Latest News

APWA Monitoring Executive Orders

  • President Trump has signed an executive order (EO) Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation impacting federal regulations;
  • When an executive department or agency proposes a new federal regulation, the EO directs the repeal of at least 10 existing federal regulations;
  • President Trump also implemented this action during his first term;
  • The past two weeks have seen a flurry of activity around EOs impacting federal government funding, including infrastructure funding, federal employees, activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, tariffs, and more;
  • Congress and legal actions will affect the ultimate outcome of many EOs, and it is going to take time for the direct impacts on public works and APWA members to be known;
  • APWA’s Government Affairs team is tracking developments that have a public works nexus, and APWA members need to share any impact—positive or negative to support our outreach to the new Trump administration, and Congress;
  • You may share your information through the APWA Tell Your Story, or by sending an email to APWA’s Director of Government and Public Affairs Andrea Eales at aeales@apwa.org;
  • In addition to the APWA Washington Report, follow APWA Government Affairs on X and LinkedIn for postings and timely information.

U.S. DOT Secretary Confirmed

  • Sean Duffy, former Wisconsin Congressman and county prosecutor, has been confirmed as U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary with a Senate vote of 77-22;
  • Secretary Duffy is immediately being tested with two tragic airplane crashes in less than a week;
  • During his confirmation hearing, Duffy stressed safety as his top priority in leading the DOT;
  • Additionally, the Secretary has released an order outlining the parameters for which DOT program funding related to loans, grants, and contracts will be carried out and identifying the DOT General Counsel as providing the legal advice, support, and guidance for implementing the order.

U.S. Interior Secretary Confirmed

APWA Attending National Homeland Security Consortium Winter Meeting

  • As a member of the 20- plus National Homeland Security Consortium (NHSC), APWA will participate in the group’s annual winter meeting, Feb. 5, in Alexandria, Virginia;
  • NHSC, generally, conducts two meetings each calendar year, during which fellow emergency management and first responder professionals discuss and promote national policies, strategies, practices, and guidelines to preserve the public health, safety, and security of the nation;
  • APWA Member Mike Millette, who is the Public Works Director for South Elgin, Illinois, is APWA’s representative to the NHSC and will attend along with APWA Government Affairs Manager Marty Williams.

FEMA Releasee 2024 National Preparedness Report

  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released its 2024 National Preparedness Report (NPR), which is a data-driven picture of national preparedness and emergency management trends;
  • The 2024 NPR is a reference tool for all levels of government, tribes, the private and nonprofit sectors, and offers program priorities and resource allocations.

EPA Appeals Lower Court Order on Fluoride in Drinking Water

  • At the center of the case is a U.S. District Judge’s assertion in a September court decision that federally recommended fluoride levels in drinking water pose “an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children” and the unreasonable risk determination under the Toxic Substances Control Act means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must address that risk in some form, which could range from a warning label to an outright ban on fluoride;
  • An EPA statement downplayed the health risks by pointing to the judge’s assertion he does not “conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health”;
  • The notice of appeal comes just days before the deadline to appeal;
  • The new administration could withdraw the appeal though and officials like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if confirmed as Secretary for the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS), could take steps to reduce fluoride in drinking water, but the decision on whether fluoride should be added to drinking water is in the hands of local and state authorities and only EPA has the power to federally ban fluoridation;
  • The U.S. Public Health Service, which falls under HHS, has recommended adding doses of fluoride to drinking water systems since the 1960s to protect against tooth decay;
  • That level has been incrementally lowered over the years, and growing research has shown that fluoridated water — even at the “optimal” dose of 0.7 milligram per liter (mg/L) – can have neurotoxic effects on developing brains.

Welcome Your U.S. Representative and Senators to the 119th Congress

  • Sworn in Jan. 3, the new 119th Congress is just a month old;
  • Take a minute to send a pre-generated welcome message to each of your Congressional representatives via this link;
  • Though the message is pre-written, you can edit it to make it more personalized;
  • As a public works professional and voice of APWA, it is critical your elected representatives in Washington, D.C. hear from you on legislation affecting public works;
  • Stay tuned for more action alerts and, if you are not yet receiving them, text PWX to 52886 to receive the alerts on your mobile phone.

On the Horizon

(All times ET)

  • Feb. 6 at 10 a.m., the Senate Finance Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Jamieson Greer to serve as U.S. Trade Representative;
  • Feb 6 at 10 a.m., the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation will hold a hearing about Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems;
  • Feb 12 at 1 p.m., CISA will host a webinar on the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program, created by Congress under the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 to encourage public and private sector owners and operators of physical and cyber critical infrastructure to voluntarily share sensitive security and proprietary information with CISA or other relevant federal government agencies.

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