HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210713_ClimateMayors_LetterToCongress
July 13, 2021
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
H-204, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
S-221, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
S-230, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader
McConnell:
Cities across the United States are hubs of leadership, innovation, and resilience. Throughout this past
year, we have been at the forefront addressing the unprecedented pandemic, associated economic
downturn, racial equity, and climate change. Cities big and small are where nearly 83 percent of
Americans live. As members of Climate Mayors, we are committed to working with you on an equitable
and sustainable recovery that centers the needs of the most disadvantaged communities, creates good
jobs, and builds stronger communities, today.
The climate and equity crises we face are interrelated and have been compounded by Covid-19, and
therefore must be addressed through collaborative, holistic thinking and bold, innovative ideas. We are
committed to rebuilding stronger and better, to mitigate structural inequities, to tackle an increasingly
destabilizing climate, and to build opportunities for Americans to thrive and reach their full potential.
These goals require targeted investments in American cities to build out our nation’s sustainable
infrastructure, to create well-paying “high road” jobs, and to support a resilient, clean energy future.
We can address climate change, create economic opportunity, and confront injustice all at once through
the American Jobs Plan. Cities are ready to meet this moment and build an economy that is inclusive,
robust, and sustainable. In any infrastructure and economic recovery package we urge you to:
1. Prioritize and expand programs where funds flow directly to cities from the federal government.
2. Prioritize local government-led processes for federal funds that flow to the states to improve
inclusivity and accountability.
3. Ensure that federal programs and funding prioritize disadvantaged communities and allow
sufficient administrative and implementation flexibility to meet local needs.
4. Ensure that federal spending is accompanied by workforce standards that prioritize job quality
and equitable access to well-paying high road careers.
Cities face specific challenges unique to their socio-geographical areas, and therefore require flexible
funding - direct grants, block grants, etc. - that allow cities to address their distinct challenges efficiently
and innovatively, while remaining accountable to grant requirements. We urge investments in the
programs listed in the appendix. These programs are critical, smart investments to create good jobs and
build thriving, equitable, sustainable communities.
Respectfully,
Mayor Sylvester Turner Mayor Satya-Rhodes Conway Mayor Kate Gallego
Houston, TX Madison, WI Phoenix, AZ
Climate Mayors Chair Climate Mayors Co-Chair Climate Mayors Co-Chair
Mayor Tim Keller Mayor Steve Adler Mayor Michael Cahill
Albuquerque, NM Austin, TX Beverly, MA
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor James Brainard Mayor Mary Casillas Salas Mayor Stephen Benjamin
Carmel, IN Chula Vista, CA Columbia, SC
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor Eric Johnson Mayor Michael Hancock Mayor James Hovland
Dallas, TX Denver, CO Edina, MN
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor Lucy Vinis Mayor Lioneld Jordan Mayor Eric Garcetti
Eugene, OR Fayetteville, AR Los Angeles, CA
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor Greg Fischer Mayor Jacob Frey Mayor LaToya Cantrell
Louisville, KY Minneapolis, MN New Orleans, LA
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor Bill de Blasio Mayor Buddy Dyer Mayor Bill Peduto
New York City, NY Orlando, FL Pittsburgh, PA
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor Melvin Carter Mayor Ron Nirenberg Mayor Jane Castor
Saint Paul, MN San Antonio, TX Tampa, FL
Steering Committee Steering Committee Steering Committee
Mayor Regina Romero
Tucson, AZ
Steering Committee
Mayor Kathy Sheehan Mayor Justin Wilson Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson
Albany, NY Alexandria, VA Anchorage, AK
Mayor Christopher Taylor Mayor Nancy Kaboolian Mayor Esther Manheimer
Ann Arbor, MI Ardsley, NY Asheville, NC
Mayor Torre Mayor Brandon Scott Mayor Lacey Beaty
Aspen, CO Baltimore, MD Beaverton, OR
