Joelle Martinez, president and CEO of the Latino Leadership Institute (LLI), was the keynote speaker at ProGreen EXPO 2023. She confessed to loving data and statistics for their ability to measure – well, most anything. Martinez opened by reminding the audience of a key outcome of the U.S. 2022 census – the U.S. is a nation of minorities. While that may not be surprising for some, she stated that Latinos, as a proportion of the nation’s population is expected to rise from its current nearly 20% to about 30% within less than 30 years. 

Colorado landscape trade association launches water conservation initiative for HOAs

Large water users use less water through Sustainable Landscape Community initiative

Last month’s Earth Day was a reminder for people to put into practice ways to take care of mother earth.

It is in this spirit of sustainability that Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado has recently launched the Sustainable Landscape Community (SLC) initiative, which incentivizes large water users (including master-planned and homeowner association communities) to use less water.

Why should a landscaping group spearhead a water conservation program? First, an understanding of meteorological conditions in Colorado and the Western United States is needed. Colorado is often referred to as “the headwaters state” because eight major river basins originate in the state, including the Platte, Arkansas, and Colorado Rivers, as well as the Rio Grande. Yet Colorado’s ongoing, more than 20-year drought has put increasing strain on both local and national water supplies.

 All hands-on deck are needed in D.C.

We are having some very strong momentum in Washington, D.C. It is very important that we have more people join us for the Fly-In June 13-14. 

It has just been announced that a RWE provision with a three year look back has been put in the base text of the FY 24 DHS appropriations bill (see more information below). This was not an easy feat with Republican controlled Judiciary Committee members objecting to authorizing language on appropriations. We must continue to work on those folks to keep them at bay as this moves through the process in the house. On Thursday the bill will be approved by the subcommittee and we don’t expect much activity at this point but the full committee markup in June will be the key markup. The bill will then need to move through the House floor and then onto the Senate. 

This means that we need all hands-on deck in D.C. to help push this with our Colorado representatives. It is important to act now as hotel rooms are very limited. Register today! Once registered please email [email protected] to let me know you are attending and who your representative is based on your home address. If you are unsure of who your representative is check here. 

June 13 – 14, 2023 – H-2B
Viceroy Washington DC
1430 Rhode Island Ave, NW
Room Rate - $289

Book Your Room Now

The schedule for both events will be the same Tuesday/Wednesday format:

•    Arrive Tuesday afternoon/evening.  NALP will host a happy hour to network with other advocates. Dinner on your own, NALP can assist with grouping attendees together.
•    Wednesday morning, we will hold our briefing on Capitol Hill where breakfast will be served, and some elected officials will be invited.
•    Following the briefing, meetings will be scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and attendees can fly out on Tuesday evening.

 This is a free event, there is no registration fee. This is the model NALP has used with H-2B the past two years and have found it is more effective when we can time the event to best leverage your time with the legislative calendar, while also remaining efficient with your time and limiting your stay in D.C.

Please book your room, as soon as possible and email Karla Segundo and provide your:
•    Name
•    Company Name
•    Address of Office(s) need exact address(s)

•    Phone number 
 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Homeland Security Funding Bill Fails to Provide Critical Border Management Resources

Legislation squanders billions of dollars on useless border measures while disregarding the threats presented by terrorists, transnational criminals, and violent extremists.

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released their draft 2024 Homeland Security funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The bill covers agencies, offices, and programs in the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

For 2024, the bill provides $62.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security and an additional $20.3 billion for major disaster response and recovery. The legislation:

1. Provides a false sense of national security, by spending billions on outdated and expensive border wall, leaving our ports of entry and interior Border Patrol checkpoints vulnerable to trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.

2. Cuts necessary funding to manage the border safely and securely, putting our DHS workforce and our border communities at risk.
3. Fails to protect our communities from violent extremists, underfunding programs that enhance regional preparedness and response capabilities, making our communities less secure.
4. Leaves Americans vulnerable to cyberattacks and foreign adversary influence through inadequate cybersecurity and infrastructure investments.
5. Leaves Americans vulnerable to the growing number and increasing severity of natural disasters by failing to deliver needed resources to mitigate the loss of life and property, combat climate change, and support climate resilience.
6. Undermines the Transportation Security Administration workforce through unfairly implementing the TSA pay restructuring and committed to in the last Congress.
 

“Our duty is to help ensure our country’s domestic security. I certainly support investing in border security technology, employee care and suicide prevention programs, and Homeland Security Investigations. However, this bill offers a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem, instead of providing our frontline officers and agents the resources they need,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. “This bill also misses opportunities to address the fentanyl and opioid crisis, provide investments in checkpoints and ports of entry, and leaves our border communities without support. Until we look at real solutions to address the problems we’re currently facing, I cannot support this bill. I look forward to working with Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member DeLauro, and Subcommittee Chairman Joyce to produce a bi-partisan bill that meets our country’s needs.”

“This Homeland Security funding bill is just another sham bill that would crumble if we learned the full scope of the proposed cuts House Republicans will make in other bills. Aside from being built on a house of cards, this bill squanders billions of dollars on useless border measures, while disregarding the threats presented by terrorists, transnational criminals, and violent extremists,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “Instead of focusing resources where we need them most, like combatting fentanyl entering through our ports of entry, this bill funds ineffective border security strategies like Trump’s border wall. House Republicans are making irresponsible investments that will weaken our national security and abandon our values.”

A summary of the draft 2024 Homeland Security bill is below. The text of the draft bill is here. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked on the House Committee on Appropriations website.

The 2024 funding bill:

7. Eliminates critical funding for CBP’s border management requirements, $2.4 billion below 2023 levels, and fails to fund a third Joint Processing Center. 
8. Guts funding for climate-change, climate-resiliency, and facilities transformation initiatives by over $748 million.
9. Wastes over $3.7 billion on ineffective border security and immigration policies, while failing to address the ongoing fentanyl and opioid crisis and doing nothing to address the growing requirements at our ports of entry and interior Border Patrol checkpoints.
10. Reverses our commitments to the TSA workforce cutting funding for workforce pay and collective bargaining initiatives by over $437 million from the request.
11. Cuts requested funding to combat terrorism, extremism, and cybersecurity attacks by over $232 million.
12. Slashes funding for humanitarian programs by over $786 million, including family reunification efforts, immigration detention oversight, and refugee processing.
13. Reduces funding for diversity and inclusion efforts by over $12.5 million.
 

Policy Provisions

Provisions Targeting Underserved, Underrepresented, or Vulnerable populations:

1. Section 222 prohibits the use of funds to provide necessary health care services for women.
2. Eliminates a provision that protects potential sponsors of unaccompanied children from being deported. 
3. Section 223 prohibits the use of funds to provide necessary health care services for transgender persons.
4. Section 545 prohibits the use of funds for Executive Orders related to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
 

Restrictions that Weaken Our Defenses and Resiliency

5. Section 540 limits the Department’s ability to counter disinformation campaigns, including from foreign adversaries who seek to undermine our democratic elections.
6. Section 543 limits CISA’s ability to counter mis-, dis-, or mal-information efforts by domestic extremists and other adversaries who seek to cause harm to our critical infrastructure and our communities.