And just like that, Congress is out of session again and the election is less than 40 days away.
Excuse the Carrie Bradshaw-ism there, but the government is now funded through December, and all that’s left to do is see who wins. There will likely be a flurry of legislative effort in the lame duck session, but the Nevada delegation achieved a big, bipartisan win this week with the passage of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act. Since this is a Nevada-centric issue, we’re jumping right to The Nevada Angle.
Let’s get into it.
The Nevada Angle
A bill to keep federal funds flowing to Lake Tahoe for another 10 years is now awaiting the president’s signature after successful passage in both chambers.
The Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act, introduced by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in March 2023 and co-sponsored by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and the senators from California, is the third iteration of the original Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2000.
That bill, championed by the late Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Harry Reid (D-NV), established a $300 million fund for restoration projects around the lake, including invasive species removal, new trails and wildfire resilience activities. Critically, as an authorized program, these projects don’t have to go through the annual appropriations process and are not subject to the whims of partisan control or budgetary priorities. The funding is already in place — an authorization just allows those funds to continue to be used.
In 2016, spearheaded by then-Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), a reauthorization was passed and $415 million appropriated. That reauthorization was set to expire Sept. 30.
The 2024 reauthorization includes no new money — there is nearly $300 million left in the fund — but extends the time to spend it by another 10 years.
The bill passed the Senate in July by unanimous consent, and the House by voice vote Tuesday.
“I’m proud of our bipartisan work to deliver funding for vital programs that keep the lake clean, support local jobs, and support our tourism economy,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “It is an honor to help lead Team Tahoe and fight for the resources the basin needs to thrive.”
In the House, the bill was supported by all four Nevadans and Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), who represents the California side of the lake. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), who led the effort in the House, said the coalition intentionally used the Senate version of the bill that had already passed in order to eliminate any administrative delays.
“We took the Senate bill, so you don’t have to go back and forth,” he said.
Tahoe advocacy has always been a bipartisan undertaking. The annual Lake Tahoe Summit, a tradition that began in 1997, traditionally features speeches from lawmakers of both parties and both states.
Tahoe advocates testified on behalf of the bill in front of a House subcommittee earlier in September. They noted that the federal funding is a critical piece of the conservation program, which has undertaken more than 830 projects since its formation in 1997.
“In the thick of election season, the successful bipartisan effort to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act is something the whole country can celebrate,” Darcie Goodman Collins, the CEO of League to Save Lake Tahoe, said in a statement. “In every conversation we have with lawmakers, we hear nothing but commitment to protect this national treasure.”
Around the Capitol
🇺🇦From Las Vegas to Kyiv — Cortez Masto led all five Democrats in the Nevada delegation in a letter urging the Biden administration to loosen restrictions on how Ukraine can use U.S.-made weapons.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked President Joe Biden this week for the ability to use U.S.-made long-range missiles to strike targets deep into Russia — a request that has divided Ukraine allies. Several members of Congress and administration figures, including the Nevadans now, have urged Biden to relent, hoping it can bring a speedier end to the war.
⚡Lee-backed geothermal bill passes House — A bill to expedite the development of geothermal energy co-sponsored by Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) passed the House by voice vote Wednesday. The bill creates a categorical exclusion to the environmental review process for permitting of geothermal wells in areas where drilling has already occurred or been approved in the past five years.
💰$$$ to ABTC — American Battery Technology Company (ABTC), a Reno company that manufactures and recycles lithium ion batteries, is receiving $150 million from the Department of Energy as part of the Biden administration’s effort to supercharge the domestic lithium battery supply chain. ABTC has been the beneficiary of several federal grants and programs, including claiming $60 million in tax credits from the Democrats’ signature clean-energy law to build its battery recycling facilities. This grant will go toward building a second battery recycling facility.
What I’m Reading
The Washington Post: Harris pushes to recapture Latino support that fell under Biden
The Biden 2020 number she’s chasing in Nevada: +26.
The Nevada Independent: Horsford moves to censure Louisiana Republican over racist post
It got heated on the House floor this week.
NPR: Q&A: Nevada Sen. Cortez Masto on teaming up with VP Harris as attorneys general
On a potential Cabinet position in a Harris administration: “I’m a third generation Nevadan, and my goal is to stay there and continue to represent the people of my state.”
Notable and Quotable
“If you can connect with everybody there as a swing state, you’re going to be on your way to making that connection across the country.”
— Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), to NPR, on why making sure a candidate plays in Nevada is so important
Vote of the Week
H.R. 9747 — On Passage: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025
The government is temporarily funded — and all Nevadans are in support.
AMODEI: Yes
HORSFORD: Yes
LEE: Yes
TITUS: Yes
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