DC Download: Congress approves another decade of Tahoe funding

And just like that, Congress is out of session again and the elections are less than 40 days away.

Sorry for the Carrie Bradshaw-ism, but the government is now funded until December and all you have to do is see who wins. There will likely be a number of legislative efforts in the lame-duck session, but the Nevada delegation scored a major, bipartisan victory this week with the passage of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act. Since this is a Nevada-related topic, let’s get straight to the Nevada Angle.

Let’s get into it.

The Nevada Angle

A bill that would keep federal funds flowing to Lake Tahoe for another decade is now awaiting the president’s signature after successfully passing both chambers.

The Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act, introduced in March 2023 by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and co-sponsored by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Senators from California, is the third iteration of the original Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2000.

This bill, sponsored by the late Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Harry Reid (D-NV), established a $300 million fund for restoration projects around the lake, including removal of invasive species, new hiking trails, and conservation efforts Resilience to forest fires. Crucially, as approved programs, these projects do not have to go through the annual appropriations process and are not subject to the whims of partisan scrutiny or budget priorities. The funding is already in place – approval simply allows these funds to be used further.

In 2016, under the leadership of then-Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), a reauthorization passed and appropriated $415 million. This reauthorization was scheduled to expire on September 30th.

The 2024 reauthorization does not include any new money — there is nearly $300 million left in the fund — but does extend the time for spending by another 10 years.

The bill was passed unanimously by the Senate in July and by a voice vote in the House on Tuesday.

“I am proud of our bipartisan work in providing 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 lead Team Tahoe and fight for the resources the basin needs to thrive.”

In the House of Representatives, the bill was supported by all four Nevada residents 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 already-passed Senate version of the bill to avoid any administrative delays.

“We passed the Senate bill so you don’t have to go back and forth,” he said.

Tahoe advocacy has always been a bipartisan effort. The annual Lake Tahoe Summit, a tradition that began in 1997, traditionally includes speeches from lawmakers from both parties and both states.

Tahoe advocates testified on behalf of the bill before a House subcommittee in early September. They noted that federal funding is a critical component of the conservation program, which has implemented more than 830 projects since its founding in 1997.

“In the midst of election season, the entire country can celebrate the successful bipartisan effort to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act,” League to Save Lake Tahoe CEO Darcie Goodman Collins said in a statement. “In every conversation we have with lawmakers, all we hear is a commitment to protecting this national treasure.”

Around the Capitol

🇺🇦From Las Vegas to Kyiv – Cortez Masto led all five Democrats in the Nevada delegation in a letter calling on the Biden administration to ease restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-made weapons.

President Volodymyr Zelensky asked President Joe Biden this week for the ability to use U.S.-made long-range missiles to attack targets deep inside Russia – a request that has divided Ukraine’s allies. Several members of Congress and government officials, including now Nevadans, have called on Biden to concede in the hope that it will end the war more quickly.

⚡The geothermal energy bill sponsored by Lee passes the House of Representatives — A bill to accelerate geothermal energy development co-sponsored by Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) passed by voice vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill creates a categorical exclusion from the environmental review process for permitting geothermal wells in areas where drilling has already been conducted or permitted within the last five years.

💰$$$ to ABTC — American Battery Technology Company (ABTC), a Reno company that manufactures and recycles lithium-ion batteries, will receive $150 million from the Department of Energy as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to advance the domestic lithium battery supply chain. ABTC has been the beneficiary of several federal grants and programs, including taking advantage of $60 million in tax credits from the Clean Energy Act signed by Democrats to build its battery recycling facilities. This grant will be used to build a second battery recycling facility.

What I read

The Washington Post: Harris is pushing to regain Latino support lost under Biden

The Biden 2020 number she’s tracking in Nevada: +26.

The Nevada Independent: Horsford wants to reprimand the Louisiana Republican for racist posts

This week it was heated on the floor of the house.

NPR: Q&A: Nevada Senator Cortez Masto on working with Vice President Harris as Attorney General

On a possible Cabinet position in a Harris administration: “I am a third-generation Nevadan, and my goal is to stay there and continue to represent the people of my state.”

Remarkable and quotable

“If you can connect with everyone there as a swing state, you’re well on your way to making that connection across the country.”

– Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), to NPR, explains why it’s so important to make sure a candidate plays in Nevada

Vote of the week

H.R. 9747 — For enactment: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025

The government will be temporarily funded – and supported by all Nevadans.

AMODI: Yes

HORSFORD: Yes

LEE: Yes

TITUS: Yes