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Engage with the 118th Congress to achieve key county priorities and strengthen the intergovernmental partnership.
County Advocacy Opportunities in Washington, D.C.
Eighty former county elected officials will serve in the 118th Congress: 67 in the U.S. House, including 12 first-term Representatives, and 13 in the U.S. Senate. This will provide county leaders with a unique opportunity to leverage existing relationships and institutional knowledge to advance county priorities in Washington, D.C.
These early months of this congressional session are a key time for county leaders to build relationships with members of Congress, demonstrate the impact of your county’s efforts in your communities and advocate for the federal programs that help to strengthen local programs and initiatives. These opportunities to interact with your Representatives and Senators are especially critical because they coincide with the development of the policy priorities that Congress will work to achieve over the next two years. With a split Congress and the slim majorities held by both Democrats in the U.S. Senate and Republicans in the U.S. House, bipartisan compromise will continue to be necessary to advance county priorities through legislation.
Supreme Court declines emergency review of USPS mail-in ballot rule, leaving nationwide block in place
The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with its Executive Order 14399 directing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile official U.S. citizenship lists to be used in voter citizenship verification and the U.S. Postal Service to impose new mail-in ballot restrictions.
Census Bureau proposes permanent changes to the 2030 Decennial Census
On September 10, the U.S Census Bureau published a proposed rule to the 2030 Decennial Census that would create two new parts of the 15 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that among other changes would a) define “usual residence” that excludes foreign persons previously counted that are not U.S. citizens or lawful residents, and b) would eliminate any questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation from the census questionnaire used to enumerate the population. The proposed ruling outlines only 30 days for public comments, which are due on October 13.
Congress passes short-term funding bill, keeping the federal government funded through Dec. 11 and delaying OMB rule
The U.S. Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend government funding through December 11 and delay the OMB proposed rule on Unform Guidance that governs how every federal grant can be administered.
Senate Funding Bill Delivers a Win for Counties, Delaying OMB's Uniform Guidance Proposed Rule
The Senate Appropriations Committee releases CR language to fund the government until December 11 and delay the OMB proposed rule on Uniform Guidance that governs how every federal grant can be administered, a major win for counties.
Streamlining Federal Grants Act: Improving Federal Grants Access for Counties
Federal grant programs represent significant funding opportunities for counties, but technical jargon and limited staff capacity make them especially hard for small and rural counties to access.
House advances SAVE America Act — counties urged to contact Senators now
NACo urges counties to reach out to Senators opposing immediate and unfunded changes to election administration in the SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383), which the House passed as part the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800).