California Capitol Hill Bulletin
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE FOR FEDERAL POLICY RESEARCH 1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Suite 213, Washington, D.C. 20036 202-974-6384 fax:202-223-2330 e-mail: [email protected] web: http://www.calinst.org California Capitol Hill Bulletin Volume 15, Bulletin 26 – September 26, 2008 To expand communications between Washington and California, the California Institute provides periodic news bulletins regarding current activity on Capitol Hill that directly impacts the state. Bulletins are published weekly during sessions of Congress, and occasionally during other periods. CONTENTS: A PPROPRIATIONS: HOUSE PASSES CR, EXTENDING Appropriations: House Passes CR, Extending Federal FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH MARCH 6, 2009 Funding Through March 6, 2009. 1 By a vote of 370-58, the House on September 24, 2008 passed Appropriations: Elements of the 2009 CR.. 1 H.R. 2638, funding most government agencies at fiscal year 2008 levels through March 6, 2009. The measure, however, does Appropriations: Homeland Security Earmarks in the FY 2009 CR................................. 3 include new and higher FY09 funding levels for military construction and the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security Appropriations: Defense-Related Earmarked Items in the FY 2009 CR. ............................. 3 and Veterans Affairs. Appropriations: MilCon-VA Earmarked Items in the FY In order to garner votes for the bill and avoid a veto, it does 2009 CR................................. 5 not include a continuation of the moratorium on exploration for offshore oil; the moratorium will expire at the end of this month. Immigration: Pew Report Reviews Immigrants’ Perception of Life In U.S.. 6 Opponents of offshore drilling expect that the next Administration and Congress will deal with the issue. Briefing: Breakfast Session Focuses on California Travel and Tourism.............................. 6 Because the House changed language the Senate had added to the bill, it now has to go back to that body for final action. The Transpor tation: US DOT Selects Otay Mesa For Project To Boost Border-Crossing Capacity. 7 Senate is expected to move on it before the end of this week. Health Care: CHCF Questions Whether California Is Prepared for Its Population to Age. 7 A PPROPRIATIONS: ELEMENTS OF THE 2009 CR Environment: EPA Upgrades Part of San Joaquin Valley Homeland Security appropriations are increased to about $40 Air Quality Designation By Dividing One Region billion in overall discretionary spending – 6 percent above FY08 into Two................................. 8 levels and the Administration’s request. (H.R. 2638 also includes SCHIP: Report Considers Effects of Proposed Rule $1.2 billion in mandatory funding.) Included is $4.2 billion for Shifts.................................... 8 state and local grants, including those for first responders and port Report: PPIC Statewide Survey Tracks Voter and transit security, an amount almost double that in the Allegiances, Attitudes. 9 President’s budget proposal. The amounts include $950 million Report: California Voters Volatile, Discontent, and for state first responder grants and $837.5 million for Urban Area Divided................................. 10 Security Initiative (UASI) grants aimed at high-risk urban Population: Census Finds One in Five Californians communities. The Administration had proposed paring back these Speak Spanish at Home. 10 programs by $777 million. Other grant amounts include: - $35 million for Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants. - $41 million for the Metropolitan Medical Response System. - $15 million for the Citizen Corps Program. - $400 million for Public Transportation Security Assistance and Railroad Security Assistance, of which not less than $25,000,000 is to be for Amtrak security. The bill provides that is to be no cost share requirement for California Capitol Hill Bulletin, September 26, 2008 Page 2 the funds, and that public transportation security assistance shall be provided ADVISORY BOARD SUPPORTERS directly to public transportation agencies. OF THE - $400 million for Port Security Grants. CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE - $12 million for Over-the-Road Bus Security Assistance. The California Institute wishes to - $8 million for Trucking Industry Security Grants. express its heartfelt thanks to the - $50 million for Buffer Zone Protection Program Grants. following donors for their generous - $8 million for the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program. support, without which none of our - $50 million for the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grants. work would be possible. - $35 million for grants for Emergency Operations Centers (see breakout of BENEFACTORS California earmarks below). Public Policy Institute