In the News
Democrats Urge EPA to Protect Bristol Bay From Pebble Mine
by Kellie Lunney
Project could resurface despite denial of key permit Opponents of mining in Bristol Bay want permanent protections The Environmental Protection Agency should move immediately to protect the world's largest wild sockeye salmon fishery in Alaska from the proposed Pebble Mine, two House Democrats said. New EPA Administrator Michael Regan can use his authority under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to ensure the proposed project-now on hold-can't resurface, at least during the … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
Huffman touts protecting public wilderness
by The Triplicate
Congressman Jared Huffman joined three of his colleagues during a press conference Thursday to push for passage of several bills that would protect more than 1 million acres of wilderness and public lands in California. Huffman, who represents Del Norte County, was joined by Representatives Adam Schiff, Judy Chu and Salud Carbajal in pushing for the bill that was to be voted on Friday in the U.S. House. The bill has not been considered by the Senate yet. Huffman was pushing for a … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
Sonoma County government, cities in line for $160 million in federal aid under new stimulus bill
by Andrew Graham
Under legislation pushed by President Joe Biden and passed by Congress Wednesday, local governments in Sonoma County are slated to receive about $160 million in federal stimulus aid to shore up public coffers amid economic wreckage from the coronavirus pandemic. Biden, who hailed the bill's advance as a "historic victory," announced he will sign it into law on Friday afternoon. Sonoma County is set to receive an estimated $96 million from the legislation, followed by Santa Rosa, Sonoma … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
Jared Huffman introduces bill to replace USPS fleet with electric vehicles
by Isabella Vanderheiden
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) introduced legislation on Monday to provide $6 billion in funding to replace at least 75% of the United States Postal Service's fleet with electric vehicles. The Postal Vehicle Modernization Act would require 50% of medium/heavy duty vehicle purchases to be electric or zero-emission through 2029 and would ban the purchase of non-electric vehicles after January 2040. "It's calling for at least 75% of these vehicles to be electric, but my … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
Bay Area legislators laud Congress' passage of latest COVID-19 relief bill
by Eli Walsh
OAKLAND, Calif. - Bay Area legislators celebrated Wednesday following Congress' passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus pandemic relief and stimulus package. The ARPA, which became the chief priority of Congress following the inauguration of President Joe Biden, includes hundreds of billions for aid to state and local governments, vaccine distribution, health care subsidies, unemployment benefits and more. The bill also includes … Continue Reading
March 10, 2021
USPS mail truck contract hits snag as lawmakers ask, 'Why not totally electric?'
by Sean Szymkowski
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have questions following the USPS' decision to award its future mail truck, the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, to Wisconsin-based Oshkosh. Reuters first reported Tuesday that three members of the House of Representatives want to freeze the USPS contract until they can get some answers. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Reps. Tim Ryan and Jared Huffman, all Democrats, called for a halt to the process to investigate possible … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
House bill gives USPS $6B to invest heavily in next-generation electric vehicles
by Jory Heckman
The Postal Service expects electric vehicles will make up about 10% of its next-generation fleet of delivery trucks, but a group of 17 House Democrats has introduced legislation that would set higher aspirations for the agency to move off fossil fuels. The Postal Vehicle Modernization Act, led by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would give USPS $6 billion to replace more of its decades-old Grumman Long Life Vehicles with … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
House lawmakers push Biden administration to investigate USPS contract with Oshkosh Defense
by Noah Higgins-Dunn
House Democrats called on the Biden administration Tuesday to halt the U.S. Postal Service's $482 million contract with Oshkosh Defense to help modernize the service's aging fleet of delivery trucks until an investigation can prove there was no "inappropriate political influence" in the award. Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Tim Ryan of Ohio and Jared Huffman of California introduced a resolution that would place a hold on the contract until an investigation is conducted. Kaptur said in a … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
Jared Huffman: Support is needed to help pay water bills
by Sonia Waraich
State residents have been struggling to keep up with their water bills during the COVID-19 pandemic, but government officials say help is on the way. Survey results from the State Water Resources Control Board released in late January estimate about 1.6 million or 12% of households across the state have not paid their water bills resulting in an estimated $1 billion in statewide household water debt. The average household debt is $500. North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman issued a news … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
Huffman, Senators reintroduce legislation to reduce carbon pollution from National Highway System
Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) today announced the planned reintroduction of the Generating Resilient, Environmentally Exceptional National (GREEN) Streets Act. This legislation would establish national goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the national highway system and help states adapt their transportation systems to the adverse effects of climate change. The … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