Mayor Jesse Arreguin Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith Mayor Lauren McLean
Berkeley, CA Blacksburg, VA Boise, ID
Mayor Kim Janey Mayor Sam Weaver Mayor Steven B. Grant
Boston, MA Boulder, CO Boynton Beach, FL
Mayor Cyndy Andrus Mayor Eric Mamula Mayor Joseph P. Ganim
Bozeman, MT Breckenridge, CO Bridgeport, CT
Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz Mayor Pam Hemminger Mayor John J. Tecklenburg
Burnsville, MN Chapel Hill, NC Charleston, SC
Mayor Vi Lyles Mayor Nikuyah Walker Mayor Tim Kelly
Charlotte, NC Charlottesville, VA Chattanooga, TN
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Mayor John Cranley Mayor Charlene Lovett
Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Claremont, NH
Mayor Patrick Wojahn Mayor Andrew Ginther Mayor Ellen R. Tillapaugh
College Park, MD Columbus OH Cooperstown, NY
Mayor Vince Lago Mayor Brian Tobin Mayor John C. Moore
Coral Gables, FL Cortland, NY Cotati, CA
Mayor Vincent Rossillo Mayor Robert Carrier Mayor Emily Larson
Dobbs Ferry, NY Dover, NH Duluth, MN
Mayor Joe Schember Mayor Daniel Biss Mayor David Tarter
Erie, PA Evanston, IL Falls Church, VA
Mayor Melanie Piana Mayor Paul Deasy Mayor Jeni Arndt
Ferndale, MI Flagstaff, AZ Fort Collins, CO
Mayor Tom Henry Mayor Lily Mei Mayor Lauren Poe
Fort Wayne, IN Fremont, CA Gainesville, FL
Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken Mayor Laura Weinberg Mayor Paula Perotte
Gloucester, MA Golden, CO Goleta, CA
Mayor Rosalyn Bliss Mayor Eric Genrich Mayor Colin Byrd
Grand Rapids, MI Green Bay, WI Greenbelt, MD
Mayor Joy Cooper Mayor Luke Bronin Mayor Nicola Armacost
Hallandale Beach, FL Hartford, CT Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Mayor Mitch Roth Mayor Barbara Halliday Mayor Patrick Taylor
Hawai’i County, HI Hayward, CA Highlands, NC
Mayor Bill McLeod Mayor Richard Blangiardi Mayor Serge Dedina
Hoffman Estates, IL Honolulu, HI Imperial Beach, CA
Mayor Joe Hogsett Mayor Svante Myrick Mayor Derek Kawakami
Indianapolis, IN Ithaca, NY Kauai, HI
Mayor Steven T. Noble Mayor Indya Kincannon Mayor Andy Schor
Kingston, NY Knoxville, TN Lansing, MI
Mayor Ken Miyagishima Mayor Craig Moe Mayor Theodore W. Becker
Las Cruces, NM Laurel, MD Lewes, DE
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird Mayor Robert Garcia Mayor Joyce Craig
Lincoln, NE Long Beach, CA Manchester NH
Mayor Larry Wallace, Jr. Mayor Mike Victorino Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Manor, TX Maui County, HI Medford, MA
Mayor Dan Gelber Mayor Gurdip Brar Mayor Ben Florsheim
Miami Beach, FL Middleton, WI Middletown, CT
Mayor Mark Gamba Mayor Wayne Messam Mayor Arlene Burns
Milwaukie, OR Miramar, FL Mosier, OR
Mayor Jennifer Gregerson Mayor Jim Donchess Mayor Donna Holaday
Mukilteo, WA Nashua, NH Newburyport, MA
Mayor Francis M. Womack III Mayor David J. Narkewicz Mayor Libby Schaff
North Brunswick, NJ Northampton, MA Oakland, CA
Mayor Cheryl Selby Mayor Grover Robinson IV Mayor Jim Kenney
Olympia, WA Pensacola, FL Philadelphia, PA
Mayor Ted Wheeler Mayor Jorge O. Elorza Mayor Tom Butt
Portland, OR Providence, RI Richmond, CA
Mayor Mike Fournier Mayor Darrell Steinberg Mayor Erin Mendenhall
Royal Oak, MI Sacramento, CA Salt Lake City, UT
Mayor Todd Gloria Mayor London Breed Mayor Sam Liccardo
San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA
Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter Mayor Heidi Harmon Mayor Kate Colin
San Leandro, CA San Luis Obispo, CA San Rafael, CA
Mayor Donna Meyers Mayor Sue Himmelrich Mayor Van R. Johnson, II
Santa Cruz, CA Santa Monica, CA Savannah, GA
Mayor Jenny Durkan Mayor Michael J. Gonnelli Mayor George Van Dusen
Seattle, WA Secaucus, NJ Skokie, IL
Mayor Joe Curtatone Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Mayor Rick Kriseman
Somerville, MA St. Louis, MO St. Petersburg, FL
Mayor Michael Taylor Mayor Thomas Fromm Mayor Kate Stewart
Sterling Heights, MI Swedesboro, NJ Takoma Park, MD
Mayor DeLanie Young Mayor Corey Woods Mayor Muriel Bowser
Telluride, CO Tempe, AZ Washington, DC
Mayor Jimmy Dutra Mayor Lindsey Horvath Mayor Keith James
Watsonville, CA West Hollywood, CA West Palm Beach, FL
Mayor Thomas M. Roach
White Plains, NY
APPENDIX OF RECOMMENDED
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
Below is a non-exhaustive list of federal programs and programmatic reforms that are critical to
addressing climate change, ensuring opportunities for all of our residents and growing our economies.
