Yearly, members of the Metro’s Joint Coverage Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT), an august group that features mayors, commissioners, and high company leaders, fly to Washington D.C. for a federal lobbying journey. The concept is to meet-and-greet members of Congress and present a united entrance of assist for key challenge funding priorities.
However in an unprecedented political local weather, the group is pondering one thing new: staying house.
Talking concerning the incoming Donald Trump Administration at a JPACT assembly this week, Metro Federal Affairs Advisor Betsy Emery mentioned, “There’s quite a lot of uncertainty, and quite a lot of potential for — the phrase that’s coming to thoughts is — chaos.” Emery instructed JPACT members Metro’s federal lobbying contractor, Summit Methods, has suggested them to keep away from DC this yr. That recommendation, Emery mentioned, “Is coming from their perception that we have to spend a interval [of time] to see how issues shake out.”
“I believe we have to acknowledge that we’re in a blue state that’s led by a feminine, queer governor. We’re a sanctuary state. There are various completely different causes wherein I believe there may very well be directives for folk in DC to not be assembly with us.”
– Betsy Emery, Metro federal affairs advisory
Emery made it clear that the Republican trifecta of management of the White Home, Senate and Home of Representatives, means Trump, his supporters and appointees, will lead choices on the Capitol for no less than the following two years previous to midterm elections. She cautioned that Trump enjoys, “broad alignment throughout the GOP to enact his coverage priorities,” and that, “there are going to be restricted alternatives for transportation conversations in DC this yr.”
Summit Methods has additionally instructed Metro that in the event that they did present as much as Capitol Hill, they may not even have the ability to safe conferences with excessive degree workers of transportation committees and the US Division of Transportation. That is due partially due to, “potential directives to not meet with organizations like ours,” Emery shared. “I believe we have to acknowledge that we’re in a blue state that’s led by a feminine, queer governor,” she continued. “We’re a sanctuary state. There are various completely different causes wherein I believe there may very well be directives for folk in DC to not be assembly with us.”
Additionally working in opposition to strong transportation conversations are the truth that Portland elected two new lawmakers — Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter — to the Home of Representatives. “It’s necessary to acknowledge these new members of Congress don’t essentially have very deep historical past engaged on transportation points, they usually’re going to want quite a lot of orientation and publicity to the work that we’re dealing with,” Emery mentioned. Evaluate reps Bynum and Dexter to outgoing Oregon congressmen Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer, each of whom had many years of time on the Hill and yielded thought of affect on transportation coverage.
The choice to cancel a big group journey to DC this yr isn’t last and a few JPACT members shared disagreement concerning the tactic. Whereas they understood considerations concerning the political local weather (and the quantity of organizational work the journey takes from Metro workers, one other key consideration), some JPACT members like Portland Mayor Keith Wilson mentioned the worth of constructing relationships and displaying up may nonetheless be price it. Wilson, attending his first assembly as JPACT member since being elected mayor, mentioned he plans to be in DC this Might as an government board member of the U.S. Excessive Pace Rail Affiliation.
“In the event you don’t have a seat on the desk, it means you’re on the menu. So I say we go and we nonetheless proceed to advocate.”
– Keith Wilson, mayor of Portland
“I used to be actually excited to match the JPACT journey and the U.S. Excessive Pace Rail Convention on the identical time. In order that’s a missed alternative,” Wilson mentioned. “Our intel on the appointee for US DOT Secretary [Sean] Duffy is that he’s cheap and approachable — and that’s primarily what we’d like. In the event you don’t have a seat on the desk, it means you’re on the menu,” Wilson continued. “So I say we go and we nonetheless proceed to advocate, and we get in line and we and we speak as loud as we are able to with with our new congressional delegates to say ‘We’re right here. We’d like assist, and we’re able to go.’”
ODOT Area 1 Director Rian Windsheimer mentioned he’s involved Oregon would lose an necessary alternative for relationship constructing in the event that they stayed house. “The aim of the journey is to point out the area is united, that we’re speaking with the administration… And I see the worth in establishing the connection earlier than you present up with the ask.”
Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai additionally spoke to the worth of displaying up in DC regardless of who’s in workplace. “Again after I was a lobbyist, you didn’t actually have a selection who you get to foyer — no matter their get together. In the event you’re one get together, you continue to have to satisfy with the opposite. So I believe there’s a worth. I don’t know the way we reconcile that, however I believe we should always err on the protected aspect of the necessity to construct that relationship.”
As an alternative of flying 40-plus Oregonians to DC, different choices is likely to be going with extra focused, smaller teams, or inviting high officers to Portland. There’s additionally speak of utilizing the upcoming MPACT (previously RailVolution) Convention that will probably be held in Portland this fall as a lobbying alternative.
On the finish of Thursday’s dialogue, JPACT Chair and Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez mentioned he totally expects the Trump Administration to, “goal our area and our values and our management.” “A part of me doesn’t wish to, you understand, cower away from that and never present up, however I additionally acknowledge there’s a have to make a strategic determination.”
No last determination was made on Thursday and JPACT will proceed to debate greatest peddle affect with the Trump Administration.
