LEGISLATIVE UPDATES from AmericanHort:
HOW POLITICS ARE AFFECTING YOUR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Laurie Flanagan & Tal Coley On August 10, the Senate passed a $550 billion infrastructure plan that would be the biggest burst of spending on United States public works in decades. The bill passed after a bipartisan 6930 vote and after months of negotiations but still faces hurdles in the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is currently trying to broker a deal among House Democrats to allow a vote on the reconciliation budget resolution and the infrastructure bill. Nine moderate Democrats, including industry champion Kurt Schrader from Oregon, sent a letter on August 12 urging Pelosi to take up the infrastructure bill immediately. Progressives have indicated they will not vote for the infrastructure bill unless the budget resolution is passed first. The House is due to return from recess on August 23, and it will be interesting to see which viewpoint prevails. If the infrastructure package does clear both chambers, every state would feel the effects. The package includes approximately $110 billion in new spending for roads and bridges, $73 billion for power grid upgrades, $66 billion for rail and Amtrak, $65 billion for broadband expansion, and $55 billion for clean water. It also includes $21 billion for environmental remediation projects and $15 billion for electric vehicles among other funding. Some horticulture industry-related priorities are as follows: · Commercial Drivers: A commercial driver pilot program, which is based off the concept of the DRIVE Safe Act bill, is included in the legislation. This program allows for the youngest commercial drivers to travel beyond state lines if certain apprenticeship goals are met. It is seen as a sweetener to entice these drivers to make a career out of commercial driving and increase the pool overall. The DRIVE Safe Act is a legislative priority of AmericanHort. · Inner City Environments: $100 million a year for five years with funding potentially covering the purchase and planting of trees for urban tree canopy plans for inner city environments.
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· Western Water Infrastructure: The bill authorized and appropriates $8.3 billion for FY 2022–2026 for Bureau of Reclamation western water infrastructure. This money is allocated to a variety of priorities to include aging infrastructure, dam safety, groundwater storage, and watershed management programs. AmericanHort will continue to monitor this bill as it is sent to the House.
Senate Budget Resolution Includes Immigration Craig Regelbrugge Before leaving town for the August recess, the Senate passed its FY22 budget resolution on a party line vote. The resolution, intended to tee up a sweeping, $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” and climate policy package, includes funding and instructions to include legalization of “dreamers,” farm workers and other essential workers, and temporary protected status holders. Presuming the House produces an equivalent resolution, the Judiciary Committees would flesh out the immigration-related details. The House will return briefly in late August to work on its budget resolution. Ultimately, whether or not legalization provisions advance to become law will depend first on party unity (Democrats cannot lose more than a few votes in the House and cannot lose a single vote in the Senate); and, whether the provisions can be crafted in a way that meets the “Byrd rule” test, which the Senate parliamentarian will determine. All this will make for a lively and interesting September.
Boxwood Pest Seems on the Move Craig Regelbrugge AmericanHort has received unofficial word of the detection of boxwood tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) in several locations in New York State near the U.S./Canada border, just east of St. Catharines, Ontario. This appears to be the result of natural spread from adjacent areas in Canada. USDA and New York State authorities are evaluating response measures. Landscape and nursery interests in the region are urged to carefully monitor boxwoods and consider applying treatments to boxwoods right away, as the pest’s second generation is likely still feeding but will soon pupate. Detailed information on life cyle, pest identification, and what to do if the pest is detected can be found here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/sa_insects/ box-tree-moth/box-tree-moth Two years ago, AmericanHort and its foundation, the Horticultural Research Institute, began advocating for a proactive research effort on this pest. Recently, HRI hosted a box tree moth webinar featuring science, regulatory, and industry updates as part of its tHRIve Series. You can learn more by visiting the tHRIve webpage.
