As is tradition, the RCRC Officers arrived in Washington D.C. late last week, prior to the convening of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference, to hold meetings on Capitol Hill. RCRC Chair Dan Miller, First Vice Chair Doug Teeter, Second Vice Chair Chris Lopez, and immediate Past Chair Stacy Corless were joined by the NACo Western Interstate Region Representative, Matt Kingsley, as they met with members of the California congressional delegation, as well as key senior Administration officials from Department of Transportation; Department of Energy; and Department of Agriculture. The meetings focused on several important issues facing rural California, including: 

  • Deployment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds in an equitable and expedient manner, with extended timelines for the expenditure of funds;  

  • The need for technical assistance, particularly for small counties that may not have internal resources to apply for funding opportunities; 

  • Broadband, electric vehicle, and water supply/treatment infrastructure needs; and 

  • Opportunities for further use of the Farm Bill’s Rural Development and Forestry Titles to increase the pace and scale of funding to rural communities. 

 

The RCRC team met with Senators Feinstein and Padilla, as well as with Congress Members Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), Costa (D-Fresno), Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), Lofgren (D-San Jose), McClintock (R-Elk Grove), Thompson (D-Napa), Valadao (R-Hanford), and Vargas (D-San Diego). Generally, our key “asks” were well received and several offices reiterated that any specific earmarks (now known as Congressionally Directed Spending) for FY 2023 appropriations be sent to their office. The Team also met with USDA Forest Service Chief, Randy Moore, for robust discussion around California’s wildfire suppression and forest resiliency needs to protect our rural communities.