Jun 13, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal appointments | federal issues U.S. Senate Confirms Stephen Vaden as Deputy Secretary of AgricultureOn Tuesday June 10, in a 51-44 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Stephen Vaden to serve as Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture. In this role, Mr. Vaden will oversee
Jun 06, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues Transportation Secretary Releases Report Finding No Viable Path Forward for California High-Speed Rail ProjectOne June 4, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Compliance Review Report, which found that the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA)’s high speed rail project is in default of the terms of its federal grant awards. The detailed report
May 30, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations UpdateLast week, U.S. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) released a schedule to markup all 12 Fiscal Year 2026 (FY ’26) spending bills over the next 10 weeks of June and July, with the goal of completing all markups before the August recess
May 23, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues | water quality EPA Reinforces Alignment of Clean Water Act Section 401 with “Powering the Great American Comeback” InitiativeOn May 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a memorandum clarifying the specific and limited role of States and Tribes in the federal licensing and permitting processes under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The EPA reiterates its position that States and Tribes must utilize Section 401 only for its statutory purpose – to protect water quality
May 23, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues U.S. Senate Votes to Rescind Three California Clean Air Act Waivers, Governor Newsom RespondsOn May 22, the U.S. Senate passed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to revoke waivers that allow California to adopt tougher vehicle emission standards than the national standard
May 16, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues U.S. House Passes Fire Safe Electrical Corridors ActOn May 13, the House passed the bipartisan Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act (H.R. 2492) by voice vote. This bill would allow the U.S. Forest Service to
May 16, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal budget | federal issues House Agriculture Committee Advances SRS Reauthorization by way of Reconciliation BillOn May 14, the House Agriculture Committee voted 29-25 along party lines to advance its reconciliation bill. While the measure contains many impactful provisions, perhaps the most notable is the inclusion of reauthorization language for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. Until now, SRS reauthorization has been stalled in the House of Representatives, despite significant bipartisan support in the Senate
May 08, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues USDA to Expedite $21 Billion in Previously Approved Disaster AssistanceOn May 7, USDA Secretary Rollins announced plans to expedite the distribution of $21 billion in Congressionally-appropriated disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers impacted by recent natural disasters
May 08, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues U.S. Forest Service Testifies in Support of Fix Our Forests ActOn May 6, Acting Associate Chief of the Forest Service, Christopher French, testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee during its legislative hearing on the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which aims to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and improve forest health through expanded management tools and interagency coordination
May 02, 2025
Barbed Wire | federal issues House Votes to Overturn California-Specific Environmental Waivers and RulesThis week, the House passed four Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions addressing environmental waivers and rules issued during the Biden administration, each tied to California-specific standards or policy