These programs uniquely address the mitigation, adaptation and equity needs of local governments,
and how local governments support and partner with their communities. They are necessary to meet
local and national climate targets. There are other programs, such as individual incentives, tax credits,
or research and development programs, that are critical and that we support but do not address below.
Note, this list is in alignment with a letter sent by a broad coalition of environmental, environmental
justice, faith, health and other groups representing community needs across the U.S. on February 22,
2021. We follow their leadership and echo their requests for support.
BUILDINGS, HOUSING & ENERGY
Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant. Increase funding for the Energy Efficiency
Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program to at least $3.5 billion per year and broaden the scope
and definitions within EECBG to allow funding for: community-based project development and
implementation; water efficiency, as well as energy efficiency, in building retrofit programs;
decarbonization of transit modes and buildings through electrification; seed money for finance
programs; training and support services related to jobs; an oversight mechanism that ensures rapid and
equitable distribution of funds; and the incorporation of labor and community standards for projects.
Expand DOE Weatherization Assistance Program. Expand and provide additional funding to the
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) over a 5-year period to allow ramp up to at least $7 billion
annually. Include moderate-income families hard hit by the pandemic by expanding eligibility to 250%
of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and increase the per-home-cap from $7,000 to $15,000 to allow for
HV/AC system updates with efficient electric technologies like heat pumps. Provide flexibility to
program administrators in meeting requirements by allowing compliance with metrics that illustrate
reduced energy burden, improved resident health and safety, and increased energy resilience; these
equity metrics should be facilitated by the federal government so cities and states operate on the same
assumptions. Compliances can be achieved by ensuring that up to 25% of funds are used for health and
safety. As for workforce, include job quality and labor standard requirements, and do not require
citizenship certification to protect personal information.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP), which assists families with energy costs related to energy bills and weatherization
and energy-related home minor repairs. Provide at least $5.1 billion for FY22 to continue to assist with
recovery from the lingering economic repercussions of the pandemic for LIHEAP households
Clean Energy & Sustainability Accelerator. Establish a new organization or agency with at least
$100 billion over five years to invest in clean energy, infrastructure, clean technology manufacturing,
and resilient communities, with a focus on underserved communities. In creating a Clean Energy &
Sustainability Accelerator (CESA), or Green Bank, CESA is expected to support state and local clean
energy projects by: allocating funds to existing green banks across the country while helping cities
create their own; assisting with projects that cross state borders; creating financial products for certified
Small & Disadvantaged Businesses (DBE/SBES) to compete and perform on energy, building, and
infrastructure projects; and providing technical assistance to local banks in developing underwriting
criteria that incentivizes diversity and inclusion in the workforce and supply chain. CESA must ensure
labor standards and domestic content requirements.
State Energy Program. Provide $3.6 billion per year in additional funding through DOE’s State Energy
Program (SEP) to incorporate social equity outcomes in state planning, conduct community outreach and
planning engagement, and provide technical assistance to environmental justice communities. 40% of
funding should go to disadvantaged communities, and those communities should be involved in
determining how to spend the funding. Funding should be dedicated to increase staff capacity at state
public utility commissions to work on climate and clean energy regulation. Alongside increased staff,
SEP should strengthen the requirement that funds be spent on activities that reduce emissions, reduce
energy burden, or electrify direct fuel use. Transportation electrification should also be made an eligible
spending category. Eliminate the $1M cap on revolving loan funds and expand their authority to finance
all sectors, and include a 1% economic inclusion project fee to support local assistance agencies with
outreach and training. Require that cities have a consulting role in developing their states’ SEP plan.
Public Housing. Increase funding for the Public Housing Operating Fund to at least $70 billion and the
National Housing Trust Fund to at least $20 billion, with a carveout for energy efficient and climate-
resilient public housing.
