Washington Report – March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026

APWA Government Affairs is seeking your input regarding the association’s advocacy priorities for the next Congress that will be sworn into office in January 2027;
Click here to take the survey and help shape APWA’s policy priorities;
The survey will be open for two weeks, and once the results are in, the Government Affairs team and the Government Affairs Committee will review the results and begin updating the association’s legislative and regulatory priorities;
The public policy priority documents are APWA’s advocacy roadmap for working with Congress and federal agencies on key legislation and regulations impacting public works;
APWA’s current policy priorities are Emergency Management, Transportation, and Water Resiliency;
If you have any questions, please contact APWA’s Director of Government and Public Affairs Andrea Eales at aeales@apwa.org.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) are two agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) being impacted by the lapse in FY 2026 appropriations;
APWA and our membership frequently work with FEMA and CISA on emergency preparedness and response, funding and training opportunities, and support public works professionals as first responders;
Click here to email your U.S. Representative;
Click here to email your U.S. Senators.

Nick Anderson, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has been named as acting director;
Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala, the former acting director since March 2025, has been re-assigned to serve as the DHS director of strategic implementation;
Pending Senate confirmation of the President’s nomination of Sean Plankey, CISA will continue to be overseen by an acting director.

The Engineering Workforce Consortium (EWC) welcomed the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and its National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) to its ranks in a signing ceremony held Feb 24 in Washington, D.C.;
APWA Director of Government and Public Affairs Andrea Eales joined other EWC representatives in welcoming the two new members;
The EWC is a forum of 20 leading professional societies, trade associations, and academic institutions working together to highlight the critical need for workforce recruitment, retention, and growth and APWA, along with ACEC and ASCE, is a founding member
Click here to read more.

For the second year in a row, the Engineering & Public Works Roadshow hosted an open house on Capitol Hill to meet, greet, and inform members of Congress and their staff about the diverse array of public works and engineering projects across the country and the need for continued federal investment in infrastructure;
APWA Government Affairs Specialist Jeff Finegan represented the association and spoke to congressional staff about the association’s public works, infrastructure, and workforce development priorities;
If you have a great infrastructure project to recommend for a Roadshow stop, email APWA Government Affairs Media Manager Mark Shade at mshade@apwa.org.

APWA submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their proposed rule to update the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification regulations;
The comments centered around maintaining a clear and streamlined approach to requesting and approving certifications and protecting state authority in the Section 401 process;
A final rule is expected to be published before the end of the year.

On Mar. 3 at 9 a.m., the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to review the Department of Homeland Security;
On Mar. 4 at 10 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to review the Department of Homeland Security;
On Mar. 4 at 10 a.m., the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing to mark-up S. 3923, the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA);
On Mar. 4 at 2 p.m., the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee will hold a hearing to discuss draft legislative proposals to amend the EPA’s Brownfields Program.