Congressman Denny Rehberg

BILLINGS, MT – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, was praised this week for his efforts in Missoula to create jobs and advance the local and statewide economy through foreign trade efforts. He also heard concerns from the Montana Food Bank Network, which has seen increased demand amid economic struggles around the state.

“While the consequences of the economic struggles in Missoula are easy to see, it’s encouraging to know that there are hard working people eager to role up their sleeves and fight to create the markets that will create the jobs that will pull us out of this hole,” said Rehberg. “In Missoula, I saw both sides of that coin, and I’ll always fight to do whatever I can to help.”

“Denny’s long-standing support and promotion of international trade is key for Montana’s continued economic success,” said Webb Brown, the President and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce. “We will continue to work with him on Taking Montana to the World. Montana has a terrific opportunity to improve our economy by aggressively pursuing international trade. Functions like this trade luncheon can show Montana business the way.”

“At a time when the economy is hurting, people really start to seek out the critical needs of their communities,” said Peggy Grimes, the Executive Director of the Montana Food Bank Network. “We’ve seen a 61 percent increase in visits to emergency food programs in the last year alone, but the community has really circled the wagons, and the generosity of Montanans has been amazing. Denny’s visit meant a lot to all of us. I really think we had a productive visit, both to discuss pending federal legislation and to demonstrate the expansion to our facility that he was so instrumental in supporting. Denny was able to see the exciting work we’re doing here in Missoula and across Montana first hand.”

Offers further insight into public concerns with healthcare

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius following her visit to Montana to discuss the health care legislation that was signed into law earlier this year. Polls at the time of passage indicated that Montanans strongly opposed the measure, and recent reports indicate that time has not improved the bill’s popularity. Rehberg has sponsored legislation to repeal the bill.

“I wish the authors of Obamacare had taken the time to listen to Montanans before they passed it instead of after, but I’m glad that they’re finally willing to hear what the folks I’ve been hearing from for years have to say,” said Rehberg, a member of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee. “Americans still need health care reform that addresses costs and access, and unfortunately, the bill that passed addresses neither for rural states like Montana. At this point, the easiest solution is to start from scratch.”

Rehberg, who was the only member of Montana’s delegation to hold open, public meetings in Montana as the health care reform law was drafted and passed, cited the public sentiment he heard at those meetings as the justification for his vote. That negative public sentiment was also reflected in statewide polls, that indicated strong opposition to the bill.

“Unfortunately, the unpopularity of Obamacare is only a symptom of the serious deficiencies in the bill itself,” said Rehberg. “Far from fixing the problems we face, this job-killing bill makes things worse by hamstringing the economy and targeting small businesses for increased regulation and expenses.”

Letter:

Dear Secretary Sebelius,

Thank you for taking the time to visit Big Sky Country and discuss the health care needs of rural Montana. While it certainly would have been preferable for you to discuss the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with Montanans before it was actually passed into law, I’m pleased you got a chance to talk to folks in a couple of communities.

As I’m sure you heard during your visit, quality health care is particularly challenging in a state like Montana where less than one million people are spread over 147,000 square miles. Having held 72 open and public listening sessions in Montana this Congressional term alone, I would like to share with you some of the rural health concerns I’ve heard from around the state.

As with most of the country, Montana’s economy is driven by small businesses which provide more than 98 percent of the jobs in our state. I have heard from a wide variety of small business owners who have expressed concern about the new obligations contained in the PPACA. Whether it’s the mandate to offer health insurance, new taxes on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs), increased insurance premiums, or the requirement that all vendors are responsible for additional IRS paperwork for purchases of $600 or greater, many businesses have stopped hiring or are being forced to reduce their workforce to comply with these new obligations. In short, these burdensome obligations impact job creation.

I have also heard from many of Montana’s seniors and their doctors with concerns about Medicare. Not only does the PPACA cut $575 billion from Medicare, the new law does nothing to deal with the most pressing issue facing Medicare today – the need for a permanent fix to the reimbursement rate cuts for doctors providing service to Medicare patients. Many doctors have told me that if these cuts go into effect they will no longer be able to afford to offer services to their Medicare patients. In a state where some patients must travel for hours to reach their doctor, it may be impossible to find an alternative provider.

Additionally, I have heard concerns about the cost of the new high risk pool program. We discussed this when you testified before the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee earlier this year. While I agree that changes are necessary to address the health insurance needs of those with pre-existing conditions, current estimates indicate this temporary program is going to cost up to three times the original estimate of $5 billion. It’s unclear how you intend to pay for this shortfall. Furthermore, because this estimate was so inaccurate I have serious concerns as to the accuracy of the cost estimates of permanent programs.

