Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, this evening joined more than four dozen other mostly Western Republican Congressmen in voting against the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) supplemental spending bill. Rehberg assailed leaders for stripping the bill of funds for firefighting in the West.

“People outside the West simply don’t get it,” Rehberg, angered by the action, said before casting a vote against the bill. “Our states have had years of drought, we have wildfires threatening thousands of acres, and they want to strip the bill of much-needed funds to fight fires that are burning right now as we speak.”

“You know, there’s a reason we keep talking about drought, forest management, and planning ahead – it’s wildfires, which threaten lives and devastate the local economy,” Rehberg continued.” It’s time the rest of Congress treated our disasters the same way they treat hurricanes, tornados, and floods.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced more than $9.9 million in projects for Montana were included in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, approved today in the House. Led by $4 million for the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System, the bill included six Montana projects totaling $9,915,000.

“I’m delighted the House approved the Energy and Water spending bill,” Rehberg, a member of the House Resources Committee, said. “I’m pleased to have been able to add funds for these important Montana projects in our committee work.”

The House passed the included funds for the following Montana projects:

· Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System $4 million
· City of Conrad Water System $1 million
· Fort Peck Fish Hatchery $2 million
· Rocky Boy’s/North Central Rural Water System $915,000
· City of Laurel Water Intake $3 million

“I look forward to working with Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) on furthering these projects,” Rehberg said.

Turns Back Amendments to Interior Spending Bill Regulating Bison, Snowmobile, MO. River Flow

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, last night was victorious in his efforts at turning back three amendments to the Interior spending bill that would have had adverse effects on Montanans.

“This is a victory both for common sense and for Montana,” Rehberg said. “It took a lot of work, a lot of debate, and a lot of eyeball-to-eyeball conversations on the floor, but in the end our efforts paid off – all three times.”

Rehberg three times took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday leading debate and securing votes against the following:

An amendment from Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) that would have prohibited funds from being used to manage recreational snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. If approved, this amendment would have re-instated the short-lived ban on snowmobiles in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and allow public tours only via the use of snowcoaches (whose emissions are up to six times higher than those of snowmobiles). Rehberg and the House defeated this amendment 210-210 (A tie is not sufficient to pass an amendment).

“You know, there’s a Reason we established dude ranches in Montana because there are a lot of dudes that come out and they don’t know which end of a horse to jump up on,” Rehberg said. “It’s ironic the sponsor of the amendment would say the best alternative is no human interaction. Frankly if you didn’t want human involvement in Yellowstone park, you’re about a hundred years too late.”

An amendment from Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) that would have prohibited funds from being used to kill, or assist others in killing, any bison in the Yellowstone National Park herd. Rehberg and the House defeated this amendment 220-199.

“This amendment turns back 10-years worth of compromise, 10-years worth of consensus,” Rehberg said. “This is a management of the health of the bison issue. The riparian damage they do – the damage they do to the very environment we’re trying to protect in the national park – is one of the reasons we signed [a] memorandum of understanding with the federal government.”

An amendment from Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that would have nullified a recent Judicial ruling in favor of Montanans regarding the Missouri River water flows, and instead continue the Corps of Engineers’ continued drain of crucial levels in Montana’s Fort Peck Reservoir in favor of the downstream barge industry. Rehberg and the House defeated this amendment by raising and sustaining a procedural objection.

WASHINGTON, DC -Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today took to the floor of the House arguing against an amendment to the Interior spending bill that would adversely affect the health of Montanans. Rehberg assailed efforts by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) to prohibit the U.S. Park Service from controlling bison in the Yellowstone National Park herd. A vote on the Rahall amendment is expected this later this afternoon.

“This amendment turns back 10-years worth of compromise, 10-years worth of consensus,” Rehberg said. “This is a management of the health of the bison issue.”

Montana currently enjoys an open border policy with its brucellosis-free, neighboring states, Rehberg said, warning that infected Bison can transmit the disease to cattle, presenting a human health threat. Since 1935 over 10 billion dollars has been spent by federal and state agencies to eradicate brucellosis from the American livestock industry. After 30 years and over 33 million dollars spent, Montana today is a brucellosis free state. Were the disease to be found in Montana, the states borders would be immediately closed and every animal leaving the state tested, creating a financial disaster for Montana taxpayers and producers, who would suffer millions of dollars in lost income.

“The riparian damage they do – the damage they do to the very environment we’re trying to protect in the national park – is one of the reasons we signed [a] memorandum of understanding with the federal government. We’ve finally come to a compromise; we finally took it out of the court,” Rehberg said during House debate. “Don’t undercut the process, creating a human health danger, a herd health danger, and danger to the environment of the national park. This amendment must be defeated.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, this afternoon introduced his Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill. Rehberg’s amendment (to be voted on later today) would restore funding for the program, omitted in the spending bill. In hour-long floor debate of the amendment, Rehberg began with the following remarks:

“The issue is very simple: do we want to give our producers in America the opportunity to tout the fact that their product was born, raised, and processed in America? Country of Origin Labeling offers shoppers a choice, but it also provides farmers and ranchers fairness.

“The issue has been fully debated. It was debated in the House farm bill. It was debated in the Senate farm bill. It passed both bodies. It was signed by the president, and in fact, the administration has had 12 hearings around the country.

“By taking the funding away from the implementation, you’re cutting the legs out from under the American farmers and ranchers in our ability to know where our product comes from, and it makes you wonder why somebody would be reluctant to put their name or their country on their product.

