Washington Report – July 27, 2026

July 27, 2026

The U.S. House has left D.C. for its August recess but it passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government until Dec. 4 before doing so;
The Senate will be in session through Aug. 7 and is working on its own CR that could include an extension of surface transportation programs that are set to expire Sept. 30 with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA);
U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released a letter outlining the Trump administration priorities for surface transportation reauthorization;
In addition to the expiration of IIJA, the new federal fiscal year starts Oct. 1 and, because FY27 appropriations bills have not been completed, a CR is needed to keep the federal government fully funded past Sept. 30;
A CR would avoid the drama of a federal government shutdown ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election where all House seats and 33 Senate seats are on the ballot;
The House has passed three of its FY27 appropriations bills, and 12 FY27 appropriations bills have been marked up and passed out of committee, while the Senate has not passed any appropriations measures.

Following the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), it is worth comparing the House and Senate bills to see how long it may take for WRDA to become law;
Both bills include traditional “WRDA,” which covers the authorization of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) projects and programs, and both include language reaffirming what the USACE’s core missions are – something that has been a point of disagreement between Congress and the Administration – and reapproving the reauthorization of the High Hazard Potential Dam Rehabilitation Program;
The Senate proposal has the traditional WRDA bill along with what is typically referred to as the “DWWIA” bill, the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act
- DWWIA reauthorizes U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs, such as the state revolving funds
For a full WRDA/DWWIA to pass, both houses must pass a bill with the same language. However, there is very little programmatic language that is currently in both proposals, which means committee staff will have a lot to negotiate over the next few months, giving APWA and others a chance to continue to advocate for our programs;
APWA anticipates a final bill in late fall or early winter and passage by the end of the year.

APWA members Eric Dundee and Lisa Coleman, from the Madison Sewage District in Wisconsin, will speak at the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association’s Finance and Contract Administration and BABA Workshop Aug. 4-5 in Indianapolis;
Click here to register to attend in person or virtually and receive a special APWA member rate!

Due to low attendance at last week’s Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, the vote to advance acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to the Senate floor for confirmation has been delayed until Thursday;
Watch here.

The Federal Transit Administration has announced the availability of $160M for the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure programs;
Completed proposals are due Sept. 21;
Click here to learn more and to submit a proposal.

APWA partner organization, the National Homeland Security Consortium (NHSC) released its 2026 summer meeting summary;
Highlights:
- Potential long-term mental, physical health impacts on first responders following 9-11
- Best practices/future planning approaches for major events like the World Cup, Olympics, and the potential impact of unmanned ariel systems (UAS) drones
APWA is represented on NHSC by Region V Director Mike Millette and Sr. Government Affairs Manager Marty Williams.

FEMA announced $3M to support the National Emergency Management Association’s (NEMA) Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC);
Funding is to stabilize vital community resources immediately after an incident, before a federal disaster declaration is requested or declared.

July 29 at 2 p.m., the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) will hold a hearing, The Impact of AI on the Workforce;
July 30 at 9:45 a.m., the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will hold a vote on the nomination of Keith Sonderling to become U.S. Secretary of Labor;
July 30 at 10 a.m., the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee has a hearing on Intelligent Networks: Powering Artificial Intelligence and Transforming Communications;
Aug 12, 13 and 18 FEMA will host a multiday virtual workshop, “Restoring Flow of Private Sector Lifelines,” that focuses on strengthening, restoring critical lifelines like electric grids, food supplies, and fuel distribution during disasters, click here for registration details;
Aug 27 at 10 a.m., APWA partner, the Center for Cross Sector Coordination (CXC), will host the first installment of a webinar series on Counter-UAS operational and policy considerations. Register here.