Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sponsored legislation to provide relief for agricultural producers shipping their goods from areas without competitive rail transportation. The “Railroad Competition Act of 2003” (H.R. 2924) enhances competition among rail carriers to ensure reasonable rail rates for Montana’s agricultural producers. The measure is identical to legislation (S. 919) in the Senate introduced by Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT).

“Conrad Burns has really gotten the ball rolling on this issue in the Senate, and I look forward to building upon that momentum when the House considers the bill,” Rehberg said. “Producers in Montana, already strapped by steep input costs and narrow profit margin for their products, need a solution to the high costs associated with rail shipping in the state.”

The legislation would clarify existing laws and direct the Surface Transportation Board to ensure effective competition among rail carriers at origins and destinations; maintain reasonable rates in the absence of effective competition; and maintain consistent and efficient rail transportation service for rail shippers, including the timely provision of cars. The bill would also establish a ‘final offer’ arbitration of rail rate disputes between shippers and the railroad companies.

“I’m optimistic that this problem for Montana’s agriculture producers can be resolved by striking a fair balance between rail shippers and those who use the rail service,” Rehberg said. “While this legislation is a good approach to solving the problem, I would also like to see Montana’s Ag producers and the rail shipper come to the negotiating table in an effort to reach a deal in absence of legislation.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, praised today’s economic news, citing recent tax relief and economic growth legislation and praising families and small businesses for the economy’s dramatic 7.2 percent annual rate upturn in the third quarter.

“The economy didn’t start to turn sluggish over night and we knew it wouldn’t begin to turn around over night,” Rehberg said. “The series of tax relief packages that we passed is part of a long term strategy to get this economy healthy again.”

The report from the Commerce Department today said the gross domestic product (GDP) in the July-September quarter was up at more than twice the rate registered in the previous quarter. The GDP, which measures the value of all goods and services produced within the U.S., is the broadest measure of the economy’s performance, experts say. Last quarter’s 7.2 percent jump represents the highest rate increase since the first quarter of 1984, far exceeding analysts expectations.

“It’s the greatest surge in the economy in nearly twenty years,” Rehberg said. “Experts agree, coupled with last quarter’s positive employment figures, this is compelling evidence both of an economic resurgence and of the effectiveness of the Jobs and Growth Tax Act we passed in May.”

An Associated Press news report echoed that sentiment, saying: “Near rock-bottom short-term interest rates, along with President Bush’s third round of tax cuts, have helped the economy shift into a higher gear during the summer, economists say.”

“There’s only so much Congress can do. Government doesn’t create jobs people do,” Rehberg said. “The real credit belongs to the faith and hard work of the American people. The lifeblood of this recovery has been working families and small businesses.”

WASHINGTON, DC - The House Resources Committee today approved the Upper Missouri River Breaks Boundary Clarification Act, introduced by Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg. With bipartisan support, Rehberg’s legislation to redraw the boundaries around the 81,000 acres of private land passed the full committee 24-13.

“The House Resources Committee’s bipartisan vote today is yet another step in the open public process of undoing the wrong that was done under cover of darkness by the Clinton administration,” Rehberg, a member of the Committee, said. “I’m pleased that so many of my fellow Committee Members are behind this simple, common-sense measure.”

The two-line law instructs the Department of the Interior to remove private property from the Monument boundaries:

“The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, established by Presidential proclamation 7398 on January 17, 2001, shall not include within its boundaries any privately owned property.
The Secretary shall keep a map of the Monument reflecting the boundary clarification on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.”

The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands held a hearing on the measure September 30, during which Rehberg introduced a petition signed by more 3,300 local residents asking for the legislation. The legislation was also supported by the Bush Administration. Next stop for the measure is a vote by the House of Representatives.

“The previous administration skipped the process of open public input in order to accomplish their agenda,” Rehberg pointed out. “The private property owners whose land was annexed without their knowledge or input asked me to use the correct process, under full public scrutiny, to right the wrong that was done to them. This is why we have the Legislative Branch, it’s the correct way to conduct policy and an example of good, open government.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced House and Senate leaders have reached an agreement on a new plan to give more military retirees retired pay without the current offset in Veterans disability pay.

“This proposal will provide retired pay for more veterans and retirees than ever before covered by law, ending an unfair penalty on disabled veterans,” Rehberg said. “The agreement comes at crucial time for America’s veterans, to whom we owe our gratitude for their service, past and present.”

