In the News
Reps. Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman to hold joint Santa Rosa town hall
by Staff
Sonoma County’s two congressmen, Reps. Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, have invited constituents to a town hall meeting they are holding Wednesday night in Santa Rosa. The congressmen plan to discuss their work in Congress and take questions from participants. The 6:30 p.m. meeting will be held at the Cleveland Avenue offices of Redwood Credit Union. Those planning to attend in person are asked to RSVP by 5 p.m. Tuesday. The proceedings also will be streamed on … Continue Reading
April 07, 2023
‘Fear and panic’ in California fishing community after salmon season closed
by Claire Hao
The California fishing community called for speedy federal relief to those impacted by a full closure of recreational and commercial salmon fishing along the California coast this season at a press conference Friday. They were joined by state officials and prominent politicians, including U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Gov. Gavin Newsom requested a federal fishery disaster declaration from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Thursday, which would provide expedited relief … Continue Reading
April 07, 2023
Huffman Visits Future Site of Life Plan Humboldt
by Redheaded Blackbelt Staff
On Tuesday, April 4, Congressman Jared Huffman joined leaders and supporters of Life Plan Humboldt (LPH) at the future site of the life plan community south of Hiller Rd in McKinleyville. Dr. Ann Lindsey, the president of Life Plan Humboldt, welcomed the Congressman and his Humboldt staffer, John Driscoll, along with several LPH board members, ambassadors, and volunteers. Greg Pierson, the property manager, participated in the gathering. Walking the site, Congressman Huffman noted the value … Continue Reading
April 07, 2023
California's North Coast, with Congress Huffman
Fish Water People podcast host and CalTrout Executive Director Curtis Knight sits down with Congressman Jared Huffman to talk Governor Newsom’s Executive Order in the delta, the Potter Valley hydroelectric project, restoration work at Redwood Creek, the Yurok Tribe, California condors, and so much more. How do all of these topics intertwine with CalTrout’s work? We journey through the redwoods to find out. Congressman Huffman weighs in with his district’s perspective, and … Continue Reading
April 06, 2023
Huffman announces $65.9 million for Trinity River Hatchery upgrades
by Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced $65.9 million has been awarded to modernize and repair the Trinity River Hatchery in the northern part of his district.This project is one of 83 projects in 11 states that was selected as part of a nearly $585 million investment from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydropower generation and provide water treatment.The Trinity River Hatchery … Continue Reading
April 05, 2023
EPA sends California $391 million for drinking water infrastructure upgrades
by Tom Joyce
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that California will receive $391,500,000 for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The fund received a $6 billion boost because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Agency is making more funding available for states to improve their water infrastructure. “Every community deserves access to safe, clean … Continue Reading
April 03, 2023
‘Game changer’: USDA funding coming for three local fire safety projects
by SAGE ALEXANDER
Three Humboldt County fire defense projects will soon see $8 million. These dollars will be a “game changer,” said Shelter Cove Fire Chief Nick Pape. “We are one way in one way out community. Shelter Cove Road, basically, is our evacuation route,” said Pape. One escape route, large amounts of fire fuels and steep terrain means Shelter Cove is at high risk for forest fires. Over $6 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be granted to Shelter Cove to … Continue Reading
March 31, 2023
Why Republicans suddenly hate offshore wind
by Kelsey Brugger & Nico Portuondo
In the weeks before their massive energy package reached the House floor, some Republicans were aghast about marine mammal deaths — and blamed the burgeoning offshore wind industry. They said the rush to build out offshore wind in the Atlantic has been killing whales at a rapid clip and they tried to use the legislation to address their concerns. “Like the canary in the coal mine, the recent spate of tragic whale deaths shed new light and increased scrutiny to the fast-tracking … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
NOAA Urged to Expand Seafood Import Monitoring Program
by staff
Three U.S. House of Representatives members are calling on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expand and update the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), and are advocating as well for SIMP expansion to all species. Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, Natural Resource Ranking Member Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Jimmy Panetta, also of California, led a letter to NOAA commenting on what they … Continue Reading
March 29, 2023
House panels debate water storage, public land bills
by Jonathan Miller
House Natural Resources Committee lawmakers clashed Tuesday on how best to salvage dwindling water resources in the drought-stricken West. They also weighed a roster of public land bills. During a hearing of the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, Republicans said the Biden administration is part of the problem on water storage. A memo released by GOP leaders ahead of the hearing blamed the administration for “opposing some new storage or handcuffing new or expanded … Continue Reading
March 28, 2023
Nashville shooting: Biden raises pressure on GOP to take action on guns
by Ales Gangitano & Mike Lillis