Many of my constituents are also opposed to the individual mandate to purchase health insurance. As you know, a recent ballot initiative in Missouri found that 71 percent of voters opposed the individual mandate. While no such equivalent survey has been conducted in Montana, it only takes one open, public listening session to realize that folks here share this concern.

Thank you again for visiting Montana. I hope you’ll keep the thoughts of Montanans in mind as we continue to address the problems facing America’s health care system.

BILLINGS, MT – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement following the release of 14 additional pages pertaining to the Department of Interior’s clandestine plans to declare millions of acres in Montana to be National Monuments. The missing pages may complete the “NOT FOR RELEASE” memo that originally outlined plans to utilize the Antiquities Act for the Presidential designation of National Monuments across the west, including Montana. Pages 15-21 of the memo were leaked earlier this year. The Department of Interior has acknowledged that it continues to withhold more than 2,000 pages of related documents.

“While I’m glad the Department of Interior has finally released these pages, I can certainly understand why they wanted to keep them a secret. A single sentence acknowledging the benefit of public input won’t appease Montanans when the rest of the document lays out plans to circumvent that input if it doesn’t fall in line with the pre-constructed plans of unelected Washington bureaucrats. The new pages make a disturbing case for bypassing Congress with a unilateral Presidential designation of National Monuments. This was the worst-case scenario, and it’s no longer hypothetical.”

In March, Rehberg joined his colleagues on the House Western Caucus in sending a letter with four questions. So far, only the first has been answered. These questions are below:

1. All pages of the “Internal Draft” document of which we obtained only pages 15 to 21 …

2. With regard to the “brainstorming” sessions you publicly mentioned, we would like a copy of any documents distributed at or in preparation for the meetings, a list of all participants or invitees, any notes taken at the meeting (s), and any memoranda, work product or follow up documents from the meeting(s). All records, electronic or otherwise, of meetings or discussions with private groups, individuals or other persons or entities that are not employees of the Department of the Interior where potential National Monument designations were discussed. We request all notes, agendas, memoranda or documents from those meetings.

3. All documents related to the Secretary’s initiative to compile a list of potential National Monument designations since July 1, 2009, including, but not limited to, maps.

4. Any communication with any person or entity outside of the Department of the Interior related to the Secretary’s initiative since July 1, 2009.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced he will seek to remove the gray wolf from consideration under the Endangered Species Act. Rehberg will support legislation asking Congress to amend the 1973 act “to prohibit treatment of the Gray Wolf as an endangered species or threatened species.” The move comes in response to a recent court ruling effectively reinstating endangered status for the wolf.

“It’s become clear the courts and the environmental extremists have abandoned the principle of sound science when determining the status of the gray wolf,” said Rehberg, a member of the Congressional Western Caucus. “Years of research, dedicated efforts by land owners and local officials, and the expert opinions of on-the-ground wildlife managers have been given a back seat to profit-motivated environmental groups. We need to call attention to this abuse and solve an issue that should have been put to rest years ago.”

When Congress returns to Washington, Rehberg will cosponsor H.R. 6028, a measure introduced by Texas Representative Chet Edwards that will amend the original Endangered Species Act to prohibit gray wolves from being listed as an endangered species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) first issued the decision to delist the wolf in 2008, after the species had met revised recovery goals of 30 breeding pairs and 300 wolves for eight consecutive years. Wildlife biologists estimate there are 1,700 wolves in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Oregon and Washington. Wolves were first placed on the endangered species list in 1974.

“The evidence of a recovery for the gray wolf is as plain as day, yet Montana stock-growers and wildlife managers have their hands tied when it comes to managing the predator,” said Rehberg, who in February urged the White House to adhere to an FWS opinion that the wolf be delisted in Montana and Idaho. “Stock losses and big game depredation caused by an uncontrolled wolf population are a real concern in Montana, and the state’s responsible management plan needs to be put in place.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called members back to Washington to vote on yet another multi-billion bailout.

“While Montana’s economy continues to hemorrhage jobs and our families struggle to pay their bills, Speaker Pelosi summoned Congress back to Washington to force a vote on yet another bailout for her home state of California, a state that has been unwilling to make the tough fiscal decisions necessary to balance its budget. Montana has a balanced budget, so it’s beyond insulting to be forced to pay off California’s debts. But that’s exactly what Speaker Pelosi is asking taxpayers to do. Montana’s families know that you shouldn’t balance the checkbook with a credit card. If your checking account is overdrawn, the painful reality is you’ve got to spend less. There is no justification for what Nancy Pelosi is doing to taxpayers.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement in response to a federal court ruling that effectively places wolves back on the endangered species list. The decision also cancels the scheduled wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho by prohibiting state management of wolf populations.