Anti-Displacement Funding. Set aside at least $5 billion per year to assist tenants and maintain local
control of assets by supporting small landlords and minority owned business owners in targeted
neighborhoods
Low-Income Clean Energy. Provide additional financing and grants through DOE for installation of
rooftop and community solar, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, electric panel upgrades, and
electric appliance replacements and HUD’s Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation
Demonstration and Weatherization Innovation Pilot Programs.
School Retrofits. Provide sufficient funding to retrofit all K-12 public schools to make them healthy,
highly efficient, and all electric. Prioritize repairs key to the health and safety of students and staff.
Provide additional funding to simultaneously remediate environmental hazards, such as lead pipes,
lead paint, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in light ballasts. Install solar and geothermal or air
source heating and cooling, when and as appropriate and cost effective. Install bidirectional electric
vehicle charging infrastructure for teacher, staff, guest, and school bus parking spaces. Expand
opportunities to develop green schoolyards and school gardens. Expand partnership for
apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.
Smart Grid Investment Grants. Reinstate DOE’s Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) Program to
drive investments in distribution systems and grid-integrated buildings, prioritizing investments that
improve resiliency and flexibility, especially in underserved and vulnerable communities.
Transmission Assistance. Increase funding to DOE to provide technical assistance to state and regional
entities to identify, site, and ultimately approve transmission projects that are in the public interest.
Industrial Decarbonization. Support state and local governments in pursuing industrial decarbonization
strategies designed for local circumstances, such as through a state block grant program for the expansion
of industrial efficiency retrofits.
COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS
Community Development. Provide full funding in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) at a
minimum of $30 billion annually, including disaster recovery and mitigation subcomponents, and at least
$2 billion for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) fund to support equitable and
climate-resilient community development and investments in public health and social services to support
communities in transition, environmental justice communities, and frontline communities. Grantees
under the recommended ‘Green Community Development Block Grant’ should be required to design
projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local pollution, lower energy bills through energy
efficiency improvements, protect public health and safety, and address resilience through community-
driven planning that prevents displacement. Funding should also be allocated towards training for the
jobs that arise from CDBG projects.
EJ Small Grants. Increase funding for EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grant (EJSG) Program to at
least $6 billion, increase the grant size to up to $500,000, and increase the grant period from one to two
years.
Grants to Disadvantaged Communities. Reduce disparities for frontline communities affected by
climate change by increasing funding for EPA’s Multipurpose Grants to States and Tribes, the
Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, and Community Action for a Renewed
Environment Grant Program.
Coal Community Investment. Provide at least $4 billion over 10 years for community revitalization
and economic development in coal-impacted communities through expanding the Appalachian
Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative, Economic Development Administration’s Assistance to
Coal Communities program, Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, and
relevant programs at the USDA, EPA, DOE, SBA, and other agencies. This should include specific
funding dedicated to increased staffing for these programs and requirements for measuring the impacts
of investments.
Invest in Community-level contracting. Allocate a percentage of federal funds (0.5% of major
infrastructure funding) to establish agency-level community contracting offices responsible for
expanding 49 CFR Part 26 of the Code of Federal regulations beyond Department of Transportation to
all federally funded projects, and to fund and support cities to establish community contractor
accelerator initiatives that help small contractors with public procurement, acquire and use state-of-art
materials and technologies, prompt payments; to become socially responsible and signatory
contractors; and to otherwise to effectively compete for federal dollars. Investing in small businesses’
capacity to compete for public sector (federal, city and state) grants and contracts is critical for
reducing income and wealth disparities, and expanding the city’s tax base. They are the first source
hiring halls for entry-level and diverse workers.
TRANSPORTATION
Performance Management Measures. Measure multimodal access to jobs and essential services to
prioritize selection of projects that improve the ability of community residents to access jobs, affordable
homes, essential services, schools, and green space. Measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from
transportation and use the information to prioritize projects that reduce transportation GHG emissions.
Measure vehicle miles traveled and use the information to prioritize projects that reduce driving, because
electrifying the vehicle fleet is not enough by itself to meet GHG reduction targets. Measure safety
(number of deaths and serious injuries) consistent with a Vision Zero approach to recognize that deaths of
people walking have increased by 45 percent in the last decade. Incorporate accountability for making
progress in performance on these measures for agencies that receive federal funding.