U.S. lawmakers propose giving USPS $6 billion for electric delivery vehicles
by David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of 17 U.S. House of Representatives Democrats introduced legislation on Monday to provide $6 billion to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to buy tens of thousands of additional electric delivery vehicles. Ohio-based electric-vehicle maker Workhorse Group Inc shares jumped 13% on prospects the company may be able to sell electric postal vehicles. Last month, it lost out when the USPS awarded a $482 million contact to Oshkosh Defense to finalize production for the … Continue Reading
March 08, 2021
Huffman Bill passes in multi-state public lands package
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act, a bill that includes eight individual measures that provide lasting protections for key public lands and waters in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Washington. Representative Jared Huffman's (D-San Rafael) bill, the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act was approved as part of this legislative package. "Being active in the outdoors and experiencing … Continue Reading
March 05, 2021
The Postal Service’s Gas-guzzling New Mail Truck: Electric Versions May Be Closer Than They Appear
by Dorothy Robyn
The sooner Congress signals-with its wallet-that the future NGDV is electric, the better. Clean energy advocates reacted angrily last week when the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) failed to move aggressively toward electric vehicles (EVs) in awarding the long-awaited contract for its Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV). But some objects may be closer than they appear. The USPS is not anti-EV, just broke. If Congress covers the higher upfront cost of EVs, the USPS will be able to electrify its … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
As SFO's United Workers Face Furloughs, Lawmakers Say COVID-19 Relief Bill Could Help Save Bay Area Jobs
by Farida Jhabvala Romero
Bay Area members of Congress are calling on Republican lawmakers to support a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that the U.S. Senate is expected to take up this week. The push comes as thousands of local workers in battered industries - including most recently United Airlines workers at SFO - face a fresh round of furloughs and layoffs. In a press event Tuesday, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said the pandemic has devastated his district's economy, which is driven by tourism, travel and … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
Bipartisan bill targets global 'extinction crisis'
by Michael Doyle
A bipartisan pair of House members celebrated World Wildlife Day yesterday by reintroducing their "Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Act," a measure targeting aid to vulnerable species around the globe. The legislation authored by California Democrat Jared Huffman and Florida Republican Vern Buchanan would establish the Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund and authorize $5 million annually for five years. It would be administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service as part … Continue Reading
March 04, 2021
Fight of the River People
by Thadeus Greenson
It was a Friday in late August when four jet boats made their way up the Klamath River under a cloudless blue sky. The boats carried three tribal chairs. From the Karuk Tribe, there was Russell "Buster" Attebery, who'd found pride as a boy catching salmon from the river and bringing them home to his family, and later come to believe some tribal youth's troubles - from suicides to substance use - could be traced back to their never having had that opportunity, growing up alongside a river now … Continue Reading
March 03, 2021
House of Representatives Passes Sweeping Public Lands Bill
by Lindsey Botts
Last week, on February 26, the House of Representatives passed a sweeping public lands package that, if signed into law, would designate almost 1.5 million acres of public land as wilderness, add 1,200 miles of rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and withdraw over 1 million acres from new mining claims. In addition, the bills expand national monuments and national recreation areas, create a new "historic landscape," and fund the construction of new hiking trails on public … Continue Reading
March 03, 2021
The Jan. 6 Riot Could Have Brought Lawmakers Together. It Did The Opposite
by Susan Davis
When Congress reconvened the night of the Jan. 6 riot to finish certifying the Electoral College results, Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., huddled with top Democrats on the House floor. "I was on the dais with [Speaker Nancy Pelosi], and the speaker and I, and also [House Administration Chair Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.], had a conversation about a bipartisan approach and a bipartisan commission, or a bicameral commission, to move things forward to find out what went wrong," he told NPR. "Unfortunately … Continue Reading
March 02, 2021
Jared Huffman on relief bill: ‘Our highest needs and priorities are all met’
by Mario Cortez
Ahead of Tuesday's U.S. Senate vote on the American Rescue Plan, a bill that includes $1,400 stimulus checks for low-income Americans, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) joined fellow House colleagues in a conference to urge the U.S. Senate to approve the legislation. The House of Representatives approved the $1.9-trillion bill on Saturday morning, passing the proposal on to the Senate. The conference, hosted by California congressman Ted Lieu, also included John Garamendi and … Continue Reading
February 26, 2021
House approves bill giving California half million acres of new wilderness
by Kurtis Alexander
More than 1 million acres of public land in California and other Western states will be preserved as undeveloped wilderness if long-stalled legislation that's back in play under the Biden administration can make it through Congress. The ambitious bill, which combines eight previously introduced conservation initiatives, would provide pandemic-weary Californians with more redwood forests to explore in the north state, a 400-mile scenic trail to hike along the Central Coast and expanded … Continue Reading