After nearly two years of speeches, interviews, town halls, primaries and caucuses, Americans of all stripes will soon participate in our grand democratic tradition and cast their votes for President, Congress, and various local candidates and referenda. For many Americans, the days remaining before we head to the polls must seem like an eternity and can’t come soon enough. But, for the NRPA Public Policy Team, this is our Super Bowl which – in the case of electing a President – only occurs once every four years.  

The following is an “Election Primer” that provides a rundown of what to look out for, and a quick note about what’s at stake for park and recreation agencies, on November 8th. 

NRPA’s public policy and legislative agenda could be shaped in myriad ways depending on the outcome of the 2016 election. Here’s a quick guide to the races we’re looking at.

Presidential Election

The candidates running for President, Donald J. Trump (R), Hillary Clinton (D), Jill Stein (G), and Gary Johnson (L), have each put forth plans describing how they would govern the nation as our 45th President. While these platforms outline their views on various issues including immigration, healthcare, the environment, conservation, the economy, and national security, it’s important to remember that the President can’t pass laws or make policy alone. For those of you who remember Schoolhouse Rock, it takes the support of both chambers of Congress and the President to approve and sign a bill into law. Our newly-elected President will be tasked with forging ties with a notoriously divided Congress to shepherd the American economy along and improve quality of life for all Americans.   

We encourage you to look up each candidate’s stated platforms on important parks and recreation priorities, including conservation, the public recreation economy, energy, and sustainable and livable communities among others. It shouldn’t be a surprise to see that each candidate has very different views on how best to address these issues, at least at the national level.   

Next, let’s move on to Capitol Hill, where bills are introduced and, occasionally, approved before moving on to the President’s desk to be signed into law.    
 

U.S. House of Representatives

The entire 435-member House of Representatives is up for election every two years. Currently, the House is dominated by Republicans, who hold a whopping 246 – 186 seat majority over the Democrats. With just 218 votes needed to pass a bill in the House, Republicans have the ability to pass any bill without relying on the votes of Democrats. The party in the majority also controls the agenda at the committee level – where legislation is proposed, debated, and amended prior to going to the full House for a vote. Therefore, we’re keeping a close eye on who is likely to lead several key committees that have jurisdiction over NRPA’s legislative priorities. Those committees include: 

• Education and Workforce Committee (K-12 and higher education, Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization, and the Fair Labor Standards Act regulations)
• Natural Resources Committee (conservation policy, including LWCF)
• Ways & Means Committee (tax reform, the PHIT Act, healthcare, and Social Security)
• Appropriations Committee (annual federal spending oversight,  and emergency/natural disaster aid)

Regardless of which party is in control, there are always new members, from both parties, who are named to these committees and we eagerly await the opportunity to get to know these “freshmen” and get them up to speed on NRPA’s priorities. In fact, nearly 50 House members are already confirmed as leaving office, so a minimum of 1 out of every 10 Representatives are guaranteed to be new faces starting in 2017. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently identifies just 25 out of the 435 House seats up for grabs next Tuesday as “toss-up” races, meaning they are competitive and either party has a good chance of winning.  

Current predictions by respected organizations, like the University of Virginia Center for Politics, show House Democrats gaining anywhere from 10 – 15 seats; however, this falls well short of the 30 seats they need to gain control of the chamber. 

 In the end, most political observers expect gains in seats by the Democrats, and a much smaller governing majority for Republicans in the House during the next Congress.

 

U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate is where things are much more interesting; with the race for control of the chamber very much in play. Currently, the Republicans hold a 54-46 vote majority. The Democratic ranks include one “independent” who typically votes with them. 

Approximately one-third of the 100 Senate seats are up for election every two years. There are 34 seats up in 2016, of which 24 are currently held by Republicans. Therefore, Democrats need to gain at least 4 seats to have a chance of taking control.  

Most political watchers are focusing their attention on 11 races which will decide whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge of the Senate in 2017. Of these competitive seats between five and seven are shaping up as true “toss ups”. Six are currently held by Republicans.                   

Current political wisdom is calling for a gain of between 4 and 6 seats by the Democrats. If correct, the control of the chamber will switch and the leadership of key committees will change, including: 

• Energy & Natural Resources 
• Finance (similar to Ways & Means in House, in charge of tax and health care policy) 
• Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP)
• Appropriations

Just like in the House, we’re closely following how any changes in Senate membership, let alone the overall majority, may impact key legislative efforts. We do want to highlight that regardless of which party ultimately controls the Senate, the majority will likely be so small (example 51-49) that bipartisan cooperation will be required to pass just about any legislative initiative.       

 

The “Lame Duck” Congress 

No matter how the election turns out, the current Congress will be returning in mid-November to complete their legislative work for the year. This is referred to as a “Lame Duck” session as there will be dozens of Members who will not be returning in 2017, but who are still obligated to serve their constituencies until the end of the year.   

During this period, Congress will resolve critical issues like the final spending packages for key federal programs (ex. LWCF and environmental education). Lame Duck also presents a final opportunity to pass some long sought after policy initiatives such as the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR), PHIT Act, as well as a making the LWCF permanent.   

We ask that you be on the lookout for advocacy alerts and calls to action on these, and other important legislative priorities. Also, please take the few minutes to contact your elected leaders and ensure your voices are being heard on these issues.

The Public Policy Team is already looking ahead to the major shifts among to key decision-makers on the Hill, as well as those being discussed as potential players in the next Presidential Administration, depending on the results of Tuesday’s election. We’ll be sharing this information via social media, in a special edition of the Advocacy Insider, and an educational webinar. 

Most important, we remind and urge you to exercise your right and vote on November 8th! Whether it’s voting on who you think our next President should be, or something a little “closer-to-home” such as local park and recreation bond initiatives, make sure your voices are heard!