Advocacy Letters
2023 Letters
Rural Capacity Building Inclusion in 2023 Farm Bill Letter (September 2023)
NARC, the National Association of Counties (NACo), National League of Cities (NLC), and National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership calling for the inclusion of a rural capacity building program and streamlining of federal grants for rural communities in the 2023 Farm Bill.
BEAD — Alternatives to the Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit Requirement Letter (September 2023)
NARC alongside a coalition of almost 300 broadband experts, internet service providers (ISPs), community leaders, nonprofits, consumer advocates, and business groups have joined forces to highlight concerns about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Bill Letter (August 2023)
NARC, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), National Association of Counties (NACo) and National League of Cities (NLC) expressed concerns to Congress surrounding the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 House THUD Appropriations bill. The undersigned organizations wrote to request the House of Representatives reconsider or remove the proposed transportation funding cuts in the THUD Appropriations bill, to uphold the commitments made under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and support the continued development of our nation’s transportation infrastructure.
2022 Letters
American Rescue Plan Funding Flexibility – House Support Letter (December 2022)
As Congress worked to wrap up the 117th Congress, the undersigned organizations in this letter asked that the overwhelmingly bipartisan S. 5323 be brought up for a vote before the House adjourns for the year. This legislation allows states and localities additional flexibility to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for a range of transportation purposes.
Public Finance Network PAYGO Municipal Issuers Letter to Congress (December 2022)
As a participating member of the Public Finance Network representing nearly fifty thousand public organizations and issuers of municipal securities, NARC wrote to Congress urging them to waive the statutory Pay-as-You-Go-Act of 2010 (PAYGO) before the close of the 117th Congress. Failure to do so would result in the elimination of $14 billion in subsidy payments to public entities across the country.
Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce (CIAW) FY 2023 Omnibus Letter to Congress (December 2022)
The Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce, urge the 117th Congress to work together to craft an Omnibus bill for the duration of the 2023 fiscal year that includes significant investments in workforce and education to meet the needs of both workers and businesses.
HOME Coalition FY 2023 Letter to Congress (November 2022)
The HOME Coalition sent a letter to appropriators in both congressional chambers urging them to provide robust funding for the HOME Investment Partnerships program for the remainder of fiscal year 2023. The letter requested no less than $1.9 billion for the program, which is the amount included in the President’s FY23 Budget Request.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) FY 2023 Letter to Congress (November 2022)
Members of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Coalition sent a letter to Congress urging them to provide robust funding for the CDBG program in the final omnibus measure. The CDBG Coalition requests $4.2 billion for the CDBG program in the FY23 measure; the amount aligns with the current authorized level of $4.168 billion for the program.
NARC Letter to OMB Outlines Its Support for Disaster Relief Funding for EDA (October 2022)
On October 12, NARC sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Shalanda Young urging the White House to include supplemental disaster relief funding to any request for disaster relief due to Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. NARC specifically requested that EDA be funded at no less than $3 billion for the multi-state and territory economic recovery efforts, a figure consistent with the agency’s. demonstrated capability to administer large recovery efforts effectively and innovatively.
NARC and AMPO Letter to Senate Appropriations Requesting Funding for Healthy Streets Program and Active Transportation Infrastructure Program (April 2022)
In a joint letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, NARC and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Associations (AMPO) requested that they fund the Healthy Streets Program and the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program in fiscal year 2023. Neither program was funded in fiscal year 2022.
NARC and AMPO Submit Public Comments to FHWA on IIJA Implementation (April 2022)
In a letter to the Federal Highway Administration, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) and the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) write to jointly request consideration of the following comments in response to the Request for Information (RFI) (Docket No. FHWA-2021-0021) that was published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2021.
National Highway Coalition Urges Congress to Finalize Appropriations (January 2022)
In a letter to congressional leaders, the American Highway Users Alliance noted that the House and Senate have yet to resolve their differences to finalize negotiations for 2022 appropriations, including for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and is relying on another continuing resolution through Feb. 18.
Endorsement of NOAA Fisheries and ASA(CW)/USACE Memorandum (January 2022)
NARC signs onto a letter with national partners representing public ports and entities in navigation, flood control, water supply, and recreation across the country in support of the new NOAA Fisheries and ASA(CW)/USACE memorandum regarding threatened and endangered species consultations.
2021 Letters
Endorsement of Municipal Bonds and Infrastructure Investment (October 2021)
NARC alongside national municipal issuer representative groups collectively wrote a letter to congressional leadership supporting the federal partnership represented by the tax-exemption for municipal securities and the effective use of that tax exemption for their various communities. Above all else, the groups cohesion is centered around their commitment to preserving the tax exemption on municipal bonds. Elimination, reduction, or capping of the tax exemption would pose immediate increased costs to the critical projects financed by state and local issuers.
Endorsement of the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (October 2021)
NARC alongside several national organizations representing hundreds of thousands of state, local, tribal and regional governments signed this endorsement of legislation H.R. 5735 – State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act. This bipartisan bill expands the eligible uses of unspent or not received CARES Act and American Rescue Plan funds dedicated to bridge the gap between falling revenues and necessary pandemic expenses to now include infrastructure, disaster relief, housing, community development, and other investments that will have a long- term economic return. It also ensures tribes and territories eligible for assistance are given the time and flexibility to do so.
EDA Coalition Letter for Hurricane Ida Funding (September 2021)
The International Economic Development Council, National Association of Regional Councils, National Association of Developmental Organizations, National League of Cities, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Council of State Community Development Agencies, and Main Street America wrote to Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy to bring to the leadership’s attention a timely and critical item. The organizations urge the leaders to include $1 billion for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in a disaster recovery supplemental funding package responding to Hurricane Ida.
Municipal Bonds and Infrastructure Investment Letter (September 2021)
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) along with 28 other municipal issuer representative groups wrote to Senators and Representatives supporting the federal partnership represented by the tax-exemption for municipal securities and the effective use of that tax exemption for their various communities.
Transportation Equity Letter from NARC, NADO, and AMPO (July 2021)
The National Association of Regional Council (NARC), the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) wrote to Secretary Buttigieg to request consideration of a series of comments in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Request for Information (Docket No. DOT-OST-2021-0056) that was published in the Federal Register on May 25. The three organizations identified three themes when considering transportation data and equity. The following themes are: Many tools exist, but additional resources are needed, one size does not fit all, and collaboration is necessary.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Letter to Chairman Peter DeFazio (June 2021)
The National Association of Regional Council (NARC), the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) wrote to Chairman DeFazio to show support for aspects of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This includes support for the Affordable Housing Access program, Community Climate Incentive Grants program, Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants, Section 110018, and the Recompete Pilot Program.
Urban Areas for Census Bureau Letter (May 2021)
The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPO), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), and National League of Cities (NLC) wrote to Mr. Vincent Osier to request consideration of comments in response to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Urban Areas for 2020 Census-Proposed Criteria (Docket No. 210212-0021).
Letter to Office of Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (March 2021)
National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) appreciates the opportunity to provide comment on behalf of its national membership in response to the January 19, 2021 Federal Register notice, “Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas” (FR Doc. 2021–00988; Docket ID number OMB-2021-0001).