here.
Congress Votes To Raise Debt Ceiling, Avert Default

President Joe Biden last week signed legislation temporarily raising the government's borrowing limit to $28.9 trillion, pushing off the deadline for debt default only until early December.

While the legislation averts the immediate potential for the United States government defaulting on its current debt, it sets up a contentious battle on Capitol Hill come November and early December in advance of the next crisis which is projected to come on December 3. Senate Republicans have stated that they will not support another suspension of the debt ceiling and that Senate Democrats will have to use budget reconciliation to suspend the debt ceiling. Yet Democrats in Congress continue to look to use the reconciliation process to pass President Biden’s sweeping domestic agenda, the Build Back Better plan. While Democrats can use reconciliation to do both, it will require them to find support among their full caucus to pass Biden’s plan, which has run into hurdles among some moderates due to the package’s overall price tag.

Congress will be very busy come December, as in addition to addressing the debt ceiling, it also will have to finish the annual appropriations bills, which likewise were extended through December 3. There is an unofficial deadline of October 31 for Congress to take up a bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has also been tied to the reconciliation bill. If no agreement is found to move forward with the infrastructure bill by the end of the month, Congress most likely will tack that onto its to-do list in late November/early December. 
EPA Announces New Roadmap To Confront PFAS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a comprehensive “Strategic Roadmap” to confront PFAS contamination nationwide this week. The EPA’s “roadmap”, which was developed through an analysis conducted by the EPA Council on PFAS, is centered on three guiding strategies: increasing investments in research, leveraging authorities to take action now to restrict PFAS chemicals from being released into the environment, and accelerating the cleanup of PFAS contamination. 

Key components of the “roadmap” include:

  • Setting enforceable drinking water limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act;
  • Designating PFAS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA;
  • Reviewing past actions on PFAS taken under the Toxic Substances Control Act; and
  • Increasing monitoring, data collection, and research of PFAS.

Additionally, the EPA also announced a new national testing strategy that requires PFAS manufacturers to provide the agency with toxicity data and information on categories of PFAS chemicals. EPA’s initial set of test orders for PFAS, which are expected in a matter of months, will be strategically selected from more than 20 different categories of PFAS.
 Region Losing Five House Seats in Reapportionment

The 18 states of the northeast and midwest region are losing five Congressional seats following completion of the 2020 decennial census. This reapportionment will reduce the region’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives from 164 seats to 159 seats in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. 

Each of the five eliminated districts come from Great Lakes states, which will reduce Great Lakes representation in the House from 118 to 113.  

This follows a general population shift away from the northeast and midwest towards the south and west. In 2019 there were 124 million people living in the 18 NEMW states, a total representing 37.9% of the United States’ total population, a decrease from 39.6% in 2010. 

The redistricting process is currently underway in states across the nation and the region, but the process is particularly complex in Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, the five states that lost seats. 

Outside of the NEMW region California and West Virginia also each lost a district, while Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Montana, and North Carolina each gained a seat and Texas gained two seats. The new representation will hold until the next reapportionment following the 2030 decennial census.
Follow the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Twitter
 
FOLLOW us on Twitter! The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on Twitter with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible on our Twitter page.
 
Please check out our Twitter page here or by searching @NEMWInstitute. And be sure to FOLLOW us to keep up to date with NEMWI on Twitter!
Follow the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Facebook
 
LIKE us on Facebook! The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on Facebook with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible on our Facebook page.
 
Please check out our Facebook page here. And be sure to LIKE us to begin following NEMWI on Facebook!
This Week in Washington

In the House:

Monday, Oct 18, 2021 10:00 PM | Host: Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth

Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021 11:00 AM | 2167 Rayburn HOB | Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife

Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021 1:30 PM | 210 Canon HOB | Host: Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021 10:30 AM | 2123 Rayburn HOB | Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Energy

In the Senate:

Hearings to examine evaluating the Federal response to the persistence and impacts of PFAS chemicals on our environment. Wednesday, Oct 20, 2021 10:00 AM – SD-406 Host: Environment and Public Works

10:00 AM – SD-406 Host: Environment and Public Works
‌
Notheast-Midwest Institute | nemw.org