of California For the Firefighter Assistance Grants under the Assistance to Firefighters The California State University Sempra Energy Grant Program, the CR provides $775 million. Also included are $315 million Southern California Edison for emergency management performance grants or EMPGs. PG&E Corporation Customs and Border Protection funding is increased about four percent to $9.8 billion. That includes funding for an additional 4,361 new hires, and $775 PATRONS AT&T million for border security fencing and technology. An additional $404 million is The Boeing Company included for cargo container security. General Atomics Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding is set at $5 billion – about 5 Safeway Inc. University of California percent over FY08 and the President’s request. Included is new money to add Verizon Foundation 1,400 more detention beds. The bill also provides $1 billion to the bureau to Hewlett-Packard identify and deport undocumented criminal aliens. State and local immigration enforcement programs are funded at $99.7 million, $2.2 million more than SPONSORS Applied Materials requested. The 287(g) program is funded at $54 million, $14 million above 2008 California Business Roundtable and equal to the President’s request -- the program expands coordination between California Chamber of Commerce ICE and local law enforcement and helps ICE to identify deportable criminal California Federation of Teachers California Institute of Technology aliens. Center for California Studies, CSUS REAL ID is funded at $100 million, $50 million above 2008, to help states Century Housing Chevron comply with the program, which requires state drivers licenses to meet new League of California Cities standards in order to be used for federal identification purposes. It also includes Lockheed Martin $50 million for DHS to develop a data “hub” that links state DMVs to other Pacific Life Rockwell Collins record-keeping agencies to allow State governments to verify applicants' identity SAIC documents when they apply for new drivers licenses. University of Southern California Wine Institute Funding for the US-VISIT program to screen foreigners entering and exiting the United States was cut to $300 million, 23 percent less than the CONTRIBUTORS Administration’s request. Many members of Congress have criticized the Association of California Water Agencies California Bankers Association Department for problems and delays in implementing the program. The bill California School Boards Association includes mandatory reporting requirements for the program. DHS is also required California State Association of Counties City of Los Angeles to complete two pilot programs before proceeding with its biometric US-VISIT International Brotherhood of Teamsters Air Exit Program. RAND The “Disaster Relief and Recovery Supplemental Appropriations Act of Bay Area Economic Forum California Association of Realtors 2008" section of the CR includes $135 million for “Wildland Fire Management,” California Farm Bureau Federation including $110 million for urgent wildland fire suppression activities and $25 California Space Authority Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations million is for burned area rehabilitation. A separate portion of the bill that is not Metropolitan Water District of So. Calif. under the offset-free disaster heading provides an additional amount for Wildland Platinum Advisors Trimble Navigation Fire Management -- $775 million -- of which $500 million is to be available for Wyle Laboratories Xilinx emergency wildfire suppression and related activities, $175 million is to be for hazardous fuels reduction and hazard mitigation activities in areas at high risk of California Institute for Federal Policy Research catastrophic wildfire due to population density and fuel loads, $75 million is to be 1608 Rhode Island Ave, NW, Suite 213 Washington, DC 20036 www.calinst.org for rehabilitation and restoration of Federal lands, and $25 million is to be is for preparedness for retention initiatives in areas at high risk of catastrophic wildfire that face recurrent staffing shortages. California Capitol Hill Bulletin, September 26, 2008 Page 3 The CR also includes an additional $2.5 billion over the FY08 level for Pell Grants, in order to prevent cuts to student aid midway through the year. For more details on the funding, go to: http://appropriations.house.gov . A PPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY EARMARKS IN THE FY 2009 CR Included in the Homeland Security Appropriations portion of the FY 2009 Continuing Resolution (H.R. 2638) are several items that are directed toward California. These include funding for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stations in Calexico ($34 million), Indio ($18 million), Blythe ($28.9 million), and Boulevard ($31 million). It includes $18 million for a sector headquarters vehicle maintenance