House Approves Huffman Amendment to Protect Post-Disaster Emergency Construction Projects

May 10, 2019

Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) successfully added an amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act that will protect federal funding for post-disaster emergency relief construction projects, such as road repair projects currently underway in Humboldt, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties. Huffman’s amendment was approved by the House by a bipartisan vote of 241-168.

Under current policy, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires that when a road or highway suffers serious damage from a disaster, the local grant recipient must begin the construction project within two years. If localities need more time to finalize permits, the federal agency has historically granted an extension. However, in a recent decision, FHWA rejected a number of California extension requests, including a request by Humboldt County. As a result, FHWA could seek to “claw back” roughly $3 million for construction projects that would help Humboldt County rebuild from the 2017 storm damage. The Huffman amendment pauses FHWA’s unreasonable rejection of extension requests.

“As communities across California rebuild from natural disasters, our federal government should be aiding this recovery, not withholding much-needed disaster relief support,” said Rep. Huffman, who serves on the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. “This administration should not punish California communities by making them jump through hoops to access the funding they were already promised. I’m glad the House has drawn a line against the administration’s efforts to withdraw highway emergency relief funds, and glad that we have once again approved urgently-needed disaster funding for families across the country still reeling from floods, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters.”

“CSAC is extremely grateful to Congressman Huffman for working to ensure that the Federal Highway Administration would be prohibited from withholding tens of millions of dollars in federal aid for local roads and bridges that were damaged by recent disasters,” said Virginia Bass, President of the California State Association of Counties, and Humboldt County Supervisor. “Without his amendment, counties that are still recovering from the devastating floods of 2017 could be at risk of losing critically needed federal funding to complete important highway projects.”

In addition to Humboldt County, there are at least seven other counties in California facing rejected extension requests: Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Monterey, Sonoma, Alameda, Shasta, and Calaveras. In total, these counties have 112 projects worth roughly $72 million. The amendment was also co-sponsored by California Reps. Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach) and Norma Torres (D-Pomona).

The overall Supplemental Appropriations Act containing Huffman’s amendment was approved today by a vote of 257-150.