Transit and Rail Investment. Increase transit funding to at least equal to the level of highway
funding. Provide at least $25 billion for Capital Investment Grants, $30 billion for Amtrak, and $30
billion for rail grants over five years. A $20 billion annual operating support program should also be
created to incentivize more and more frequent and expanded service, particularly for communities
of color and low-income communities, and to support workforce training.
Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program. Extend the two-year limit on the project development phase
of FTA’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program. Make the CIG local match requirements comparable,
if not lower, than those required for highway projects. Reduce federal oversight requirements where the
CIG contribution is below 50% or where the project sponsor has successfully implemented one or more
CIG projects of similar complexity in the past five years. Consider ADA access components as eligible
expenses in Core Capacity projects. Prioritize projects in disadvantaged communities and require
documented coordination between the project sponsor and local housing authorities.
Competitive Funding and Financing Programs. Give priority or other incentives (such as
increased federal share) to low-carbon and climate-related transportation projects in competitive or
discretionary programs such as REACH, TIFIA, and RRIF.
Complete Streets and Transportation Alternatives. Increase funding for Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) programs that directly support local investments in safety, walking, and
biking, including at least $8.5 billion over five years for the Transportation Alternatives Program.
Amend the Transportation Alternatives Program to remove transferability to other highway
programs except CMAQ, and increase the federal share for projects to 90 percent during COVID
recovery.
Federal-Aid Highway Programs. Provide direct aid to cities and enable local control over project
selection, design, and development. Create a federal direct-aid program for cities focused on
investments in safety, state-of-good-repair, transit, multimodal, walking, cycling, and resilience,
with funding distributed to cities through a new opt-in program for cities to enter into a direct
recipient relationship with FHWA, as well as by requiring state DOTs to sub-allocate a portion of
CMAQ, HSIP, and Surface Transportation Block Grant (STGBP) funds to cities. Enable local
control over project selection, design, and development by explicitly granting default design
authority to cities, provided they are using an approved design guide, and extending to cities any
flexibilities that states receive with regard to project delivery. Create an appeal process for cities to
request a review of a state's decision from FHWA, allow cities to formally object or prevent states
from spending any sub-allocated funds on projects they oppose within their borders, and require
states to provide cities with technical assistance to manage federal funds and grants.
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program. Provide at least $50 billion over five years to
spur integrated community infrastructure investment, deliver local environmental and economic
development benefits, and expand affordable and clean options for transit between communities.
Climate-Transportation Grants. Include in next reauthorization bill at a minimum: $8.35 billion
over five years for a new apportionment program to support carbon pollution reduction; $6.25
billion over five years for a new apportionment program to support resilience and make it a core
part of the Federal-aid highway program; and $250 million per year for Community Climate
Innovation Grants.
Inclusive Planning Processes. Provide additional funding for community outreach, long range
planning, and project development to speed project delivery under appropriate conditions and to
ensure that development does not burden disadvantaged communities and that their voices are heard
in the process.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Provide grants and tax incentives to build out charging for
plug-in electric vehicles in cities, along national corridors, in key communities and ports. Bills
including the Clean Corridors Act or the EV Freedom Act and Moving Forward Act support the
installation of charging infrastructure along highways. Increase deployment of electric vehicle
charging infrastructure in low-income communities and communities of color.
Zero-Emission Transit Buses. Increase grant funding (such as through the Low and No Emissions
Vehicles Program, which should be at least $2.5 billion per year) sufficiently to make all transit
buses zero-emission, and offer incentives to purchase all-electric fleets. Eliminate natural gas
eligibility to maximize electrification.
Zero-Emission School Buses. Increase grant funding sufficiently to make all school buses zero-
emission. Fund Purchases of Electric School Buses: Create and fund a Clean School Bus Grant
Program within the Department of Energy to subsidize the cost of electric school buses built in
North America. Provide at least $20 billion over five years to the Clean School Bus Grant Program.
Zero-Emission Trucks and Ports. Provide grants to cut emissions from ports and medium- and heavy-
duty trucks through diesel emission reduction grant programs, port electrification grant programs, freight
electrification grant programs, and tax incentives, excise tax breaks, and/or vouchers modeled on state
programs for zero-emission trucks, including funding for hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks and fueling
infrastructure. Support the electrification of the nation’s freight and logistics sector through a five-year
$500 million, annual competitive grant program. Support ground-side and air-side adoption of zero- and
low-emission vehicles at airports by providing $500 million a year for five years for both the VALE
Program, and the Airport ZEV and Infrastructure Pilot Program.
