Washington Report – October 20, 2025

Latest News

Federal Government Shutdown Continues

The federal government continues its partial shutdown, which means “non-essential” personnel and operations are not authorized to continue because FY26 appropriations bills have not been passed by Congress;
“Essential” employees continue working without pay
- Essential services related to national security and public health continue and include military, law enforcement, border security, air traffic controllers, and Social Security
In response, each federal agency implements its own “Procedures Relating to a Lapse in Appropriations” plans
- These plans are activated when Congress fails to pass annual appropriation bills necessary to fund federal government operations and programs
The House passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) Sept. 19 to fully fund the government at current FY25 levels until Nov. 21, though the Senate continues to vote it down as 60 votes are needed for the Senate to pass the CR;
The Senate is expected to continue holding votes this week to fully re-open the federal government;
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has previously been enacted so funding from this law should not see a major disruption at the federal level though some programs may be slowed due to furloughed “non-essential” employees;
The full impact of the partial federal government shutdown will be determined by the duration of the shutdown, which is now at the start of its fourth week;
There is no known timetable for when Congress may act to fully re-open the government, and the House of Representatives is on an indefinite 48-hour recall notice;
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he does not plan to bring the House back until the Senate passes the CR to re-open and fund the government at FY25 levels through Nov. 21;
Follow APWA Government Affairs on X and LinkedIn for timely updates.

Transportation Advisory Board Meeting–Postponed

Due to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. DOT virtual public meeting of its Advisory Board set for Oct. 22 is postponed;
The recently established Advisory Board was announced this past summer, with a purpose to provide strategic vision and high-level guidance for modernizing and enhancing U.S. transportation systems;
APWA Government Affairs will continue to track this development and post when the meeting is rescheduled.

APWA to Host Second Public Works/First Responder Town Hall – Oct. 28

APWA President Vic Bianes will host APWA’s second public works-first responders town hall, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. ET;
The Silent Arm of Public Safety – Always Ready! will be the topic of discussion;
Click here for more info about the webinar;
For more than 20 years, public works has been designated by the federal government, through the enactment of Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-8 as first responders at the federal level;
ICYMI, here’s Vic’s #NFRD video.

APWA Joins Coalition to Reauthorize the CWSRF

APWA joined with a coalition of 63 other organizations to send a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership urging the reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF);
Since its start, CWSRF has provided 51,000 low-cost loans totaling $181B to communities across the country;
The CWSRF and Drinking Water SRF are set to expire in 2026 unless Congress reauthorizes the programs;
Please Tell Your Story about how the SRFs helped your community improve its water infrastructure.

Protect Critical Water Infrastructure Funding

Vital water infrastructure programs remain at risk;
The President’s FY26 budget proposed cutting 90% of Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) and eliminating WIFIA funding entirely;
While Congress has restored some funding in the latest appropriations bills, the SRFs still face a $2B reduction from previous levels;
APWA urges all members to contact their federal representatives and advocate for full funding of WIFIA and the SRFs, essential tools for maintaining safe, resilient water systems in our communities;
Text “PWX” to 52886 to sign up for our important action alerts and make your voice heard.

On The Horizon

(All times ET)

Oct. 21 at 9:15 a.m., the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry will hold a hearing to markup legislation, including S. 1462, the Fix Our Forests Act, which would streamline the process for forest-thinning projects and enhance community wildfire mitigation efforts;
Oct. 21 at 10 a.m., the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee will hold a mark-up of multiple bills including S. 2975, the PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025, as well as S. 1070, the National STEM Week Act;
Oct. 30 at 1 p.m., the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is scheduled to host a virtual webinar, Purchasing Under FEMA Awards Training – Beyond the Basics (This may be impacted by the government shutdown).