In the News
Rep. Huffman tours Baduwa't Mad River Estuary Restoration Project
by Sophie Lincoln
MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman was in McKinleyville Monday to tour the recently-completed Baduwa't (Mad River) Estuary Restoration Project site. The site is one of several recent environmental conservation projects that Huffman has helped fund on the North Coast. "We just toured some really wonderful restored areas that have enhanced public access for boating and fishing and just hiking in this beautiful area," Huffman said. In addition to the … Continue Reading
February 11, 2023
Highway 37 pact unites agencies on widening, elevation projects
by Will Houston
A collective of state agencies has forged a new agreement that proponents say will commit them to addressing grueling congestion on Highway 37 while expediting planning for a proposed rebuild of the commuter corridor threatened by sea-level rise. Six transportation and environmental entities have agreed to begin by widening the highway along a 10-mile traffic bottleneck. At the same time, the coalition agreed to begin initial work to plan for a proposed elevated highway. “This … Continue Reading
February 10, 2023
Democrats urge EPA to do more against plastic pollution
by Ellie Borst
Prominent Democrats are asking EPA to ramp up its efforts in tackling plastics production and pollution. A letter, sent Thursday by California Rep. Jared Huffman and Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Cory Booker of New Jersey, warns EPA about the oil and gas industries' plans for "doubling down" on petrochemicals and plastics manufacturing in response to the "transition to clean energy." Forty-five other members of Congress also signed on to the letter. "Plastic production harms our … Continue Reading
February 09, 2023
'SCOTUS before WOTUS': House Republicans rage over water rule
by E.A. Crunden
Republicans are united in their outrage over a newly finalized water regulation from the Biden administration and want agencies to wait until a key Supreme Court decision later this year to take further action. Sparks flew during the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing Wednesday, marking what is set to be the first of many acrimonious debates over the Biden administration's definition of "waters of the United States," or WOTUS. That … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
House committee OKs oversight plan over climate objections
by Kelsey Brugger
The House Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday adopted its oversight plan, which Democrats decried as an "industry wish list" that ignores the climate crisis. The plan details Republican concerns about President Joe Biden's actions on oil and gas drilling, critical minerals, renewable energy, grazing, tribes, endangered species, spending, and other matters. Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) said Congress has "constitutional responsibilities" to conduct "essential oversight of … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
Watch the SHORTER STATE OF THE UNION, With Rep. Jared Huffman
by Hank Sims
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to Congress tonight at 6 p.m., available on basically every channel. Not feeling it? Well, Rep. Jared Huffman has packaged his own State of the Union address for residents of California’s Second District — i.e., you — and guess what? It’s much, much shorter, and it’s available now. Watch it above. Following Biden’s longer state of the union, LeBron James will likely break Kareem … Continue Reading
February 08, 2023
State pact seeks to advance fixes to Highway 37 flooding and traffic woes
by Colin Atagi
A coalition of state traffic and environmental agencies announced Wednesday they will work together to redesign Highway 37, the North Bay’s key east-west route, adding new lanes in each direction to help unclog traffic and advancing other near-term fixes to address chronic flooding problems. The effort, which state and local officials touted as historic, focuses on the 21-mile state highway linking Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties from Interstate 80 in the east to Highway 101 at … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Democrats bash McCarthy over spending demands in debt ceiling talks: ‘hypocrite’
by Mike Lillis
House Democrats are slamming Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week after he demanded steep spending cuts as part of negotiations with President Biden to lift the debt limit. They’re pointing to the trillions of dollars piled onto the debt under Republican administrations, wondering aloud why GOP leaders didn’t prioritize cuts when they had the power to do so. “These people are such hypocrites,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Congressional … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Polarized local reactions to Biden’s State of the Union address
by Jeremy Hay
The nation’s polarized condition was evident in the reactions of North Coast Democrats and a local Republican Party leader to President Joe Biden’s Tuesday night State of the Union speech. Democrats thought Biden’s 73-minute address hit the right notes, held Republicans to account and demonstrated the 80-year-old president’s leadership strengths. “I thought he did a great job. I thought he was upbeat. He was positive. I felt that he was very … Continue Reading
February 07, 2023
Biden speech guest list includes fusion researchers
by Jeremy Dillon
A pair of researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory lead a list of energy and environment-related guests for Tuesday night's State of the Union speech. House Science, Space and Technology ranking member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Monday that LLNL’s Tammy Ma, a plasma physicist working on the lab’s fusion research program, and LLNL Director Kim Budil would attend the annual speech. Both were part of a breakthrough late … Continue Reading