RESILIENCE
Climate Planning. Establish a National Climate Adaptation Program that provides grants, finance
capacity, and skilled technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments to finance and insure
projects identified through hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plans, prioritizing low-income
communities and communities of color that are disproportionately affected by climate impacts.
Community Resilience: Establish a new long-term climate adaptation funding program (through grants,
financing, and/or a revolving loan fund). Fund and direct FEMA’s Mitigation Framework Leadership
Group (MitFLG) to develop and maintain an accessible inventory of resources for st ate and local
governments for climate resilience training and education. Increase funding for the CDC’s Climate-Ready
States and Cities Initiative (CRSCI) and Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) programs.
Create a new federal grant program for the development of local resilience hubs supported by local public
services.
Pre-Disaster Mitigation. Provide at least $4 billion as a direct appropriation to supplement the Building
Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) 6% set aside in the Stafford Act and prioritize
investments in disadvantaged communities. Increase funding for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP) to supplement the sliding scale set aside in the Stafford Act.
Wildfire Resilience. At least $200 million for the National Fire Capacity Program through states to
support community development and implementation of wildfire defense plans.
Flood Mitigation. H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act (Sec. 60005), which passed the House last year,
provided $1 billion for flood mitigation. At least $500 million per year for flood mapping. Prioritize
investments in disadvantaged communities. We support inclusion of this section in the infrastructure
legislation.
Water Supply. H.R. 2 provides $1 billion to municipalities for watershed, wet weather, and resiliency
projects (Sec. 22104) and $3.5 billion for western water infrastructure and drought resiliency measures
(Sec. 81201-81252). We support inclusion of this section in infrastructure legislation.
Transportation Resilience. H.R. 2 (Sec. 1201-1202) provided $6.25 billion for resilience projects
identified by Metropolitan Planning Organizations and expanded Surface Transportation Block Grant
(STBG) program eligibility. Sec. 14017 of the S.2302, America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of
2019, which passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in 2019, provided $4.9 billion
for PROTECT grants to states, and Sec. 1106 provided guidance. We support inclusion of these provisions
in infrastructure legislation.
Public Health Resilience. Increase funding for the Health and Human Services (HHS)’ Hospital
Preparedness Program to support hospitals and other critical health facilities to prepare emergency plans
that address increasing climate-related risks, including provisions to ensure reliable power and water
supplies during disasters. Increase funding to HHS Public Health Service's Ready Reserve Corps to
enhance capacity for the public sector. Expand eligibility and increase funding to the CDC’s Public Health
Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement to provide state and local public health departments
with the resources to help hospitals and health care facilities increase capacities and capabilities to
confront climate threats.
Resilience Training and Emergency Networks. Provide caregivers and other de facto first responders
with additional training and certification. Provide grants to support the pre-disaster development of
response networks by increasing funding for the CDC Climate Ready Cities and States Initiative using the
Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework.
WORKFORCE
Labor Standards. Provide additional funding for clean energy projects built with high-road labor
standards. Provide additional funding for clean energy projects built with domestic content standards.
Job quality standards include family-sustaining wages (i.e., prevailing wages for construction
occupations, wage floors for other occupations), employer-provided benefits, career pathways, and safe
and healthy working conditions. Job quality should also address certification requirements for relevant
jobs, including apprenticeship standards for apprenticeable occupations. Federal programs should have
job access (i.e., hiring) targets for low-income households, historically marginalized people and
communities, i.e., BIPOC, women, at-risk youth, and those with barriers to employment. Provide at least
$500 million to help cities formalize community workforce agreements (CWAs) between government,
labor, and community stakeholders, including support for CWA capacity building (training & T.A.),
facilitated convenings, negotiations and collaborative oversight for such agreements, as well as support
for aligning the workforce ecosystem around high road standards.
Workforce Development in Low-Income Communities. At least double the current funding available
to promote high-quality, family-sustaining, environment- or infrastructure-related jobs in communities
that need them the most through programs such as FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Training
Program, the Brownfields Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants Program,
Energy Training Partnership Grant Program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Science
(NIEHS) Environmental Career Worker Training). Energy training programs should include climate,
equity, and mobility jobs as an eligible work area.
