Congress faces the potential of a partial government shutdown
Congressional progress on a package of appropriations bills needed to fund certain government agencies through the rest of fiscal year 2026—including funding for Perkins career and technical education state grants, a top NRCA priority—has stalled because of recent controversial actions taken by Department of Homeland Security agents in Minnesota. The package includes six spending bills approved with varying degrees of bipartisan support by the House during the week of Jan. 19 and must be approved by the Senate by Jan. 30, the date government funding runs out for certain federal agencies.
Lawmakers in both chambers thought a deal on the package was struck after the House passed it Jan. 22. However, in the aftermath of a second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis Jan. 24, Senate Democrats are revolting against funding one of the agencies in the package—DHS. Although the DHS funding bill within the broader package contains new reforms that limit the actions of federal immigration agents—which were negotiated before the Jan. 24 shooting—Senate Democrats are now demanding further safeguards. The proposals include changes such as requiring federal agents to abide by standard warrant procedures and barring agents from wearing masks. Other changes could include requiring federal agents to obtain permission and coordination with local law enforcement before conducting any operations, as well as putting agents involved in shootings on administrative leave for an independent investigation.
The situation is fluid, and it is unclear how the impasse will be resolved before the Jan. 30 deadline. White House officials are actively engaged in negotiations among senators from both parties to find a compromise solution or short-term extension before the deadline. It is important to note any shutdown of government operations that results from this situation will only be partial because Congress did approve full-year funding for six other federal agencies earlier this month.
Perkins CTE state grants receive level funding
Also included in the appropriations package is legislation to fund the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and related agencies, which includes funding for Perkins CTE state grants that are critical to the roofing industry’s workforce development needs. In the final version passed by the House Jan. 22, the bill includes $1.43 billion for Perkins CTE grants, which is level funding from the previous year’s amount. Although NRCA is disappointed there is not an increase in funding for this critical program we have advocated for, we are pleased the funding level has not been reduced as it has for some other federal programs. The fact that funding for Perkins CTE state grants has not been cut is a testament to the strong bipartisan support this program has within Congress because of our advocacy efforts during recent years. NRCA will continue working to sustain Perkins CTE state grants as Congress will be entering a new appropriations cycle during the coming months.
Immigration reform gains momentum in Congress
As NRCA continues advocating for the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), legislation to reform our broken immigration system, Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) announced the legislation is gaining momentum and now has 35 bipartisan co-sponsors—a significant amount in the current polarized environment. Among other reforms, the bill authored by Salazar and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) would reform the current asylum system and allow long-term undocumented immigrants to transition to lawful permanent resident status. Specifically, the Dignity Program established by the bill would provide the opportunity for individuals with Temporary Protected Status, those eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and qualifying undocumented persons in the U.S. since Dec. 31, 2020, to earn lawful status through work experience, military service or higher education. It also would provide new resources for expanded workforce training for U.S. workers and is fully funded by restitution payments and application fees made by participants, therefore using no taxpayer funding.
Additionally, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Morgan Luttrell (D-Texas) have announced they will hold a bipartisan meeting Feb. 4 with other lawmakers and interested stakeholders to discuss how Congress can move forward regarding immigration reform during the coming months. Luttrell and Suozzi are both members of the House Committee on Homeland Security and have been working with their colleagues to find bipartisan common ground on an immigration package that could be enacted into law this year. NRCA will participate in the Feb. 4 meeting.
NRCA signs Main Street Employers Coalition letter on Corporate Transparency Act
The NRCA joined more than 100 other trade associations urging the Department of Treasury to take immediate action to protect small-business owners, including NRCA members, from unnecessary privacy and cybersecurity risks stemming from the Corporate Transparency Act. Specifically, the letter calls on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to purge the Corporate Transparency Act’s database of beneficial ownership information submitted by domestic entities that are no longer required to file.
The Corporate Transparency Act was originally passed by Congress as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 to crack down on the illicit activities of shell companies. NRCA has long opposed the law because it would require small-business owners—who pose no risk to national security—to provide sensitive private data to the federal government under the guise of combatting illicit finance. Thankfully, in spring 2025, the administration took the important step of narrowing the Corporate Transparency Act’s scope to apply to foreign entities only. Before the Treasury corrected course, about 16 million domestic entities had complied with the act’s reporting requirements, leading to the call for the government to purge existing sensitive information.
The letter asks the Treasury Department to quickly finalize this interim rule formally exempting U.S. businesses from the reporting requirement. This is particularly important given recent activity in the courts, where 12 federal cases currently are challenging the validity of the Corporate Transparency Act. However, the constitutional questions surrounding the law are far from settled.
Registration for Roofing Day in D.C. 2026 is open!
Join your friends and colleagues April 14-15 for the largest advocacy event dedicated solely to the roofing industry. Each year during Roofing Day in D.C., roofing professionals meet with members of Congress and their staffs on Capitol Hill to discuss major issues of importance to the roofing industry. Our priority issues this year will focus on solutions to workforce shortages and addressing the U.S.’ affordable housing crisis. All you need to do is register!
During the event, expert speakers and panelists will inform and inspire you to help you prepare for your meetings on Capitol Hill. As always, attendees will have ample opportunity to network and connect with fellow professionals, and we encourage you to bring key employees to the event.
To view our draft itinerary, book your hotel and register, please visit www.nrca.net/roofingday.
Thank you for supporting ROOFPAC at the 2026 International Roofing Expo®
NRCA partnered with National Women in Roofing to host “An Evening in Las Vegas” during the International Roofing Expo, which was held Jan. 20-22. More than 180 attendees enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres and a live auction at Zouk Nightclub. NRCA also held its silent auction where participants won fantastic luxury items. We are thankful to all bidders and attendees for their tremendous support for ROOFPAC during these events, which helped raise crucial funds to amplify NRCA’s advocacy on Capitol Hill. A special thanks to the many generous sponsors who helped underwrite the costs of these events so these funds can directly benefit ROOFPAC—your voice of the industry in Washington, D.C. If you did not get a chance to support ROOFPAC during these events in Las Vegas, you can still visit www.nrca.net/advocacy/roofpac to learn more and contribute to our efforts.