Currently, disabled veterans’ retirement benefits are offset dollar-for-dollar by the amount of disability coverage they are eligible for. The agreement provides full concurrent receipt of benefits for the most severely disabled veterans. The plan will be included in the Department of Defense Authorization conference report, with a vote in the House as early as this month.

The plan continues providing full concurrent receipt to all Purple Heart veterans who are retired after 20 years and qualify for VA disability, expanding full concurrent receipt to all combat-related special compensation (CRSC) veterans with a VA disability rating. The plan also establishes full concurrent receipt to the most disabled military retirees 50% disabled and above (50 - 100% disabled).

“The agreement still must go through Senate committee hurdles, and is subject to a final vote in the House,” Rehberg cautioned. “I am, however, optimistic that we will soon finally see signed into law a remedy that will close the gaps that have penalized our military retirees for far too long.”

The plan will be included in the Department of Defense Authorization conference report and includes the following:

Blue Ribbon Commission
Establishment of a 13-member, bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission to review the current VA disability system and make recommendations to ensure the system adequately compensates veterans for disabilities they may incur as a result of their service. The White House and Congressional leaders will appoint commissioners - more than half of whom will be highly decorated combat veterans.

Purple Heart
The House plan continues to provide full concurrent receipt to all Purple Heart veterans who are retired after 20 years and qualify for VA disability.

Combat-Related Special Compensation
Under current law, combat-related special compensation (CRSC) veterans 60% disabled and above have full concurrent receipt through the Republicans’ Purple Heart Plus plan for disabilities related to combat situations. The House plan expands full concurrent receipt to all CRSC veterans with a VA disability rating.

National Guard and Reservists
Very few retired reservists and national guardsmen now qualify under current law for the Purple Heart or CRSC concurrent receipt. The House plan removes this barrier and extends full concurrent receipt to all retired National Guard and reservists who are Purple Heart recipients, or who are CRSC qualified.

Remaining Military Retirees
Under current law, none of the remaining military retirees receive concurrent receipt. The house plan establishes full concurrent receipt to the most disabled military retirees 50% disabled and above (50 - 100% disabled).

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg (R), will host a Congressional field hearing on the Indian Trust Fund, October 25 in Billings. Representatives from tribes in Montana and Wyoming are expected to participate.

Congress has ordered the U.S. Department of Interior – which includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs – to account for thousands of Indian trust fund accounts mismanaged by as much as $135 billion dollars, according to plaintiffs in a 7-year-old class action lawsuit filed against the Department.

Rehberg, a member of the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Resources, will open hearing, entitled “Developing a Legislative Solution to the Indian Trust Fund Lawsuit,” at 10:00 a.m.

Open to the public, the hearing will be conducted in the Lewis and Clark Room of the MSU-Billings Student Union Building.

Group Cites Rehberg as “True Blue”

WASHINGTON, DC - The Family Research Council (FRC) today presented Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg (R), with its annual “True Blue” Award. Rehberg earned a perfect score on the group’s comprehensive rating of Congress in 2003 on “issues of importance to the American family.”

“Denny has been a consistent, stalwart ally of American families,” FRC President Tony Perkins said. “He is to be commended for his adherence to the belief that strong marriages and families are essential aspects of a resilient society.”

The True Blue Award is presented by the Family research Council to Members of Congress who demonstrate extraordinary integrity and character in their defense of the family and the sanctity of human life through their votes on the floor of the House of Representatives. Congressman Rehberg achieved a perfect voting record on 13 crucial bills during the first session of the 108th Congress identified by FRC for their importance to the American Family.

“I am honored to receive this important recognition of my commitment to the American family,” Rehberg said.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Upper Missouri River Breaks Boundary Clarification Act (H.R. 1629), introduced April 3, 2003, by Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, won approval from the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands today. Rehberg’s bill restores about 81,000 acres of private land that had been swallowed up when the Monument’s boundary was drawn in 2001.

“What the subcommittee did today is another step in the normal, open public process – an example of good government – in contrast with the closed-door, exclusionary approach taken by the Clinton administration,” Rehberg, a member of the Resources Committee, said.

The subcommittee approved Rehberg’s bill, introduced on voice vote. The simple, two-line bill, which instructs the Department of the Interior to remove private property from the Monument boundaries, reads:

“The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, established by Presidential proclamation 7398 on January 17, 2001, shall not include within its boundaries any privately owned property.