“I’ve long said decisions regarding the endangered species list should be based on sound science. I’m disappointed that after years of monitoring and research, and hundreds of millions of federal dollars spent, there are still people in this country who refuse to acknowledge the fact that gray wolves are a recovered species and ready for responsible state management. Land-owners, stock-growers, biologists, conservationists, and public officials at the state and federal level have all worked diligently to get to this point.

“It’s high time for the billion-dollar environmental extremist industry to start listening to local experts and stop assuming all knowledge about wildlife issues resides outside of Montana. State wildlife managers have legitimate concerns over depleting elk and deer populations and our livestock industry is faced with ever increasing wolf encroachment. Montana has developed a responsible wolf management plan and it should have been given a chance to succeed.”

BILLINGS, MT – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today contacted Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urging her to immediately freeze additional funding for the soon-to-be-one-way Port of Entry at Whitetail in Montana and to conduct a review before completing the $8.5 million project. The funding for the port has been a matter of national criticism for some time, all the more now that Canada has decided to close its side of the port, effectively making the port available only for Canadian entry into the United States.

“After hearing from the folks who live in northeast Montana, I can say that despite the popular myth that government waste is embraced by those who are supposed to benefit from it, Montanans aren’t happy about how their tax dollars are being wasted,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “$8.5 million is too much to spend for a press release and a ribbon cutting ceremony, and at this point, that looks to be the only benefit this project has. It’s my job to safeguard tax dollars, and I’m making sure this boondoggle doesn’t slip through the cracks.”

When it comes to the ‘so-called’ Stimulus, Rehberg has been a vocal critic of ongoing waste and an advocate for accountability and transparency. For example, he expressed frustration when the cost of the Billings Federal Courthouse ballooned from $35 million to almost $60 million as a result of the influx of stimulus funding. He has also fought against wasting millions of dollars creating the political highway signs crediting the ‘so-called’ Stimulus with funding for construction projects.

“I recommend that the Department of Homeland Security conduct a thorough review to determine whether the Port of Whitetail should remain open,” wrote Rehberg in his letter. “Furthermore, I recommend that the Department freeze any further ARRA spending at the Port of Whitetail until this review can be completed. I believe the Department would do a great disservice to the American taxpayer if it completed construction at the Port of Whitetail and later closed the Port due to lack of use.”

Dear Secretary Napolitano:

Last week, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced its intention to close Saskatchewan’s Port of Big Beaver on April 1, 2011. As you know, Big Beaver is the sister location to Montana’s Whitetail Port of Entry.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated $420 million for the modernization of land ports operated by Customs and Border Patrol. According to Recovery.gov, $8.5 million of this allocation is to be spent modernizing and upgrading the Port of Whitetail.

Given that fewer than five vehicles per day pass through Whitetail, its proximity to the Port of Scobey just 12 miles away, and the upcoming closure of its Canadian counterpart; my constituents and I question the wisdom of spending millions of taxpayer dollars modernizing the Port of Whitetail.

Last Fall, following widespread concern about the cost of port modernization projects on the Northern Border, your office appointed an independent committee to conduct a 30-day review of the project allocations. During this review, the independent committee visited the Port of Whitetail and a handful of other ports before making several recommendations in a document entitled 30-Day CBP Port Modernization Review: Summary and Department Response. Among their recommendations, the independent committee suggested that:

“The Department should conduct periodic studies to determine whether any ports of entry should be closed. Although permanent closure of a port of entry involves a number of complex considerations (international relations and impacts on local residents to name just two), some of the facilities that currently exist are separated by only several miles and have low traffic volumes.”

According to that same document, the Department of Homeland Security responded to this suggestion, saying that: “This recommendation will be taken under advisement and reviewed in consultation with the interagency.”

While I understand the need for interagency consultation, I believe that CBSA’s closure of the Big Beaver port dramatically impacts the current plans for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Port.

Due to the Canadian decision to close the Port of Big Beaver, I recommend that the Department of Homeland Security conduct a thorough review to determine whether the Port of Whitetail should remain open. Furthermore, I recommend that the Department freeze any further ARRA spending at the Port of Whitetail until this review can be completed. I believe the Department would do a great disservice to the American taxpayer if it completed construction at the Port of Whitetail and later closed the Port due to lack of use.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-3211.

