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Federal advocates brief Clackamas County on earmarks, Bull Run Bridge and forest funding
Summary
A federal affairs consultant updated the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners on work in Washington, D.C., including earmark requests, outreach to two new members of Congress, Secure Rural Schools funding and a priority to repair the failing Bull Run Bridge.
Mark Dedrick, a federal affairs consultant with Summit Strategies, gave the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners an update on federal advocacy and the status of the county's congressional priorities on April 15.
Dedrick said the shift to a new Congress and fresh executive-branch actions have created an unusually busy environment in Washington. “It’s always a little bit chaotic at the very beginning,” he told the board, describing the time staff and lobbyists spend sorting what new directives mean for local projects.
Dedrick said Summit Strategies has been introducing Clackamas County priorities to the county’s two new U.S. House members, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter and Congresswoman Val Hoyle Bynum. He listed three congressionally directed spending requests the county is pursuing: a $2.5 million addiction-resources request that had appeared in last year’s Senate package, a transit park-and-ride project near Mount Hood, and a water-infrastructure project intended to support additional housing production. He also said county staff and the firm are pressing Secure Rural Schools (SRS) issues tied to timber management on federal lands and seeking support from both new and long-serving members of the delegation.
County commissioners pressed Dedrick on specific local priorities. Commissioner West raised the Bull Run Bridge, which he described as “a 2 out of 100” condition and said a failure would isolate residents and cut off access to vital services. Dedrick said the new congresswoman toured rural parts of the district and staff have talked with her office; he and county staff will continue to pursue federal funding opportunities. Commissioner Savas noted the state may step in with bridge funding because of the project’s priority status.
Commissioner Schroeder asked about the Willamette Falls/landings heritage-area designation; Dedrick said outreach to the delegation is beginning but advocacy in Washington has not fully launched. Schroeder also raised the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization; Dedrick said he would look into where that sits in a busy congressional schedule.
Commissioners asked about federal funding for health, housing and behavioral-health programs. Dedrick said outcomes will depend in part on pending reconciliation work in Congress and FY2026 appropriations, and cautioned that top-line allocations for the next fiscal year may be lower than FY2025 baseline levels. He said there will still be winners and losers in any given appropriations year and that Summit Strategies will press the county’s priorities.
Commissioner West and others asked whether federal policy is shifting from Housing First toward recovery-focused programs; Dedrick said he’s tracking that conversation and will advise county staff to position the county to take advantage of any policy shifts.
The briefing was informational. Dedrick and county staff said they will continue outreach to new members of Congress and keep the board apprised of opportunities to travel to Washington for advocacy.