The Secretary shall keep a map of the Monument reflecting the boundary clarification on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.”

The Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill September 30th, during which Rehberg introduced a petition signed by more 3,300 local residents asking for the legislation. Next stop for the bill is a final vote by the full House Resources Committee.

“If the previous administration had operated under the normal process of open government in the first place, these private property owners would not have needed my help,” Rehberg pointed out. “Today’s hearing, conducted under full public scrutiny, is the next step in the legitimate process of righting the wrong that was done under cover of darkness.”

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg, today told the Native American Women’s Health Conference domestic violence in the United States “is a threat not only to the well-being of women but also of children.” In a speech kicking off the conference entitled, “Capturing the Spirit of Wellness,” Rehberg said the Bush Administration has announced two new initiatives designed to address the problem.

“The Family Justice Centers Initiative will help local communities provide comprehensive services under one roof to victims of domestic violence, while the Safe and Bright Futures for Children initiative will soon provide grants to community and faith-based organizations to aid children who witness domestic violence,” Rehberg told a group of about 200 who gathered at the Mansfield Health Education Center at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings.

“While domestic violence affects men, women, and children of all backgrounds, it poses a growing and devastating detriment to the health of Native American women, in particular,” Rehberg said. “In addition to injuries sustained during violent incidents, women who have been abused are more likely to experience adverse physical and mental effects such as, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases.”

“Millions of American children witness assaults by one parent against another every year and many of those suffer physical or emotional abuse as well,” Rehberg a co-sponsor of the event, said. “We must stop the cycle of violence from one generation to the next. We must do everything we can to heal the wounds of America’s battered children.”

Specifically designed for Native American women, medical providers, reservation service units, and community health centers, the conference included national and regional women’s healthcare experts and professionals

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg, will deliver the opening address at a Native American Women’s Health Conference entitled “Capturing the Spirit of Wellness,” Friday, October 10 at the Mansfield Health Education Center at St. Vincent Healthcare, in Billings. Rehberg is a co-sponsor of the event.

“Traveling throughout Montana this year, I’m increasingly convinced of the need to focus on the healthcare of Native Americans, particularly women, whose severity and types of illnesses differ from Montana’s general population,” said Rehberg, who recently concluded a Native American listening tour, in which he visited with officials and members of all seven of the state’s tribal reservations. “Native American healthcare is an area that has yet to be adequately addressed because officials haven’t recognized the special needs.”

The conference brings together national and regional women’s healthcare experts and professionals and will focus on enhancing the relationship between women and their health care providers. It is specifically designed for Native American women, medical providers, reservation service units, and community health centers.

The keynote speakers are Mary Alice Trapp, R.N., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and Dr. Dee Ann DeRoin of the National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center in Park Hill, Oklahoma. Trapp will highlight the benefits of breast and cervical cancer screening, while Dr. DeRoin will present an overview of cervical cancer in American Indian and Alaskan native women.

The conference also features several women’s health experts conducting sessions on a variety of topics: cancer and cancer screening, osteoporosis, diabetes, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and improving women’s health through public policy.

Conference sponsors are St. Vincent Healthcare and Healthcare Foundation, the Montana American Indian Women’s Health Coalition, Women Reaching for Wellness Program, Montana Breast and Cervical Health Program, and U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg.

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the Department of Justice has awarded more than $1.4 million in grants to three Montana programs, including a $745,125 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant to the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch in Billings.

“The Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is providing a vital service to the Billings community,” Rehberg said. “Their work in helping young people validates their belief that there is no person who can’t be helped or healed or loved as long as there is hope.”

The grant will provide safe housing, mentoring, and job and life skills training to youth transitioning from out-of-home care to independent living. The program goal is to assist youth reach maximum self-sufficiency and positive participation in the community, and to help them avoid re-entering the criminal justice system.

Rehberg also announced a Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Discretionary grant of $435,110 has been awarded to the Montana Department of Corrections in Helena. The funds will allow the Department’s Juvenile Corrections Division to help the state’s youth offenders transition back to the community.

In addition a $248,375 Crime Control and Safe Streets Act grant has been awarded to the Gallatin County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in Bozeman. The funds will allow the county to provide supervision, therapy, and training to offenders struggling with chemical dependency and related criminal behavior, helping them to reenter lawful society.

“Each of these grants is designed to provide local officials with the resources they need to help restore convicted offenders, allowing them to become accountable and responsible citizens,” Rehberg said.