Metro mulls changes to transportation lobbying strategy amid expected Trump ‘chaos’

Every year, members of the Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT), an august group that includes mayors, commissioners, and top agency leaders, fly to Washington D.C. for a federal lobbying trip. The idea is to meet-and-greet members of Congress and show a united front of support for key project funding priorities.

But in an unprecedented political climate, the group is pondering something new: staying home.

Speaking about the incoming Donald Trump Administration at a JPACT meeting this week, Metro Federal Affairs Advisor Betsy Emery said, “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and a lot of potential for — the word that’s coming to mind is — chaos.” Emery told JPACT members Metro’s federal lobbying contractor, Summit Strategies, has advised them to avoid DC this year. That advice, Emery said, “Is coming from their belief that we need to spend a period [of time] to see how things shake out.”

Emery made it clear that the Republican trifecta of control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, means Trump, his supporters and appointees, will lead decisions at the Capitol for at least the next two years prior to midterm elections. She cautioned that Trump enjoys, “broad alignment across the GOP to enact his policy priorities,” and that, “there are going to be limited opportunities for transportation conversations in DC this year.”

Summit Strategies has also told Metro that if they did show up to Capitol Hill, they might not even be able to secure meetings with high level staff of transportation committees and the US Department of Transportation. This is due in part because of, “potential directives not to meet with organizations like ours,” Emery shared. “I think we need to recognize that we are in a blue state that is led by a female, queer governor,” she continued. “We are a sanctuary state. There are many different reasons in which I think there could be directives for folks in DC to not be meeting with us.”

Also working against robust transportation conversations are the fact that Portland elected two new lawmakers — Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter — to the House of Representatives. “It’s important to recognize these new members of Congress don’t necessarily have very deep history working on transportation issues, and they’re going to need a lot of orientation and exposure to the work that we’re facing,” Emery said. Compare reps Bynum and Dexter to outgoing Oregon congressmen Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer, both of whom had decades of time on the Hill and yielded considered influence on transportation policy.

The decision to cancel a large group trip to DC this year isn’t final and some JPACT members shared disagreement about the tactic. While they understood concerns about the political climate (and the amount of organizational work the trip takes from Metro staff, another key consideration), some JPACT members like Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said the value of building relationships and showing up might still be worth it. Wilson, attending his first meeting as JPACT member since being elected mayor, said he plans to be in DC this May as an executive board member of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association.

“I was really excited to match the JPACT trip and the U.S. High Speed Rail Conference at the same time. So that’s a missed opportunity,” Wilson said. “Our intel on the appointee for US DOT Secretary [Sean] Duffy is that he’s reasonable and approachable — and that’s essentially what we need. If you don’t have a seat at the table, it means you’re on the menu,” Wilson continued. “So I say we go and we still continue to advocate, and we get in line and we and we talk as loud as we can with with our new congressional delegates to say ‘We’re here. We need help, and we’re ready to go.'”

ODOT Region 1 Director Rian Windsheimer said he’s concerned Oregon would lose an important opportunity for relationship building if they stayed home. “The purpose of the trip is to show the region is united, that we are communicating with the administration… And I see the value in establishing the relationship before you show up with the ask.”

Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai also spoke to the value of showing up in DC no matter who’s in office. “Back when I was a lobbyist, you didn’t really have a choice who you get to lobby — regardless of their party. If you’re one party, you still have to meet with the other. So I think there is a value. I don’t know how we reconcile that, but I think we should err on the safe side of the need to build that relationship.”

Instead of flying 40-plus Oregonians to DC, other options might be going with more targeted, smaller groups, or inviting top officials to Portland. There’s also talk of using the upcoming MPACT (formerly RailVolution) Conference that will be held in Portland this fall as a lobbying opportunity.

At the end of Thursday’s discussion, JPACT Chair and Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez said he fully expects the Trump Administration to, “target our region and our values and our leadership.” “Part of me doesn’t want to, you know, cower away from that and not show up, but I also recognize there’s a need to make a strategic decision.”

No final decision was made on Thursday and JPACT will continue to discuss how to best peddle influence with the Trump Administration.