“Currently you can buy clothes, you can buy electronics, you can buy toys, that label where they come from, … but you don’t know where your meat is necessarily coming from.

“Some will try and say that COOL violates the international trade agreements, and that’s not true. In fact, in article just today, Japanese officials said that [U.S. cattle and beef] trade would be banned September one if the United States cannot certify that exports contain no Canadian beef. The number one importer of our beef is Japan! They want country of origin labeling. The number three importer of our meat is Korea, and they want the same labeling. In fact, sixty countries around the world are asking for labeling.”

“Cattle can be stolen in some states around this country, and we don’t have the process set up to be ready to tell, like Montana did within 20 hours [following the recent discovery of BSE in Canada], …where that livestock went.”

Rehberg concluded this afternoon’s debate with the following closing remarks:

“We at the local level, us small guys, don’t control the marketing. We need this avenue, We’re proud of our product, and at a time when we’re in a recession, at a time when much of American agriculture is flat on it’s back, we need the opportunity to say, ‘America matters to us in agriculture, America matters to the consumer, and if we can marry the two, our agricultural producers throughout this country, the Mom and Pops in Iowa and Montana, in Texas and California, in Georgia and Connecticut will all know that they’ve done a good thing because we have said American products matter.’ We’re not banning anything from a foreign country. We’re not trying to create a competitive disadvantage. All we’re trying to do is say, give us the opportunity to have mandatory Country of Origin Labeling so we know where our products are coming from – so we can take great pride in the product we produce.

“Country of Origin labeling gives American shoppers a choice. It gives American farmers and ranchers fairness. It gives us the opportunity to say, buy America.

“It’s important that we pass this amendment and that we carry forward with country of origin labeling for America, for farmers and ranchers, and for consumers.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, U. S. Representative Denny Rehberg (R), announced today he will introduce an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill, on the House floor on Monday, to preserve funding for the implementation of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), a program that will require a label to be affixed to meat products declaring the country where the animal was born, raised and processed. Rehberg was instrumental in enacting the provision, which was passed into law as part of the 2002 Farm bill.

“Country of Origin Labeling is important to Montana producers, and it’s important to consumers who want to support the American agriculture industry and who want to know exactly where their food is coming from,” said Rehberg, a Billings rancher and member of the House Agriculture Committee.

The program is threatened by language in the current Agriculture Appropriations bill that would exclude funding for implementation of COOL, essentially preventing the U.S. Department of Agriculture from completing the rules process by the September 2004 deadline. Rehberg, and a bi-partisan coalition of House members, plan to introduce a simple amendment to the appropriations measure on the House floor Monday to strike the section that withholds funding for developing the COOL program.

“I’ve received many letters and phone calls from Montanans voicing strong support for Country of Origin Labeling, and asking me to make sure the current process of developing the rules continues to move forward. Basically, without my amendment, the process for developing the rules will come to a screeching halt,” added Rehberg. “The USDA has really just begun the process of writing the rules, and I think we need to let that process continue,” Rehberg concluded.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has conducted a series of public listening sessions across the country, including a June session in Billings, in order to develop the rules and guidelines to enact the mandate.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, U. S. Representative Denny Rehberg (R), is presenting the Marine Corps Times “Marine of the Year” citation to Staff Sergeant Karl C. Garrison, from Twin Bridges, MT. SSgt Garrison serves as a radio technician for the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity Group, stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA.

“I’m proud of all of America’s valiant defenders of freedom, but my heart really swells with pride when paying tribute to a truly special and self-less soldier from the great state of Montana,” said Rehberg. “Staff Sergeant Garrison has earned the respect of his commanders, and the loyalty of his fellow Marines. He’s made the whole state proud, and is a shining example of the thoughtful and generous people of Big Sky country.”

“I’m very honored to receive this citation. I see it as a great reflection on my unit and an important recognition as a leader,” said SSgt Garrison. “That’s the main thing for me, because I love to lead the young Marines, and pass on the tradition and camaraderie that I’ve known as a Marine. Plus, to it’s nice to see Montana making the headlines every now and again.”

Marine Corps Times selected SSgt Garrison for “showing unusual or unrecognized honor, valor, and dedication to fellow Marines and the community.” In August 2002, SSgt Garrison learned he was a compatible bone marrow donor to a patient in Washington, D.C. He immediately made himself available to a series of tests, and when the patient required an expedited bone marrow donation, SSgt Garrison put in the extra effort to meet all the stringent donor requirements in a shortened period of time. In November that year, he underwent the procedure for the patient, whom he did not know.

SSgt Garrison was required to go on light duty and miss physical training for a couple of months – a situation that could have harmed his chances of promotion, according to one colleague. “This is a completely self-less and courageous act to do for someone you don’t know or will never meet,” said the donor program coordinator. One fellow Marine recalled him saying, “If you can do something, why wouldn’t you?” Another junior Marine said, “He sacrificed his own health and fitness, and put himself through a lot of pain and challenge. He’s a hero and an inspiration to me.”

SSgt Garrison is the son of Cyndi Balkovetz of Twin Bridges, and Gene Garrison of Pineville, Oregon. At age 29, he’s a 10-year Marine Corps veteran whose wife Estella, and 6-year-old son, Tristan, lives with him in California. SSgt Garrison says he plans on retiring from the Marine Corp in another 10 years, and moving back to Montana.

The citation ceremony took place in Washington, DC, and included honorees from the Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard.