In the News
House to vote on amendments meant to weaken wilderness bill
by Kellie Lunney
The House will vote on a dozen amendments to a massive wilderness protection package, including a Republican measure that aims to gut a key part of the legislation. The Rules Committee last night made in order for floor debate Colorado Republican Rep. Scott Tipton's amendment to strike any wilderness designations in the state's 3rd District. The "Colorado Wilderness Act of 2019," H.R. 2546, sponsored by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), would designate as wilderness more than 600,000 acres in 32 … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
$9.7 million in federal funds arrives for long-awaited Petaluma River dredging
by YOUSEF BAIG
The Petaluma River, a tidal waterway that has seen boat traffic decline as silt piled up, will be dredged this year for the first time since 2003, rejuvenating a natural resource that for generations was the lifeblood of the community. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be allocating roughly $9.7 million this year to pay for the project, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, announced Monday. An additional $1.3 million was set aside for preliminary work to eventually dredge the San Rafael … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Strong fisheries management will keep seafood on Florida’s dinner tables | Opinion
by ALLEN SUSSER
The options for eating seafood are plentiful in Miami, from beach shacks to fine-dining establishments and everything in between. Equally plentiful is the seafood caught by U.S. fishermen that I and other Florida chefs are proud to serve and promote. The United States boasts some of the best managed fisheries in the world, making American seafood a preferred choice for sustainability advocates like myself and, increasingly, for consumers. But this wasn't always the case. Until the mid-1990s, … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Bay Area lawmakers seek $125M for San Francisco Bay estuary
by Will Houston
It's the largest estuary on the North America's West Coast, supporting a vast network of natural habitat and a multibillion-dollar economy, but the San Francisco Bay Estuary is not receiving the federal funding it deserves for its restoration, according to a coalition of Bay Area lawmakers. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, said despite the estuary and surrounding region generating $370 billion in annual goods and services, supporting about 3.5 million jobs, more than 100 endangered and … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Humboldt Bay gets $10 million for jetty repairs
by SONIA WARAICH
Last year, emergency shoaling conditions shut down Humboldt Bay, but a big chunk of funding from the federal government should help make the infrastructure improvements needed to keep that from happening in the future. On Monday, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced the Humboldt Bay and harbor are receiving $10,892,000 in the fiscal year 2020 Army Corps of Engineers work plan for dredging and repair work to the north and south jetties. "Local economies depend on 'forgotten … Continue Reading
February 10, 2020
Congressman Huffman talks politics with Willits High School students
by AURA WHITTAKER
On Monday, Feb. 3, Willits High School government and economics teacher Trish Silva-Brown welcomed United States Congressman Jared Huffman to the school for an hour-long "conversation" and Q&A with students. The visit was part of the Congressman's ongoing series of school visits throughout the second district to help expose students to congressional work and answer questions. "I'm pretty excited about your generation," said Huffman. "As your Congressman, I want to give you a chance to … Continue Reading
February 08, 2020
America needs a transformative transportation bill: It will take walking and biking to get there
by KEVIN MILLS
Our country is at a crossroads. Decade after decade, major decisions about our nation's transportation policy have been made using 1950s logic. Federal programs and priorities have evolved little since the early 1990s, while mobility needs, development patterns and technologies have rapidly shifted. We've continued to prioritize roads and highways, falling short of providing true mobility for all of America. As we stare down the 2020 deadline to reauthorize the FAST Act, the … Continue Reading
February 05, 2020
Ex-Obama EPA chief expresses skepticism on carbon capture
by RACHEL FRAZIN
Former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy expressed doubts Wednesday over investing in carbon capture technology, saying that focus should instead be on limiting fossil fuel extraction. "There's a lot of new creative thinking about [carbon capture and storage], but the thing we're not looking at is the fact that you extract the fossil fuels itself is a decision point of emitting significant amounts of methane," McCarthy said. "These are challenges for … Continue Reading
February 05, 2020
‘Miscarriage of justice’: California lawmakers react to Trump’s acquittal
by Kayla Galloway
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - President Donald Trump avoided removal from office Wednesday after an impeachment vote mainly along party lines in favor of acquitting the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Lawmakers from the Bay Area and across California took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the outcome of the trial, some using harsh words to condemn the Senate vote. Sen. Kamala Harris called the vote to acquit a "miscarriage of justice." VIEW TWEET … Continue Reading
February 04, 2020
Jeffrey Epstein victim, undocumented immigrants on Bay Area lawmakers’ SOTU list
by Dustin Gardiner
WASHINGTON - Undocumented immigrants, a sexual assault victim of Jeffrey Epstein, an antiwar activist. Several lawmakers from the Bay Area are making undeniably political statements with the guests they've invited to attend President Trump's third State of the Union address Tuesday night. Per tradition, senators and members of the House invite guests to sit in the House gallery for the president's annual speech. Often, the guests are friends, spouses or supporters. But sometimes, their … Continue Reading
February 03, 2020
House Lawmakers Propose $2.5 Billion Over Five Years for Bike, Pedestrian Projects
by Bill Lucia
The federal government would offer up to $500 million annually in competitive grant funding for sidewalks, bikeways and other "active transportation" projects for cyclists and pedestrians, under a bill proposed by a trio of Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House. Their bill was introduced as House Democratic leaders on Wednesday unveiled a new "framework" for infrastructure investment, and as Congress works to develop a new transportation funding bill for roads and transit that would replace … Continue Reading
January 31, 2020
Lytton Pomo tribe secures Windsor reservation, begins work on development
by GUY KOVNER
A sprawling, wooded tract of land west of Windsor is now the fifth tribal reservation in Sonoma County, fulfilling the long-sought goal of the Lytton Rancheria to build homes for its members, along with a resort and winery, on land officially held in trust by the federal government. An act of Congress adopted with scant notice last month granted the Pomo tribe a 511-acre reservation, where it has long outlined a planned development with county officials, along with millions of dollars in … Continue Reading
January 31, 2020
U.S. Congress tackles severe drought in the West
by Emily Hayes
WASHINGTON - Despite above-average snowpack, Southwest Colorado remains in a severe drought. U.S. House lawmakers from several Western states, including Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Boulder, are considering a bill that increases the scope of federal grants to combat water scarcity. Access to water is "quite literally a lifeline" that depends on access to strong funding for research and solutions, Neguse said in a House Natural Resources hearing Tuesday. The bill gives state governments, Native … Continue Reading
January 30, 2020
Listen up, Congress: Here’s how to support Louisiana’s working waterfronts and local seafood
by RYAN PREWITT AND LANCE NACIO
People come from all over the world to experience New Orleans' distinct culinary traditions. As a chef and a fisherman, we work every day to bring Louisiana's heritage to life. One of us catches wild, local fish, shrimp and other species straight from the Gulf waters, and the other prepares fresh seafood for patrons. Louisiana is our home, and our craft and livelihood depend on productive fisheries and healthy ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. Showcasing Gulf seafood can be difficult when … Continue Reading
January 30, 2020
Democrats Reluctant To Impeach Other Trump Officials
by Matt Fuller
WASHINGTON ? With the Senate preparing to acquit President Donald Trump, you might think Democrats would try to keep the focus on the Ukraine scandal by impeaching other administration officials involved in the scheme. But even the most liberal House Democrats have reservations about that sort of strategy. "We have one impeachment going on right now, and it's for the president of the United States," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told … Continue Reading
January 29, 2020
House panel OKs bill to undo Trump changes to Endangered Species Act
by Christopher Scragg
WASHINGTON - A House committee gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would reverse Trump administration changes to the Endangered Species Act, after a heated debate between members over which side had the best interest of the act at heart. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, sponsored the bill that he said is needed to overturn rules by the departments of the Interior and Commerce that undermine the protections of the act. But defenders like Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Prescott, say the … Continue Reading
January 28, 2020
Guest column: Keeping enough fish in the sea for tomorrow’s meal
by Kerry Heffernan
For restaurants like mine - in New Orleans and New York - serving fresh seafood every day is the backbone of our business. Being able to serve seafood caught by U.S. fishermen is the icing on the cake. The U.S. boasts some of the most sustainably managed wild fisheries in the world, making American seafood the preferred choice for chefs like myself, and increasingly for our customers. But this wasn't always the case. Until the mid-1990s, many U.S. fish were being caught at an unsustainable … Continue Reading
January 27, 2020
POLITICO Pro Q&A: Rep. Jared Huffman
by Anthony Adragna
Rep. Jared Huffman acknowledges his fellow Democrats are "not on the same page" on how aggressively to combat climate change and what specific policies to employ to address it, but he says Congress should pass whatever consensus measures it can as soon as possible rather than wait for a single omnibus climate bill that may not ever materialize. Huffman, a senior member of the Natural Resources and Climate Crisis committees, admits he wished other committees had waited for the Climate Crisis' … Continue Reading
January 26, 2020
House Republicans caught between Trump and young voters on climate change
by ZACK COLMAN, ANTHONY ADRAGNA and ERIC WOLFF
House Republicans know they face a growing vulnerability with young voters on climate change - but their attempts to craft a greener message are running headlong into their allegiance to President Donald Trump. Unlike Trump, the chamber's GOP lawmakers have largely stopped scoffing at the scientific evidence that human-caused global warming is contributing to intensifying wildfires and extreme weather. As the Democrats that control the House prepare to launch a broad legislative package of … Continue Reading
January 21, 2020
Federal cash should soon be in hand for Alaska fishermen, processors and towns hurt by the 2016 pink salmon failure
by Laine Welch
It's been a long time coming, but payments should soon be in hand for Alaska fishermen, processors and coastal communities hurt by the 2016 pink salmon run failure, the worst in 40 years. The funds are earmarked for Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Chignik, Lower Cook Inlet, South Alaska Peninsula, Southeast Alaska and Yakutat. Congress OK'd over $56 million in federal relief in 2017, but the authorization to cut the money loose languished on desks in D.C. for over two years. The … Continue Reading