Capitol Contours - Winter 2025

I’m John “JB” Byrd, the registered lobbyist for the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), and President of Miller/Wenhold Government Affairs based in Fairfax City, Virginia. 

Welcome to another edition of Capitol Contours with JB. 

A few highlights since our last update include: 

On October 1, the Federal Government entered into a shutdown following the lack of funding legislation being moved by Congress and enacted into law by the Administration. On November 12, President Trump signed legislation (H.R. 5371) to re-open the Federal government through January 30, 2026. The package also funds military construction, veterans’ affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch through the remainder of fiscal 2026, which ends on September 30, 2026. It would also reverse any layoffs of government employees that occurred during the long shutdown and prevent any more federal workforce layoffs though the Jan. 30 stopgap end date. 

In September, NSPS Federal Lobbyist John "JB" Byrd attended the National

Telecommunication and Information Administration's (NTIA) 2025 Spectrum Policy Symposium in Washington, DC where he met with NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth. Byrd and Roth discussed the critical work that NTIA is doing to help and promote NOAA as part of national spectrum policy. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) on Oct. 3 that removes long-standing race- and sex-based presumptions in the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Instead, all applicants must now provide individualized proof of social and economic disadvantage. The rules do NOT affect small business set asides or goals. 

In October, the U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Ned Mamula of Pennsylvania to be the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) by a vote of 51-47 and Dr. Neil Jacobs of North Carolina to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by the same 51-47 vote. In addition, on Sept. 18, Andrea Travnicek was confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of Interior. Travnicek previously served as Director of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources under then-Gov. Doug Burgum, now the Secretary of the Interior. This position traditionally includes service as chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). 

In October, Dr. Kevin Rhodes received Senate confirmation to lead the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), a move that designates him as the first permanent leader of that agency in six years. Dr. Rhodes, of Florida, has been acting as a senior adviser to OFPP's parent agency, the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President, since February with the responsibility of leading the Trump administration's push to restructure federal procurement. NSPS Federal Lobbyist John "JB" Byrd met with Dr. Rhodes earlier this year, and has been requested to make another visit as part of the ongoing efforts to revamp of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) which will likely impact how federal agencies implement the Brooks Act and Qualifications Based Selection (QBS), contracting out policy, and other ways for federal agencies to run more efficiently and yet better provide value for the taxpayer. 

In October, the NSPS Government Affairs Committee met during the society's Fall Business Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the session, NSPS Federal Lobbyist John "JB" Byrd provided highlights from the Government Affairs Update with numerous advances on key NSPS legislative priorities. Committee members discussed issues such as licensing, workforce development in a proposed pilot program for the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) in the Defense Department, survey mark preservation and funding for NOAA's Digital Coast, USGS 3DEP, as well as FEMA's NFIP. NSPS Director from Pennsylvania Mike Given attended. 

In October, as an original sponsor of the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018, and current Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) requested updates on the establishment of a GPS backup technology from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), "The need for complementary GPS services remains as pressing as ever..." and to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, "We remain committed to ensuring the United States has a reliable backup to GPS. Accordingly, by November 17, 2025, please provide a written status update on DOT's efforts to implement a GPS alternative as required by the National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018." NSPS will provide updates when responses from the FCC and USDOT are made available. 

On November 19, U.S. Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) introduced a resolution officially designating November 19, 2025 as National Geographic Information System (GIS) Day. As GIS users around the world showcase their work, the resolution encourages GIS users to continue innovating and utilizing GIS as a tool to help drive economic growth and foster a more informed and connected world. NSPS President Linda Foster of South Dakota was quoted in support of the resolution as part of the Congressional News Release, “On behalf of the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), I applaud Representatives Aguilar and Obernolte for introducing the GIS Day resolution. As partners and stewards of the critical geospatial infrastructure that underpins our country, the land surveying and GIS communities continue to respond to natural disasters, manage land and resources, and advance our nation’s infrastructure for the benefit of society. GIS Day is more than a celebration – it’s a recognition of essential work that ensures our communities thrive.” 

As Congress continues its work, NSPS will provide updates as part of Capitol Contours with JB. 

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