Thursday, September 21, 2023 / News Washington Weekly - September 21 This Week: The House and Senate are in session. Federal: House Party: Since both chambers of Congress returned last week, the news out of the House is not only dominating the news cycle, but how the rest of the session will turn out. At this writing, the federal government is 12 days from a shutdown. A deal between House Freedom Caucus and Main Street Caucus (both comprised of Republicans) came to light on Monday to institute a continuing resolution (CR) to keep things funded through October 31st, while more budget negotiations take place. The measure, to be introduced by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), is not the ‘clean’ CR that House Democrats and the Senate are looking for. The difference is that this CR would institute an 8% cut in funding for federal agencies for the duration of the CR, would not provide any additional funding for Ukraine (President Volodymyr Zelensky will be on the Hill this Thursday to seek more assistance), and would re-start the building of the wall on the southern border while boosting the pay and ranks of border patrol agents. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared the measure DOA, but there will be more to come to avert a shutdown. The situation remains extremely fluid. Motion to Vacate: Last week, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) took to the House floor to threaten Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) with a motion to vacate. The motion would basically take the Speaker’s gavel away from Rep. McCarthy and force a new vote on his successor. At this point, several GOP members have played it close to the vest as to whether they would support such a motion, especially since it is currently unclear who could win an election to ascend to the position. At the same time, House Democrats would be unlikely to support such a motion until funding is in place to avert a government shutdown. Add to that the impeachment inquiry, continuing work on major legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act, the FAA reauthorization, disaster relief, the Farm Bill, and simply passing a budget, it has caused a lot of instability for the foreseeable future. ASA on Capitol Hill: Last week, ASA VP of Advocacy Steve Rossi was in Washington to attend a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on ensuring a reliable electric supply while protecting consumer choice. In addition, he had meetings in the House and Senate on water quality legislation, and small business issues. He also participated in discussions on federal regulatory matters affecting the PHCP/PVF industry. Department of Energy: Inflation Reduction Act Rebates: The Department of Energy has begun accepting state applications for funding of rebate programs included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, almost a year after it was signed into law. The funding will be split into two parts – the home efficiency rebate program and the residential electrification program – and states will have to apply for each, submitting a plan for DOE review on how they will implement the programs in their respective states. Keep in mind that not all states will participate (Gov. Ron DeSantis has already announced that Florida will not be involved). The DOE announcement can be found here. Water Heater NOPR: Department of Energy issued a Notice of Proposed Rule (NOPR) on Consumer Water Heaters – news release can be found here. ASA is working with its industry partners to decipher the almost 1,700 pages of the proposed rule that would take effect on January 1, 2029. If you have any questions or comments, please contact ASA VP of Advocacy at srossi@asa.net. Politics: President Biden Job Approval (RCP Average): 41% Approve – 55% Disapprove. Generic Congressional Ballot (RCP Average): Republicans 0.4%. The House currently has a composition of 221 Republicans to 212 Democrats. The Senate is comprised of 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans. Special Elections: Democratic: (RI-1 - General: 11/7/2023). Republican: UT-2 - General: 11/21/2023. Rep. Chris Stewart (UT-2) resigned on September 15, 2023. Print