Sincerely,

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, released the following statement regarding the closure of the Canadian border crossing at the Whitetail Port of Entry near Scobey, MT. The port made national news (http://www.nyegateway.com/2009/09/wasting-millions-of-stimulus-money-on-remote-montana-canada-border-posts.html) recently when it was announced that $8.5 million in stimulus funds are being spent to modernize the port, which averages only five vehicles per day making it the least used port of entry on the U.S./Canadian Border.

Rehberg hosted listening sessions yesterday in Daniels and Sheridan Counties where the port situation was a hot topic of conversation. With the news that the Canadian government was closing its side of the border, the Whitetail Port will now only allow cars to enter the United States from Canada. U.S. travelers will be unable to enter Canada at that crossing. However, the Scobey Port of Entry remains open, just 12 miles away.

“You might expect the folks actually living near the Whitetail Port to be the port modernization’s biggest cheerleaders, but after personally talking with many of them, that’s just not the case. As taxpayers, they’re on the hook to pay for these wasteful projects, and they’re not happy about it.

“In fact, the ’so-called’ stimulus has literally wasted billions of dollars on projects that were approved with little to no public input or Congressional oversight. This money should have been used to pay down America’s huge national debt or beef up security along the northern border instead of being used to remodel a barely utilized, one-way port of entry. It’s no wonder Montanans from across the state are telling me they’re outraged by the wasteful spending going on in Washington. They rightly believe their tax dollars shouldn’t be wasted building a nicer, more modern port for Canadian travelers.”

Rehberg is the co-chairman of the House Northern Border Caucus.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, joined House colleagues from both parties in supporting passage of a resolution honoring the service of America’s air traffic controllers. The resolution is notable in Montana for its specific mention of a Montana air traffic incident.

“Montanans can feel safe in the air because of the quality, professionalism, and dedication of our outstanding air traffic controllers,” said Congressman Rehberg, a member of the House General Aviation Caucus. “Their services have helped open Montana to trade, commerce and tourism, all of which are essential to the growth of our economy.”

The resolution contains specific mention of a March 29, 2009 incident in Butte, Montana, in which air traffic controller Troy Decker at the Salt Lake Center facility guided a Piper Aztec aircraft with engine trouble to a safe landing, providing detailed weather reports for several possible landing options.

“Nearly 1.5 million people commercially flew in and out of Montana in 2009,” said Rehberg. “These passengers, in addition to the countless general aviators who use Montana’s airspace for transportation and recreation, are fundamental to Montana’s modern economy. It’s our job to ensure these folks are provided with the safest, most reliable and professional air traffic control network in the world.”

“We are deeply honored by this resolution and thank Congressman Rehberg and each of the co-sponsors for their support of air traffic controllers, aviation safety and the National Airspace System” said Todd Knowles, Montana State Legislative Representative, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). “Air traffic controllers are proud of the work that we do in ensuring the safety of every aircraft, and our mission is to provide a high level of safety, skill, dedication and professionalism in our jobs. We will continue to do all we can to make today’s system safe and efficient while working to bring new technologies and procedures on board safely and effectively.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has cosponsored legislation to cut all non-defense/homeland security/veterans affairs spending by five cents for every dollar in fiscal years 2010 and 2011. Rehberg has offered several solutions for spending reform in Congress.

“If the State of Montana can save a nickel for every dollar it spends, there’s absolutely no reason the federal government shouldn’t be able to do the same,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “The record deficits are adding to a record debt that is bogging down economic recovery and destroying jobs. Montanans have tightened their belts, and it’s way past time for Congress to follow their lead.”

Rehberg has been leading by example among his colleagues in the House. This legislation is only the most recent example of him putting taxpayer money where his mouth is. Earlier this year, he decided to forgo earmarks and sponsored legislation to apply the money saved back to the national debt. He has also offered amendments in all of his Appropriations Subcommittees to freeze spending levels and has sponsored a Constitutional Amendment to require a balanced budget.

When Democrats took over control of Congress in 2006, the federal budget was well on its way back to the surpluses prior to 9/11. Since the majority changed, however, the federal deficit has quadrupled and the debt has ballooned to $13 trillion – more than $40,000 for every man, woman and child in America.

H.R. 5542, which Rehberg cosponsored, mandates a five percent across-the-board reduction in federal spending that isn’t going toward defense, homeland security or veterans affairs. That cut is roughly equivalent to one made by the state of Montana earlier this year in order to balance the budget.

“When it comes to spending reform, I’ve led by personal example, sponsored legislation and offered amendments,” said Rehberg. “Unfortunately, this majority is more interested in talking about the deficit from previous years than in doing something about the deficit today. That’s got to change, and this bill embodies that.”