The White House is blaming Republicans in Congress for the lack of action on guns, turning up the heat on the GOP to address rampant gun violence while appealing to voters fed up with America’s epidemic of mass shootings. President Biden is focusing his anger over the elementary school shooting in Nashville this week squarely on Republicans, calling for lawmakers to show courage and warning that Congress will have to answer to families that have lost loved ones through … Continue Reading
March 24, 2023
Progressive Caucus puts marker on permitting reform
by Emma Dumain
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is elevating its efforts to promote the group's climate priorities, as Democrats are collectively grappling with how to navigate the debate over permitting reform. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) will lead a new CPC task force on “Accelerating Clean Energy,” which will undertake the development of a “blueprint” for how to implement provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. "The task … Continue Reading
March 16, 2023
Where Biden’s Arctic oil strategy may succeed — or fail
by Heather Richards
The Biden administration promised this week to ink new protections against oil drilling in the Arctic in an apparent counter to approval of ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil project. But will the administration’s plan help curb the industry’s future expansion in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska as the White House claims? And is it a winning political strategy for President Joe Biden? Many observers are skeptical, and industry sees an oil revival for public lands in the far … Continue Reading
March 14, 2023
Senate vote against Biden water rule likely this week
by E.A. Crunden
The Capitol Hill battle over the Biden administration's most significant water regulation could come to a head this week. Senators are moving closer to taking up a resolution of disapproval striking at President Joe Biden's waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule that lays out which water bodies merit federal protection. Republican sponsors are likely to have some success, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) already on the record as supporting the measure. Another ally could come in the form … Continue Reading
March 13, 2023
Fellow Dems Say Willow Approval Leaves 'Oil Stain' on Biden Climate Legacy
by Jessica Corbett
Progressives on Capitol Hill joined climate advocates and Indigenous leaders across the country Monday in blasting U.S. President Joe Biden for his administration's approval of ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project on federal land in Alaska. "The Biden administration has committed to fighting climate change and advancing environmental justice—today's decision to approve the Willow project fails to live up to those promises," declared U.S. Sen. Ed … Continue Reading
March 09, 2023
CO2 pipeline build-out generates bipartisan House interest
by Jeremy Dillon
Lawmakers on a House panel found some consensus Wednesday on the operation and safety of carbon dioxide pipelines, as Congress seeks to reauthorize the agency responsible for the nation's pipeline network. The bipartisan interest at a Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing comes as backers of carbon capture argue that CO2 pipeline infrastructure may need to grow as much as five times its existing footprint in order to meet the needs to more fully deploy the technology and move … Continue Reading
March 09, 2023
Panels kick off policy debates on water, Western lands
by Jennifer Yachnin, Kelsey Brugger
House Natural Resources Committee Republicans showcased their priorities for the 118th Congress on Wednesday, holding a pair of hearings that addressed a broad swath of policies on public lands and waters. In the Federal Lands Subcommittee, Chair Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) reignited an age-old debate about the government’s grip on Western lands. In the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee, Chair Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) helmed a wide-ranging session on water policy, including hydropower … Continue Reading
March 07, 2023
How Ohio train wreck could complicate permitting overhaul
by Jeremy Dillon
Last month’s train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio has led to finger-pointing from both sides of the political aisle, but it is also now hardening attitudes on a still-live issue on Capitol Hill: permitting overhaul. The connection may not be perfect, but progressives see the accident as a warning sign — that deregulation leads to disastrous environmental results. “You get things like [East Palestine] when you take shortcuts,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), … Continue Reading
March 06, 2023
Democrats introduce bill, set hearing on crypto energy use
by Andres Picon
Democratic lawmakers are moving ahead with their crackdown on crypto mining's toll on energy resources and the environment with a first-ever Senate hearing on the issue on Tuesday. Members of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety will question experts and review legislation from Chair Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) that takes aim at the energy-intensive and highly polluting crypto mining industry. The "Crypto-Asset … Continue Reading
March 06, 2023
Natural Resources to vote on energy, permitting package
by Kelsey Brugger and Emma Dumain
House Republicans are barreling ahead with a partisan energy and permitting package, despite considerable Democratic opposition. On Thursday, the House Natural Resources Committee plans to vote on a mega bill, the "Transparency, Accountability, Permitting and Production of (TAPP) American Resources Act," which bundles three pieces of legislation from Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chair Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), and Rep. Garret Graves … Continue Reading