Conservation Service Corps. Support at least 500,000 workers over the next five years for one of several
proposals to create a Climate Corps, reinstate the Civilian Conservation Corps, or invest in existing
conservation service corps and other stewardship organizations. This program should fund work on
climate resilience and natural infrastructure, and include urban resilience and conservation efforts such as
community gardens and tree planting to address urban heat islands, among other projects. This program
should also ensure partnerships with unions and with quality workforce training programs, such as pre-
apprenticeship pathways into registered apprenticeship programs and other union training programs as
well as community colleges and non-profit organizations. It should also include strong protections against
private and public sector job displacement. This new program should center equity at its core and ensure
greater opportunity and career pathways for women and people of color.
LAND USE
Agricultural Adaptation Staffing, Outreach, and Technical Assistance. Provide mandatory funding
for state Climate Hubs and the Long Term Agricultural Research (LTAR) network. Significantly expand
and make mandatory the Conservation Technical Assistance Program. Increase funding for technical
assistance within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Farm Service Agency,
National Organic Program (NOP), and other USDA agencies, with a focus on guidance on practices
benefiting long-term climate adaptation and mitigation. Invest in new farmer training on climate-smart
agriculture practices through increasing funding for the Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach
(FOTO) Program and includes training on climate-smart agriculture and the 2501 Outreach and
Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program.
Other Agriculture Programs: Double the funding for Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
(ACEP). Double the funding for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Double the
funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and add carbon sequestration and
emissions reductions as a purpose of the program; carbon sequestration and emissions reduction
should also be added as evaluation criteria for proposals. Additionally, RCPP should prioritize
partnerships that include traditionally underserved and climate-vulnerable communities.
Local Parks Investment in Underserved Communities. Fund local parks to provide equitable access to
nature and recreation, reduce the urban heat island effect, protect at-risk jobs, spur local economic
development, and improve outdoor recreation infrastructure, while addressing historic inequities in park
access, and support an emergency investment of $500 million for local parks in underserved
communities.
Secure Rural Schools Program. Alter the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program to provide sufficient
funding to SRS counties while decoupling county payments from unpredictable and highly volatile timber
receipts that are a perverse incentive for unsustainable and environmentally damaging timber harvests.
Pollution Remediation. At a minimum, increase annual funding for Superfund clean-up to $20 billion,
Superfund Emergency Response and Removal to $840 million, Brownfield Redevelopment to $2 billion,
and for the CARE Program to $100 million. Local impacts of climate change must be included in
Superfund site planning and remediation.
Equity Research. Provide adequate funding for national laboratories or the EPA to develop and maintain
a public-facing, community-specific impact modeling tool and an Environmental Justice Screening Tool
for regulatory use.
Orphan Well Clean Up. Establish an orphan well cleanup fund to plug and reclaim dangerous and
polluting abandoned oil and gas wells. Federal bonding, idle well, and idle well transfer reform should
also be included either through administrative action, separate legislation or paired legislation to ensure
the program is not an industry bailout and addresses both the existing population of orphan wells and the
drivers of potential future orphan wells.
WATER
Clean Water. Build on the $90 billion for the protection of and improved access to clean water in H.R. 2,
which included $40 billion for wastewater, $25 billion for drinking water, $22.5 billion for lead service
line replacement, and $500 million a year for PFAS clean up, by adding the following: $22.5 billion (for a
total of $45 billion) for replacing all lead service lines and a $100 billion infusion into the Clean Water
and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, with at least a 20% set-aside as grants for disadvantaged
communities and at least a 20% set aside for green infrastructure. Set aside a portion of the expanded
Drinking Water SRF funds to benchmark state and local infrastructure restoration through water loss
auditing and reporting, including funds for training. Authorize EPA to establish and maintain a national
clearinghouse and on-line database of major water main breaks from all large public water systems,
including data on the size, type and age of broken mains. Direct an additional $10.5 billion for the Small
& Disadvantaged Communities program, Alaska Native Villages and Rural Communities Water Grant
program, US-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure program, Sewer Overflow Grant program, and the
Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. Also, permanently extend the Buy America provision
for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (see Sec. 22110 and Sec. 33104 of H.R. 2).
Federal Water Assistance Program. Establish a Federal Water Assistance Program, similar to the Low-
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), to support water assistance and affordability for
low-income families.
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About Climate Mayors
Representing over 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a peer-to-peer network of 476
U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the
network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris
Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current
climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. For more information,
please visit WWW.CLIMATEMAYORS.ORG.