FY26 Appropriations Update
Good Reads: FEMA sued over staffing and readiness | Louisiana rolls out Year of Outdoors' campaign | Frederick County, MD unveils plan to guide tourism future
Shortly before noon, the Senate blocked consideration of a six-bill appropriations package on a vote of 45-55. Eight Republicans joined with Democrats voting down the bill. Opposition to the funding bill, was primarily focused on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically restrictions on immigration enforcement and the restructuring of FEMA. This is considered must pass legislation as the short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government runs until midnight January 30. With the House out of session until Monday evening, it is likely that there will be a brief, partial government shutdown.
The good news is that President Trump has signed into law H.R. 6938, the “Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026,” which means that many of the federal programs tourism communities rely on will not be impacted by a shutdown.
The Commerce Department will continue to collect economic data, the National Parks, National Forests, and National Wildlife Refuges will remain open, and National Heritage Areas will receive their funding.
The approval of the funding bill also provided some important wins for tourism. Congress rejected the massive funding cuts called for in the President’s budget request and National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife will operate with largely level funding.
The bill does have important provisions for public lands including:
Senate champions did not succeed in including mandated staffing levels, which means that even though the funds have been allocated for staffing that is nearly at the December 2024, the administration is not required to restore staffing.
LWCF land acquisition lists are mandated and provided with significant detail required. There is significant oversight language ensuring LWCF funds will be spent as Congress intended.
All National Heritage Areas receive funding and the funding level for each is locked into law.
Funding for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices was specified in the bill rather than the report. This funding and exact language in the bill also commits funds slighting above the usual 10% distributed to THPOs.
The provision in the Senate bill requiring 45-day written notice of a reorganization/RIF was removed and moved to the bill report, which is non-binding.
All of that means that we can expect in the year ahead to be working to blunt mass RIFs of public lands employees and maintain critical staffing levels, and block efforts to sell off to give to the states national park sites. In addition, we will also be working to expand key national parks and designate new National Heritage Areas.
Senate Democrats and the White House are currently negotiating a resolution to the funding standoff. A likely solution is to pull DHS out of funding package and approve a short term continuing resolution to allow ongoing negotiations and approve the remaining five appropriations bills.
The good news with this proposal is that funding for the Transportation-Housing-Urban Development (THUD) and Labor-HHS-Education sections have broad approval and the $10 million for the National Scenic Byway Program and Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) America 250 funds are likely to be approved. We won’t know for certain until it’s all over. Stay tuned!
Good Reads
New York Times: Unions Sue Over FEMA Workforce Cuts They Say Threaten Readiness
KTAL/KMSS: ‘Year of Outdoors’ campaign highlights Louisiana’s natural beauty
Frederick News-Post: Plan seeks to guide future of tourism in Frederick County