February 06, 2023
Natural Resources sets hearings on drilling, mining
by Kelsey Brugger, Hannah Northey
The House Natural Resources Committee will meet three times this week, launching its work for the new Congress with action on oil and gas production and critical minerals. The first meeting on Tuesday will discuss the Republicans’ oversight plan. The document describes how the Biden administration has been a failure concerning different aspects of the committee's jurisdiction. A full committee hearing on Wednesday will focus on domestic energy production and mining, and an … Continue Reading
February 06, 2023
Marin City stormwater, lighting projects awarded $2M
by Richard Halstead
More than $2 million in funding has been secured to develop a stormwater plan for Marin City and upgrade exterior lighting at the Golden Gate Village housing complex. Marin County supervisors, acting as the board of the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, has signed off on a plan to pay the San Francisco engineering firm Schaaf & Wheeler more than $784,000 for services required to develop the stormwater plan. The allocation, approved Jan. 24, comes in addition to … Continue Reading
February 03, 2023
US Capitol Police ramp up security ahead of Biden’s State of the Union address
by Whitney Wild
US Capitol Police are ramping up security for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to Congress next week, including adding a non-scalable fence around the Capitol grounds, according to two sources familiar with the plans. Intelligence officials in the police department warned in an email circulated to the force on Friday that the threat level remains elevated ahead of Biden’s annual address set for Tuesday night. While there are no specific credible … Continue Reading
February 02, 2023
Dems raise alarms about Capitol security ahead of State of the Union
by Andrew Solender
House Democrats are raising concerns about Capitol security after House Republicans scaled back safeguards put in place after Jan. 6. Why it matters: The renewed focus on Capitol security comes ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address, when nearly all members of Congress, Biden's cabinet and the Supreme Court will be packed into the House chamber. Driving the news: More than a dozen House Democrats penned a letter to congressional leadership on … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
Duckworth takes Aviation subcommittee gavel
by Kayla Guo
Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with Reps. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), sent a letter to Buttigieg today urging DOT to fully fund the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program at $200 million in its fiscal 2024 and 2025 budgets. The program, which provides grants for bike paths and walking trails, received $45 million in last year’s spending package, significantly less … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman elected as Democratic leader of environmental subcommittee
by Austin Castro
WASHINGTON D.C. — On Tuesday, North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) was elected as the Ranking Member of the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee. Democratic members of the House Committee on Natural Resources elected Huffman to the role. The Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee is responsible for overseeing the agencies that manage America’s water resources, hydropower development and federal transmission lines. Huffman has previously served as … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
Republicans vow EPA scrutiny in Pebble veto’s wake
by Hannah Northey
A top Senate Republican is promising to ramp up oversight of EPA’s Clean Water Act veto power after the agency used its authority to block a contentious gold and copper mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, home to a world premier salmon fishery. Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) blasted EPA’s final determination that barred waters within the Bristol Bay watershed from receiving dredge and fill. The federal action essentially … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
Congressman Huffman Warns Against Immediately Ending Covid-19 Emergency Declaration
by Staff
A North Bay Congressman is speaking out against ending the COVID-19 emergency declaration. House Republicans have voted to end the public health emergency this week despite news from the White House that the Biden Administration plans to end it in May. Speaking on KSRO’s The Drive, Congressman Jared Huffman says an abrupt end to the public health emergency would have serious consequences. “Right now, vaccines are free to everybody because of that emergency … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
Democrats rebuke Biden over Alaska Willow oil project
by Josh Siegel
Democrats in Congress blasted the Biden administration for advancing the proposed ConocoPhillips Willow oil project in Alaska on Wednesday, saying the Interior Department had bowed to political pressure that would set back the country's efforts to fight climate change. The new environmental report on the project comes as Republicans have ramped up pressure on the White House, blaming President Joe Biden's environmental policies and the slowdown in offering new federal leases for oil … Continue Reading
February 01, 2023
Advocates Cheer Revival of Bill to 'Restore Critical Protections' to Arctic Refuge
by Brett Wilkins
Indigenous, climate, and conservation advocates on Wednesday welcomed the reintroduction of congressional legislation to restore protections and prevent fossil fuel development in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), along with Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, the continuation of legislative … Continue Reading