NRPA Advocacy Insider -- November Edition

November 2012
The Election Outcome by the Numbers

President Barack Obama gained 303 electoral votes to win re-election over Governor Mitt Romney, capping the most expensive U.S. presidential election on record--roughly $2 billion on the presidential race and about $6 billion total.

It Looks and Sounds Like a Member of Congress but It's a Lame Duck

The term of each Congress is two years and is comprised of two sessions. We are currently in the 2nd session of the 112th Congress. According to the Constitution, the 112th Congress is authorized to function until 12pm on January 3, 2013, when the new Congress will be sworn in. In practice, however, this Congress will likely adjourn on or before December 31, 2012.

Spending Bills Outlook in the Lame Duck Session

Last week Congress reconvened for the lame duck session. With only a few legislative days remaining in the lame duck sessions it promises to be filled with a lot of activity.

Sequestration and the Fiscal Cliff

The most pressing issue facing Congress during the lame duck session is finding a way to avert the fiscal cliff which economist predict will inevitably occur if the sequestration goes into effect and the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire. Economists have stated that combination of the sequestration and the expiration of the tax cuts would send us over the fiscal cliff and into a recession.

Introduction of the Community Parks Revitalization Act

In September Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) introduced the Community Parks Revitalization Act (CPR), S. 3583. This legislation would establish an updated version of the Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery (UPARR) program, which provided over 1500 grants in more than 300 localities from 1979 to 2002. The Community Parks Revitalization Act looks to build upon UPARR and extend eligibility to more cities and metropolitan areas to better enable them to invest in the kinds of parks, recreation facilities and programs that lead to healthier and more economically competitive communities.

The Ferguson Group contributed to the content of this issue of Advocacy Insider

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